Dr. Gloria Edwards was born Gloria Seddelmeyer in Fort Wayne, IN on February 10, 1940.
She attended Lutheran grade schools and Concordia High School in Fort Wayne and earned her BS at Purdue University.
After marrying Ross Edwards, Gloria moved to California where her sons, Ross and John, were born. In 1975, Ross and Gloria adopted their daughter, Tamara from Seoul, South Korea.
Gloria has served as President of the California, Nevada and Hawaii District LWML, Vice President for Mission Service of the ILWML, and President of the ILWML. She has also served on boards for Wheatridge Ministries, the LCMS Board for Mission Services, Lutheran Immigration and Refuge Services, and Lutheran World Relief. She served on the National Cabinet of For the Sake of the Church, was a trustee on the LCMS Foundation, served as a member of the Blue Ribbon Task Force for Funding the Mission, and was on the Board of Directors of the LCMS. She was also a regent for Concordia University Portland.
She received a Doctor of Laws from Concordia Portland in 1998 and has received numerous awards including the Christi Crux award from Concordia Portland, the Witness in the Square award from the Atlantic District of the LCMS, the Spirit of Giving award from the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (ALDE), and others.
Gloria also continues to serve Bethany Lutheran Church in Menlo Park, CA in various ways, as well as other Bay Area organizations.
She enjoys travel; outdoor activities such as skiing, golf, and hiking; reading; and, especially, spending time with her three children, their spouses, and her grandchildren.
Gloria and Ross established the Edwards Family Foundation to be able to assist many of the above listed agencies and organizations in their mission and humanitarian work. With their children they give gifts to the above and to local school foundations to assist in providing today’s children with a good education.