Betty and her late husband, Frederick A. Edwards, started Edwards Answering Service Enterprises on April 1, 1954. She was our matriarch, owner, friend and a visionary in the answering service industry during a time when most women remained home and the business world was still very much a man’s world. She bought the Edwards Building, located in Vernon, CT, in 1963 where we are proud to still be operating today.

Mrs. Edwards did it all, including raising three fine sons. She and Gary Edwards, her eldest son, were an amazing team in the answering service industry. They had a wonderful mother and son dynamic that showed us how a lot of hard work and a lot of love, can get you just about anything you want.

Betty was quite the innovator. In ’54 she started off with nine black
telephones on her dining room table and adjusted each bell to change the
tone slightly, allowing her to identify which clients’ phone was ringing! When business began to grow, she was one of the first in the area to utilize state-of-the-art telephone company switchboards. Once switchboards lagged behind her demands, Betty was the first to adapt her answering service to entirely electronic computer equipment driven operations. She always welcomed change with open arms, seeing it as an opportunity for growth, success and improvement to the services she provided to her clients. To this day, her innovative philosophy has kept us a frontrunner in the answering service industry.

Betty was an inspiration to countless people in the answering service industry. Her dedicated passion and drive for excellence started when she was only 13-years-old, helping answer the phones at her mother’s answering service. Right up until a couple years before her passing, Mrs. Edwards maintained that drive and passion that will live on in the minds of all who knew her and those who knew of her. We thank Mrs. Edwards for paving the way for many generations to come and know that her spirit will live on in our daily operations for decades to come.