A personal introduction
I write from the perspective of someone who follows familial ties like a river follows the terrain. I sensed the current pull at an unremarkable bank of American life when I came upon Dica Mae Edwards’s existence: tiny communities, routines that are stable, and the family structure that supports public narratives. Dica was born in Boyle County, Kentucky, on May 1, 1918. She arrived in the last months of World War I and experienced the Great Depression, World War II, the postwar boom, and a century of swift change, so that date alone puts her at the crossroads of periods. The bookends of a life lived mostly out of the spotlight but connected by blood to individuals whose names would someday reverberate throughout the world are numbers like 1918 and June 8, 2005.
Early life and roots
I imagine Boyle County in 1918 as a place where every household had stories knitted into its rafters. Dica was raised by Ansel LeRoy Edwards and Nora Bell Perkins, two names that anchor her to a particular community and era. She married Marvin Jackson Warren in the late 1930s; the marriage and the years that followed produced at least one child I can confidently trace: Nina Bruce Warren, born around 1939. That single thread would later link Dica to a grandson whose life is widely known. Still, Dica herself remained a local figure: homemaker, Sunday school teacher, community volunteer, and at one point employed by GENESCO as a regional worker.
Family and relationships
Family is a map of small, repeating gestures. I like to think of Dica’s family as concentric circles. At the center sits Dica and her partner Marvin. The next ring contains their daughter Nina. Beyond that are grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Here is a compact table I put together to keep the relationships clear.
| Name | Relationship to Dica Mae Edwards | Notable dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ansel LeRoy Edwards | Father | late 1800s to mid 1900s | Rural Kentucky roots |
| Nora Bell Perkins | Mother | late 1800s to mid 1900s | Household matron |
| Marvin Jackson Warren | Husband / partner | circa 1910 – circa 1985 | Married late 1930s |
| Nina Bruce Warren | Daughter | circa 1939 – | Married into Clooney family |
| George Clooney | Grandson | 1961 – | Public figure; Dica is maternal grandmother in family trees |
| Adelia Clooney | Grandchild | dates vary | Part of the same extended family |
I include the table because lineage can feel abstract until you see a grid of names and dates. The grid is a small machine for turning memory into order. Numbers and dates help, especially when family tales diverge into many versions.
Work, community life, and quiet labor
A life’s worth is generally determined by the labor that kept it going. The job was relational and local for Dica. According to a number of community records, she worked for GENESCO at one time, taught Sunday school, and took part in homemaker groups. These are small beginnings, but they add up to a lifetime of work that influenced other people’s lives. In a way, teaching Sunday school is a little revolution since it helps to mold the lexicon of the next generation regarding responsibility and kindness. Being employed by a business such as GENESCO signifies a connection to the commercial rhythms of mid-century America. There are no business profiles, no major awards, and no noteworthy achievements. Rather, there are customs: communal dinners, church pews, and the steady hand of someone who took care of their house, family, and community.
The timeline in numbers
I like timelines because they are honest and spare.
- 1 May 1918: Birth in Boyle County, Kentucky.
- Late 1930s: Marriage to Marvin Jackson Warren.
- Circa 1939: Birth of daughter Nina Bruce Warren.
- 1940s: Appearances in the U.S. Census as a household head and mother.
- Mid 1900s: Community activity and employment with GENESCO.
- 8 June 2005: Death in Kentucky; memorialized locally.
Dates are small lighthouses that guide us through decades. They do not tell the weather of a life, but they show when the ship arrived and when it left port.
Home, memory, and the ripple effect
If a life is a stone thrown into a pond, Dica’s stone created concentric rings that reached further than she might have imagined. Her daughter Nina married and became the parent of children who would live in the public eye. That connection means Dica’s ordinary life is now part of a larger story; yet the core remains the same. Family lore sometimes treats the famous descendant as the sun, and earlier generations as planets circling it. I prefer to flip the metaphor. The sun is the shared history, the everyday tasks and bread baked and rules taught. The visible stars are later generations. Without the steady center, the bright points would not orbit.
Household snapshot table
Below is a short household snapshot that captures a midcentury moment.
| Year | Household members | Occupations and notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Dica, Marvin, Nina | Dica listed in census records; domestic life; early parenthood |
| 1950s | Dica, family | Community involvement increases; Sunday school teaching |
| 2005 | Memorial recorded | Death recorded 8 June 2005; local obituary and cemetery listing |
These snapshots help me imagine the daily scaffolding: laundry, meals, letters, seasonal rituals. They are the scaffolding behind a family tree that later attracts public attention.
FAQ
Who was Dica Mae Edwards?
I would describe Dica as a Kentucky-born matriarch, born 1 May 1918, who lived a life of local labor, faith, and family. She married Marvin Jackson Warren and was the mother of Nina Bruce Warren. She died on 8 June 2005.
What were her main family relationships?
Her parents were Ansel LeRoy Edwards and Nora Bell Perkins. She was married to Marvin Jackson Warren. Her daughter Nina became the mother of children who later entered public life. In family trees, Dica stands as a maternal grandmother to those descendants.
Did she have a public career or notable achievements?
She did not have a public, headline career. Her notable life work was faithful service at the community level: Sunday school teaching, participation in homemaker groups, and employment with GENESCO at some point. Those are the kinds of achievements that measure civic health more than they measure fame.
When did she live?
She was born on 1 May 1918 and she died on 8 June 2005. Her life spanned 87 years and covered many sweeping changes in American history.
Are there records of her life that people can consult?
There are public records such as census entries, memorial listings, and local obituary notices. They provide anchor points: dates, family names, and community ties. I use those records to piece together the arc of the life.
How does she fit into the larger family known publicly?
Dica is part of the maternal line that leads to public figures in later generations. The link is through her daughter Nina; that lineage has been recorded in multiple family trees. Dica herself remained a local figure whose quiet work enabled later generations to find their own paths.
