⬥︎Doris was born Feb. 26, 1911, in Denison. She was a member of Eastern Star. Doris was preceded by her husband, Arthur.
Survivors: Son, Robert Sandlin and wife, Helen; daughter, Sandra Cannon and husband, Jim; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Published by Star-Telegram on Jun. 11, 2007.
⬥︎Doris Brown Edwards: Last Bonnie and Clyde widow,
undercover Petticoat Ranger 07:52 AM CDT on Saturday, June 23, 2007
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
Doris Brown Edwards was married for less than two years when her
highway patrolman husband was gunned down by Clyde Barrow's bank-
robbing gang near Grapevine on Easter 1934.
Lacking survivor's benefits, the 23-year-old widow went to work as a
secretary with the highway department in Austin. She became a
Petticoat Ranger, an undercover position that helped the agency
investigate illegal gambling. She helped infiltrate gambling dens
across the state including operations in Galveston, Arlington, Dallas
and Fort Worth.
Mrs. Edwards, 96, died June 10 of natural causes at Lexington Place, a
Dallas assisted-living center. Her family gathered in her memory June
11 at her favorite restaurant, Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth. She was
buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth.
Mrs. Edwards was believed to be the last surviving widow of the
infamous bank robbers' victims. It was upsetting for her when
reporters requested interviews as the anniversary of her husband's
death approached, said her son, Robert Jefferson "Jeff" Sandlin of
Denton.
Mrs. Edwards said popular culture had made heroes of the gang that
killed her husband.
"She said nobody ever thinks about those of us who were left behind by
their antics and their law breaking," her son said. "It just really
bothered her a lot.
"It really never ended - the anguish. That was just a sad, sad part of
her life."
Mrs. Edwards was described as a sweet, loving person who enjoyed many
pastimes. She painted, played the piano and organ, cooked and often
shot her first husband's .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
"He taught her how to shoot it," her son said.
Born in Denison, Mrs. Edwards moved at age 9 to Arlington, where her
father was superintendent of the Home for Aged Masons. The family
lived in quarters behind the home.
She graduated from high school and attended the two-year college that
is now the University of Texas at Arlington.
She met her first husband, Edward Bryan Wheeler, when he pulled her
over in traffic, allegedly because her car had a faulty taillight.
In 1997, Mrs. Edwards gave this account of the flirtatious traffic
stop:
"He said, 'Did you know your taillight's out?' I told him no," adding
that her lights were just fine, thank you.
"It was just an excuse to stop me and get my name," she said.
The two were married in 1932.
On April 1, 1934, Mr. Wheeler and H.D. Murphy, a rookie, were killed
by the Barrow gang on Dove Road east of State Highway 114.
The officers intended to help the occupants of a car parked on the
dusty road but were ambushed as they approached. Historians disagree
about which of the Barrow gang members killed the officers. Some
speculate the killings may have resulted from a misunderstanding of
Barrow's order - "take 'em" - to kidnap the lawmen.
Patrolman Murphy's fiancée attended his funeral in her wedding dress.
Mrs. Edwards had little to fall back on in 1934. State Highway
Commissioner Harry Hines, for whom a Dallas boulevard was named, used
his influence to get her a secretarial position in Austin.
From that job, Mrs. Edwards and Bernice Ellis were selected to be
sworn in as Texas Rangers to help battle gambling in the state.
"They called us the first two women Rangers," Mrs. Edwards said.
The single women accompanied undercover officers on visits to
suspected illegal gambling sites.
"If we saw gambling in progress, I would go to the telephone and call
the Rangers," Mrs. Edwards said. " 'We're having such a nice time
here,' I'd say. 'Why don't you join us?' Then the Rangers would raid
the place.
"I suppose I could have been in danger, but I didn't have enough sense
to be afraid," she said. "I enjoyed it."
Mrs. Edwards went to work for the Texas Department of Public Safety
after it was organized in 1935. Her duties sometimes included
chauffeuring Gov. James Allred.
In 1940, Mrs. Edwards married Bob Sandlin and left the DPS. They had
two children. Mr. Sandlin died in 1950.
Mrs. Edwards was later employed as a secretary for the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Fort Worth.
She retired in 1976 and married A.E. Edwards, a retired IBEW vice
president. They moved to a ranch near Santa Fe, N.M., where they
raised German shepherds. In 1981, the couple moved to North Texas to
be closer to her son. Mr. Edwards died in 1997.
Mrs. Edwards was a member of the Eastern Star.
In addition to her son, Mrs. Edwards is survived by a daughter, Sandra
Cannon of Port Ludlow, Wash., seven grandchildren and four great-
grandchildren.
⬥︎Doris was born Feb. 26, 1911, in Denison. She was a member of Eastern Star. Doris was preceded by her husband, Arthur.
Survivors: Son, Robert Sandlin and wife, Helen; daughter, Sandra Cannon and husband, Jim; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.
Published by Star-Telegram on Jun. 11, 2007.
⬥︎Doris Brown Edwards: Last Bonnie and Clyde widow,
undercover Petticoat Ranger 07:52 AM CDT on Saturday, June 23, 2007
By JOE SIMNACHER / The Dallas Morning News
Doris Brown Edwards was married for less than two years when her
highway patrolman husband was gunned down by Clyde Barrow's bank-
robbing gang near Grapevine on Easter 1934.
Lacking survivor's benefits, the 23-year-old widow went to work as a
secretary with the highway department in Austin. She became a
Petticoat Ranger, an undercover position that helped the agency
investigate illegal gambling. She helped infiltrate gambling dens
across the state including operations in Galveston, Arlington, Dallas
and Fort Worth.
Mrs. Edwards, 96, died June 10 of natural causes at Lexington Place, a
Dallas assisted-living center. Her family gathered in her memory June
11 at her favorite restaurant, Joe T. Garcia's in Fort Worth. She was
buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Fort Worth.
Mrs. Edwards was believed to be the last surviving widow of the
infamous bank robbers' victims. It was upsetting for her when
reporters requested interviews as the anniversary of her husband's
death approached, said her son, Robert Jefferson "Jeff" Sandlin of
Denton.
Mrs. Edwards said popular culture had made heroes of the gang that
killed her husband.
"She said nobody ever thinks about those of us who were left behind by
their antics and their law breaking," her son said. "It just really
bothered her a lot.
"It really never ended - the anguish. That was just a sad, sad part of
her life."
Mrs. Edwards was described as a sweet, loving person who enjoyed many
pastimes. She painted, played the piano and organ, cooked and often
shot her first husband's .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol.
"He taught her how to shoot it," her son said.
Born in Denison, Mrs. Edwards moved at age 9 to Arlington, where her
father was superintendent of the Home for Aged Masons. The family
lived in quarters behind the home.
She graduated from high school and attended the two-year college that
is now the University of Texas at Arlington.
She met her first husband, Edward Bryan Wheeler, when he pulled her
over in traffic, allegedly because her car had a faulty taillight.
In 1997, Mrs. Edwards gave this account of the flirtatious traffic
stop:
"He said, 'Did you know your taillight's out?' I told him no," adding
that her lights were just fine, thank you.
"It was just an excuse to stop me and get my name," she said.
The two were married in 1932.
On April 1, 1934, Mr. Wheeler and H.D. Murphy, a rookie, were killed
by the Barrow gang on Dove Road east of State Highway 114.
The officers intended to help the occupants of a car parked on the
dusty road but were ambushed as they approached. Historians disagree
about which of the Barrow gang members killed the officers. Some
speculate the killings may have resulted from a misunderstanding of
Barrow's order - "take 'em" - to kidnap the lawmen.
Patrolman Murphy's fiancée attended his funeral in her wedding dress.
Mrs. Edwards had little to fall back on in 1934. State Highway
Commissioner Harry Hines, for whom a Dallas boulevard was named, used
his influence to get her a secretarial position in Austin.
From that job, Mrs. Edwards and Bernice Ellis were selected to be
sworn in as Texas Rangers to help battle gambling in the state.
"They called us the first two women Rangers," Mrs. Edwards said.
The single women accompanied undercover officers on visits to
suspected illegal gambling sites.
"If we saw gambling in progress, I would go to the telephone and call
the Rangers," Mrs. Edwards said. " 'We're having such a nice time
here,' I'd say. 'Why don't you join us?' Then the Rangers would raid
the place.
"I suppose I could have been in danger, but I didn't have enough sense
to be afraid," she said. "I enjoyed it."
Mrs. Edwards went to work for the Texas Department of Public Safety
after it was organized in 1935. Her duties sometimes included
chauffeuring Gov. James Allred.
In 1940, Mrs. Edwards married Bob Sandlin and left the DPS. They had
two children. Mr. Sandlin died in 1950.
Mrs. Edwards was later employed as a secretary for the International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Fort Worth.
She retired in 1976 and married A.E. Edwards, a retired IBEW vice
president. They moved to a ranch near Santa Fe, N.M., where they
raised German shepherds. In 1981, the couple moved to North Texas to
be closer to her son. Mr. Edwards died in 1997.
Mrs. Edwards was a member of the Eastern Star.
In addition to her son, Mrs. Edwards is survived by a daughter, Sandra
Cannon of Port Ludlow, Wash., seven grandchildren and four great-
grandchildren.
Gravesite Details
Grave located on the northeast corner of the Westlawn section.
Family Members
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