Myrtle Lillian James was born in San Francisco and raised in Fresno. She was the daughter of Edwin and Nellie Rose (Simmons) James of Fresno. She had one brother, Capt. Edwin 'Ed' Floyd James, who died during WWII, and a stepsister, Carol. Myrtle married Dr. William M. Edwards of San Rafael in 1947. They had 3 children. Myrtle was an elegant and beautiful woman with a wonderful sense of humor. Most of all, she was a loving mother to her children. She raised them as a single mother after she and William divorced in about 1962. In about 1970, Myrtle married Thomas Ewing of Monterey, California. She lived there until Tom's death in 1990, then moved to Portland, Oregon to be near one of her daughters. She enjoyed travel, visiting her children and entertaining family. She passed away peacefully in 2001. Myrtle is buried at the Sanger Cemetery near her maternal grandparents: James and Susie (Abrams) Simmons, and uncles George 'Clyde' Simmons and James Lawrence Simmons. She was 81 years old.

Sanger Obituary: Graveside services for Myrtle Ewing, 81, of Oregon, formerly of Sanger, will be at 10 a.m. today at Sanger Cemetery. Mrs. Ewing, a homemaker, died Monday.
Remembrances may be sent to Guide for Dogs for the Blind, P.O. Box 3950, San Rafael, CA 94912-3950, or Saint Agnes Hospice, P.O. Box 27350, Fresno, CA 93729-9804. Arrangements are under the direction of Wallin's Sanger Funeral Home. (Published June 1, 2001) (findagrave.com)