Photo provided Carl Edmonds and his wife, Christine, are shown at their home in 1996. Edmonds Drive in Carson City is named after the couple, who moved here in the 1940s. Christine died in 2004, and Carl died Saturday at age 101.
By all accounts, Carl Edmonds was a very private man.
In fact, the people who knew him best said that they were only really sure of two things: He loved his wife, Christine, and he didn't like to talk about himself.
"In the seven years I knew him, I don't think he ever said a word about himself. I learned most of what I know from looking through his papers," said John Masci, a neighbor who took care of the couple.
Christine died in 2004, and Edmonds died Saturday at the age of 101. He had spent more than 50 years in Carson City.
When the couple moved to Carson City in the 1940s, they wanted some ground away from town, out in the country. They found what they were looking for on a dirt road east of town.
"When they came to Carson City, it was very small. There were only about 5,600 people living here then," said Dean Giovacchini, a longtime friend of the couple. "They bought some ground, but the road didn't have a name because it was out there."
As the city grew and expanded, the road that ran past Carl and Christine's house was paved and needed a name.
The city chose to name the new drive after the only people who lived along it, the Edmonds.
"Christine got a real kick out of that, but Carl was very quiet and unassuming," Giovacchini said. "His reaction was, 'So what, they named a street after me.' It didn't outwardly look like he enjoyed that, but I know he really appreciated it."
The couple eventually moved into the Frontier Mobile Home park, which is where they met Masci.
"Seven years ago, his wife started coming out to give my dogs treats when I walked them," Masci said.
After a year, Christine asked if Masci could do some shopping for them so that Carl wouldn't have to drive any more. He was 97.
Giovacchini said the couple enjoyed going to the Carson Nugget or up to Virginia City to have an occasional drink with the bartenders they knew.
While the ladies would indulge in the nickel slots, it wasn't for Carl.
"I don't think I ever saw him put a nickel in the slots. He just didn't want to," Giovacchini said.
"That's just who he was. He wasn't Mr. Happy-go-lucky," said Wayne Price, a friend of the couple. "He was a very nice guy, just not a very social person."
• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.
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