Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Alana Odum Pritchett
Alana Odum Pritchett, 58, of Snow Hill, N.C., died under the care of Hospice on Jan. 9 after a long battle with breast cancer. She was a native of Tattnall County, but had lived in Snow Hill for the past 15 years.
Mrs. Pritchett was preceded in death by her father, J.A. Odum of Manassas.
Surviving are her husband, Hillery Pritchett of Snow Hill, N.C.; one daughter, Msgt. Dianne Curtis of Kinston, N.C.; her mother, Gertrude Odum Donahue of Manassas; sister and brother-in-law, Sharon O. and Jerry Cochran of Columbiana, Al; one sister, Karen O. Dillard of Claxton; four nieces, Kimberly Cochran of Graysville, Tn., Leslie Covington of Chelsea, Al, and Rachel Dillard of Claxton; great-niece, Ashley Covington of Chelsea, Al.; mother-in-law and father-in-law, LaRue and Beulah Pritchett of Walstonburg, N.C.; brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, George and Diane Pritchett of Shawnee, Ga., and Gary Pritchett of Tarboro, N.C., and numerous other relatives.
Mrs. Pritchett was employed with the USDA FSA as a computer specialist working out of the Snow Hill, N.C. office and covering 20 North Carolina counties. Prior to this, she worked at the FSA headquarters in Raleigh, N.C.
Mrs. Pritchett dearly loved her family, friends, co-workers, and job and will be greatly missed by all. To locally honor her memory, the family will receive friends and relatives at the Old Collins Gym, Collins, Ga. on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 3-5 p.m.
Remembrances may be made to Duke Breast Oncology, Duke Cancer Center, Box 3828, Durham, N.C. 27710.
Howell Funeral Home and Crematory of Goldsboro, N.C. was in charge of arrangements.
David E. Altman Jr.
David E. Altman Jr., 79, died April 3 at his home in Evans County. The Ware county native had resided in Jacksonville, Collins and Savannah before moving to Evans County 15 years ago. He was a member of the Claxton Primitive Baptist Church and a 50 year member of Richard T. Turner (Pooler) Masonic Lodge. He was a WWII Navy Veteran and served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
Surviving are his wife of 59 years, Jessie Collins Altman of Claxton; three daughters and sons-in-law, Dian and Stan Vincent of Guyton, Joyce Barnes of Pt. Wentworth, and Denise and Mark Marvin of Richmond Hill; one brother, Donald Altman of Stark, Fla.; two sisters, Idelle Dyal of Jacksonville and Lucille Smith of Callahan, Fla.; eight grandchildren, Billy and Scott Sellers, Stephanie Harvey, Kerri Moore, Randi Barnes, Chris, Alex and Sarah Marvin; four great-grandchildren, Garrett, Lane and David Harvey and Brigs Moore; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services were held Saturday, April 5, 11 a.m. at J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home Chapel with Elder Jimmy Haire and Elder Vernon Eckleberry officiating. Burial was in Cedar Creek.
Honorary pallbearers were Deacons of Claxton Primitive Baptist Church.
Remembrances may be sent to Pearls of Life Hospice, 119 N. Caswell St., Glennville, Ga. 30427.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Clarence R. Still
Clarence R. Still, the son of the late Jown W. and Pearl Mae Harrold Still was born in Poplar Bluff, Missouri on April 20, 1930, and passed away Friday, May 23 at his home in Dexter, Missouri at the age of 73.
Mr. Still moved to Dexter in 1994. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and had served three tours in Germany, and also tours in Korea, Vietnam, and Panama. He was a member of the Friendship Baptist Church in Dexter.
On August 14, 1951, he married
Alice M. Gockley in Kenbridge, Virginia.
Surviving are his wife, Alice M. Still of Dexter; three sons, Robert Dale, Gary Wayne, and Patrick Neal Still, all of Dexter; three daughters, Jennifer Kay Rountree of Claxton, Cheryl Marie Long of Strasburg, Virginia, Carolyn Louise Richardson of Charleston, S.C.; 18 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Otis Still of Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Kenneth Still of Pacific, Missouri; one sister, Helen Calvert of Miller, Missouri; many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 27, 11 a.m. in the Watkins and Sons Chapel in Dexter with the Rev. Keith Garland of Dexter officiating.
Burial will follow at a later date in the Missouri veteran's cemetery in Bloomfield, Missouri.
Watkins and Sons Funeral Service of Dexter was in charge of arrangements.
Edna Mae Odom
Edna Mae Odom, 77, died June 10 at Colonial Gardens. The lifelong Tattnall County native was a member of Rehoboth Baptist Church and was retired from Evans Memorial Hospital. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rupert E. Odom, and two grandchildren, Ben and J.J. Collins. She was a loving mother, grandmother and friend.
Surviving are two sons and daughters-in-law, Ray and Donna Odom of Collins, Ed and Carol Odom of Collins; two daughters and sons-in-law, June and Ben Collins of Metter, Joyce and Victor Anderson of Claxton; two half-brothers, J.C. Holt, and J.W. Hutto; one sister, Emily Odom of Claxton; five grandchildren; one great-grandchild and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, June 12, 11 a.m. at J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Holland Cemetery.
Remembrances can be sent to Rehoboth Baptist Church, 2321 Tattnall Campground Road, Claxton, Ga. 30417.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Nita Powell Daniel
Nita Powell Daniel, 95, died July 26 at Evans Memorial Hospital. She was a member of the Bellville United Methodist Church and the U.M.W., and she taught the youth Sunday school class for many years. In her younger years she taught in the public school system. She was the widow of the late Walter Emmett Daniel.
Surviving are one son and daughter-in-law, Emmett O. and Peggy Edwards Daniel of Bellville; one sister, Lalette Powell Greene of Metter; two grandchildren and spouses, Emmett and Shelley Daniel of Bellville and Lenora and Craig Buckley of Bellville; two great-grandchildren, Maggie and James Buckley of Bellville.
Funeral services were Monday, July 28, 11 a.m. at the Bellville United Methodist Church with the Rev. Mike Myers and the Rev. John Powell officiating. Burial was in Daniel-Smith-Tippins cemetery in Bellville.
Pallbearers were Lumley Greene, Herbert Powell Jr., Dr. Hudson J. Powell, Hal Powell, John Daniel, and Benny Wilkinson.
Remembrances may be sent to Bellville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 115, Bellville, Ga. 30414, or the Daniel-Smith-Tippins cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 99, Bellville, Ga. 30414.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Bobby DeLoach Tippins
Bobby DeLoach Tippins, 77, died Sept. 21 in St. Joseph Hospital. The lifelong resident of Evans County had served on the Daisy City Council. He was a veteran of WWII and a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Surviving are two sisters, Georgia T. Stafford of Savannah and Nell Rushing of Claxton; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, Sept. 23, 11 a.m. at the Daisy United Methodist Church. Burial was in Sands Field cemetery in Daisy with Dr. Tab Smith and the Rev. Lawrence Garrett officiating.
Pallbearers were Tim Stafford, Matt Martin, Jeffrey Rushing, John Sauls, David Wilensky and Mitch Pollock.
Remembrances may be sent to Tippins Family Reunion, c/o Kaye Martin, 118 Andrea Drive, Tybee Island, Ga. 31328 or Daisy United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 106, Daisy, Ga. 30423.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Eleanor Coulter
Eleanor Coulter, 37, died Steptember 17 at East Georgia Regional Medical Center in Statesboro. The Dade County, Fla. native had lived in Evans County for the past two years.
Surviving are her husband, Patrick Marty Coulter of Claxton; her father, Donald Holloway of Morehaven, Fla.; her mother, Dorothy Hodges of Statesboro; one son, Michael Coulter of Claxton; grandmother, Eleanor Gee of Statesboro; two sisters, Kimberly Brown of Claxton and Charlene Williams of Statesboro; an uncle, John Gee of Statesboro; several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Milton B. Beckerman
Milton B. Beckerman, 86, retired media broker and career journalist, died Thursday, September 11 at his home in Madeira Beach, Fla.
Milton and his late wife, Bernice, owned and operated The Claxton Enterprise 1949-1955. They also had worked for, or owned and operated, weekly newspapers elsewhere in Georgia and in Louisiana. Their newspaper career in the two states encompassed much of the turbulent pre-civil rights era, a dangerous time for journalists of high integrity. At great personal cost they held to their principles of equality, paving the way for greater tolerance and a far richer coalescence of community than existed them.
As business and financial editor of the St. Petersburg Times 1959-1963, Milton originated and wrote “Business Beat, ” the newspaper’s first business column. Later, also in St. Petersburg, he handled public relations for Bernard Greenbaum and Associates, a general contracting company, was a real estate agent for the 300 building complex, and was vice president of EBS Tax Services.
Milton and Bernice published newspapers in Madeira Beach and Gainesville, Fla. In 1970 they established Beckerman Associates Inc. Based in Madeira Beach, their media brokerage business specialized in shoppers, newspapers and radio stations. After he and Bernice retired in 1996, Milton continued consulting to the publishing industry. He also was a contributing author of “The Last Linotype, ” describing his and Bernice’s civil rights activities and those of other journalists who spoke out against racism.
Born in the Bronx, N.Y., Milton attended New York University, St. Petersburg Junior college and completed numerous professional courses.
He was a past president of the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and a member of the West Coast Chapter of Sigma Delta Chi, the professional journalism fraternity. In various communities he had served as president, vice president or board member of several civic organizations including the Florida Philharmonic Society and the American Cancer Society. He was a long-time publicist for and supporter of Boy Scout Troop 340 in Seminole, Fla. Together, Milton and Bernice raised funds to design and build the first Gulf Beach Library at Madeira Beach, Fla.
Milton was a life member of the Florida Advertising Publications Association. He belonged to the Independent Free Papers of America, the Association of Free Community Papers, the Free Community Papers of Florida, the Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association and the Florida and Georgia Press Associations. He also was a member of the Association of Free Newspapers (London) and the Syndicat National des Editeurs de Periodiques Gratuits (Paris).
Milton was named honorary lifetime member of the Free Community Papers of Florida and distinguished journalism alumnus of DeWitt Clinton High School (NY). For selfless service he earned the Ben Hammack Memorial Service Award from the Independent Free Papers of America. For outstanding service to the industry, he earned the prestigious Herb Campbell Award from the Southeastern Advertising Publishers Association. The Georgia Press Association honored his exceptional achievements three times: with the W. Trox Bankston Trophy, the Theron S. Shope Trophy and the Sam W. Wilkes Trophy.
Milton and Bernice were married
for 62 years; Bernice died in 1999. Descendants include daughters Dorothy Devey Smith and Susan Koza; son Jay Beckerman; five grandchildren. They were also the parents of Dana Beckerman, deceased.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, Oct. 11, 4-6 p.m. at the Log Cabin of Seminole United Methodist Church, 5400 Seminole Blvd., Seminole, Fla.
Milton and Bernice were lifelong champions of civil rights. To honor that abiding commitment, in lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Southern Poverty Law Center in Milton’s name.
Lutie Catherine Smith Ward
Lutie Catherine Smith Ward, 95, of Toccoa, Ga., died Sunday, Nov. 16 at the Clary Care Center in Toccoa. She was born May 19, 1908 in Evans County. Her professional career began with the Salvation Army. While working for the F.H. McGraw and Company, New York City, she was selected to serve as the executive secretary to the project manager of the Overseas Consultants Inc., Tokyo, Japan, which developed and reported recommendations for Japanese reparations to the U.S. War Department after World War II, 1947.
She was an active member for 30 years of the Dunns Golf and Tennis Club of Myrtle Beach, S.C. She was a member of the D.A.R. and a supporting member of the Bellville United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Stuart P. Smith and Lela A. Nelson Smith Kelly, her husband Lee A. Ward, sisters, Jewel Smith Cox and Joyce Kelly Lunsford and brothers, Carlton Smith and John Kelly.
Surviving are Bill and Martha Hunt, Barbara and Tim Calaway, Diana and Mike Wylie and three step-grandsons, Steven Ward, Mark Ward, and David Ward.
Graveside services were held 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 19 at the Simon Smith cemetery in Bellville with the Rev. Michael Myers officiating.
Memorials may be made to the Simon Smith cemetery Fund, c/o Bill Hunt, 7742 Yow Mill Road, Toccoa, Ga. 30577 or the Children’s Sunday School Class of Bellville United Methodist Church.
Whitlock Mortuary, Toccoa was in charge of arrangements.
Tyra Sapp Anderson
Tyra Sapp Anderson, 92, devoted wife and mother, died Monday, Nov. 17 at Candler Hospital in Savannah. The Tattnall County native lived most of her life in Savannah, living in Bellville since 1974.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 71 years, Elder William Harry Anderson, two daughters, Yvonne A. Drummond, and Christine Anderson.
Surviving are one daughter and son-in-law, Jean A. and Harold Clifton of Savannah; a son-in-law, Sonny Drummond of Savannah; two brothers and sister-in-laws, Jay and Pearl Sapp of Savannah and Julian and Mae Sapp of Manassas; a sister-in-law, Gladys Sapp of Claxton; three sisters and brothers-in-law, Merle and Lehmon Bowen and Bertie Waters, all of Savannah and Leona and Bob Justis of Pooler; five grandchildren and spouses, Pam C. and Ray Shores, Shellie D. and Steve Sasser, all of Richmond Hill, Gina C. and Perry Mincey of Rincon, Stacie D. and Bruce Baker of Richmond, VA, and Sherri D. and Eric Breen of Savannah; 11 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Thursday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. at J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home Chapel with the Eld Jack Anderson and Eld. Hubert Hendrix officiating. Burial was in Anderson Church Cemetery.
Remembrances may be sent to Emmaus Primitive Baptist Church, c/o Carlos Barrow, 1029 Emanuel Barrow Rd., Claxton, Ga. 30417; Hospice of Savannah, 1352 Eisenhower Dr., Savannah, Ga. 31406 or your favorite charity.
J. Mellie NeSmith Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
