When Edith King was growing up, her father didn’t have much — but he had a vision.
He made arrangements for her to receive piano lessons, and it wasn’t long before she found herself sitting at the piano on Sundays at Joquin Baptist Church, Goshen.
It also wasn’t long before her path crossed that of a young man seven miles away who had his own musical talent.
At Patsburg Baptist Church, Luverne, Wiley King’s family sang often as the King Family Quartet, and they needed a pianist.
That’s where teenage Edith joined them — sometimes even as lead singer.
Married since 1953
And it wouldn’t be long before Wiley decided it was a ministry match made in heaven.
The two married in 1953 after her freshman year of college.
After the first two years of their marriage, the Kings were forced to part for a little while.
Wiley was sent to Japan with the Air Force for two years, and Edith came back with their son, Philip, to stay with her parents in Goshen.
But not too long after, Wiley made the decision to head back to family and ministry.
He got a helicopter maintenance job at Fort Rucker, and the couple started a long life of music ministry together.
First, they served for 12 years at Park Avenue Baptist Church, Enterprise, with Edith on the organ and Wiley leading music.
Music-related roles
Then in the years that followed, they both served in music-related roles at different churches and organizations all over the area. Along the way, Edith also taught piano lessons for 30 years.
Eventually, they made their way back to Park Avenue Baptist together.
Then in 2013, First Baptist Church, New Brockton, asked Edith to be its pianist. Wiley followed her as worship leader a few years later.
“After 67 years of marriage, and 86 years of age, their legacy of faith and worship continues until the Lord declares otherwise,” said Nathan Sims, pastor of First, New Brockton, which honored the couple for their faithfulness in August.
“Oh, that all lives could be so well lived.”
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