Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Merlion M. Rigdon
Merlion M. Rigdon, age 73, of Alma passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2006 at Twin Oaks Nursing Home after an extended illness.
He was a native of Bacon County and son of the late Daniel Rigdon and Rubie Hayes Rigdon. Merlion was preceded in death by a daughter, Nan Crawford, one brother, Juluis Rigdon, three sisters, Vertie Courson, Ocie Rimes and Lucille Lloyd. He was a retired painter, member of Alma Methodist Church and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife, Marlease Barber Rigdon of Alma; three sons, Tony Rigdon of Texas, Dale Rigdon of New York and Mark Rigdon and wife, Tracey of Alma; two stepdaughters, Ramona Kinlaw of Alma and Judy Matthews and husband, Ashley of Waycross and three sisters, Bertie Lanning of Jacksonville, FL Louise Tanner and Merlie Shuemake, both of Alma.
Six grandchildren and several great-grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren and three great stepgrandchildren survive.
Funeral services were held Friday, June 30. 2006 from the chapel of Crosby Funeral Home with Rev. Gordon Dukes and Rev. Buddy Whatley officiating. iIntermentfollowed in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Jimmy and Ashley Matthews, Joe Sears, John DeLoach, Steven Middleton and Bryan Griffin. All those in attendance were considered honorary escorts.
Crosby Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Iris T. Tyre
Ms. T. Iris Tyre, 91, passed away late Monday evening, July 3, 2006, at the Twin Oaks Convalescent Center in Alma.
Born in Appling County, she had lived in K’ville for several years before moving to Pierce County in 1997. In 2002 she moved to Twin Oaks Convalescent Center where she remained until her death. She had been a lunchroom worker at the Patterson Elementary School for many years and had also farmed with her family. She was a member of Christian Springs Church of God and was a daughter of the late Isham Hinton and Fannie Lou Lightsey Tyre. Ms. Tyre was also preceded in death by a son, Radford Colquitt Tyre.
Survivors are a son, Ray Tyre of Jesup; a sister, Cleston Carter of Florida; a brother, Emmory “Pat” Tyre of Florida; four grandchildren, Terry (Chandra) Tyre of Patterson, Keith Tyre of Auburndale, Florida and Brian Tyre and Desirae Tyre, both of Jesup; two great-grandchildren, Tiffany Tyre and Garrett Tyre and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Funeral services for Ms. Tyre were held Thursday morning, July 6, 2006 at 11 a.m. from the Pearson-Treadwell Chapel.
iIntermentfollowed in the Mershon Cemetery.
Pearson-Treadwell Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Carroll Lewis Summerall
Carroll Lewis Summerall, age 61, passed away Sunday morning, June 25, 2006 at his residence after an extended illness.
He is a native and lifelong resident of Ware County. He was employed by Waycross Battery and Electric. He also served in the United States Navy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He is the son of the late Haward Lewis Summerall and Tilda Taylor Summerall.
Survivors include two daughters, Marsha Summerall of Alma and Samantha Cox of Waycross; two sons, Carroll Summerall, Jr. of Alma and Marcus Summerall (wife Mary) of Waycross; seven grandchildren; two brothers, Kenneth Summerall (wife Hazel) of Sycamore and Rev. Johnny Summerall (wife Janice) of Waycross; three sisters, Susie Groover of Waycross, Gwen Berry (husband Richard) of Griffin and Eunice Miles (husband Billy) of Waycross; former wife, Debra Summerall of Waycross and several nieces and nephews.
A funeral service was held on Tuesday, June 27, 2006 at First Assembly of God. Burial followed in Kettle Creek Cemetery.
Music Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Troy L. Williams
Troy L. Williams, age 68, passed away Saturday, June 10, 2006 in the University Medical Center in Lebanon, TN.
Mr. Williams was a self-employed welder and a member of the New Horizon Church of God in Augusta.
Preceded in death by parents, Will and Helen Dyal Williams and two sisters.
Survivors include wife, Betty Netherton Williams of Augusta; son, Steven Lee (Denise) Williams of MS; brother, J.R. Williams of Alma; sister, Willie Mae Hyers of Alma; grandchildren, Jacob, Lucas and Noah Williams; mother-in-law, Martha Netherton; two aunts and numerous nieces and nephews.
iIntermentwas held on June 14, 2006 in the New Hope cemetery in Alma.
Ruth Louise Masser Johnson
Ruth Louise Masser Johnson, age 90 of Norfolk Virginia passed away Friday morning at DePaul Medical Center after a brief illness.
She was born December 2, 1915, in Smethport ( McKean County), Pennsylvania, to Charles William and Nellie Kumler Baird Masser. She became a Christian on Easter Sunday in 1933. She attended Houghton College (New York) two years (1933-1935) before riding a bus to Cleveland, Tennessee, in 1936 to attend Bob Jones College (now Bob Jones University), where she graduated in 1937. While at Bob Jones, she met and married
L.C. Johnson, a Free Will Baptist minister from Georgia. The Johnsons subsequently pastored Free Will Baptist churches in Georgia and Mississippi. In 1942, they moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where Dr. L.C. Johnson became the first president of Free Will Baptist Bible College (FWBBC) . They served together 36 years at the college. During the Johnson’s 62 year marriage, Ruth remained a housewife and mother in support of her husband’s ministry. As her schedule permitted, she served on staff at FWBBC in numerous capacities, including the growing alumni office. Mrs. Johnson was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. L.C. Johnson.
She is survived by her three children, Mr. Paul Johnson of Darien, Georgia, Mrs. Mary Nell Beck of Norkfolk, Virginia and Colonel (Retired) Mark Johnson of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 27, 2006, at Pine Level Free Will Baptist Church with Rev. Rolla Smith, Rev. Eric Brown and Dr. Charles Thigpen officiating.
iIntermentfollowed in Pine Level Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Rever Morris, Bill Johnson, Darrell Douglas, L.W. Taylor, Pete Peterson and Jessie Thomas. Nephews served as honorary pallbearers.
Crosby Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Bertie Colleen Martin
Bertie Colleen Martin, age 76, of Alma passed away Saturday, June 24, 2006 at the Bacon County Hospital after an extended illness.
She was a native of Bacon County and the daughter of the late Washington Colquitt Hesters and Stella Shannon Hesters and was married
to the late Warren Martin. Bertie was a member of Douglas Chapel Baptist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Phillip Douglas of Alma, Melvyn Douglas of Nicholls and Dan Douglas of Perry; one daughter, Phyllis Aldridge of Dallas, Texas and four sisters, Edith Pridgen and Mary Helton, both of Jacksonville, Fl., Ruth Riggins of Falls Church, Va. and Jo Ann Patton of Waycross. Also 15 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren survive.
A memorial service will be conducted Sunday, July 2, 2006 at 2 p.m. at Douglas Chapel Baptist Church with Rev. Randy Ray officiating.
Crosby Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Rev. John P. Thomas
Rev. John P. Thomas, age 72, of Nicholls, passed away Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta following a brief illness.
Rev. Thomas, a native of Fulton, Miss. was a retired Missionary Baptist minister. He had served over 35 years of ministry.
He was the son of the late L.M. Thomas and the late Mizie Cromans Thomas. Rev. Thomas had lived in the Douglas and Nicholls area for many years and was a member of the Forest Grove Missionary Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Carrie Jean Gillis Thomas of Nicholls; his daughters, Kathy and Junior Taylor of West Green and Debra and Edward Streat of Douglas; his brothers, Bill and Dorothy Thomas and Bob Thomas, all of Miss.; his sister, Sue and R.C. Johnson of Miss.; his grandchildren, Patty Carter and Candis Vickers, both of Douglas, Lee Taylor and Michael Taylor, both of Nicholls and Daniel Taylor of Pridgen; his great-grandchildren Cain Carter and Isaac Carter, both of Douglas, and Christopher Taylor and Luke Taylor, both of Nicholls; several nieces, nephews and other relatives also survive.
Funeral services were held Friday, May 12 at 4:30 p.m., at the Forest Grove Missionary Baptist Church, with Rev. James Steed and Rev. Glynn Rowell officiating.
Frances Mills Gillis
Frances Mills Gillis, age 83, of Douglas, passed away on Monday, May 15, 2006 at Coffee Regional Medical Center.
Gillis, a native of Coffee County, was born on Nov. 11, 1922, the daughter of the late Burl Guthrie and Miriam McKinnon Mills. She was a homemaker, the widow of the late Gaston Gillis, and a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Axson.
Survivors include her daughters, Carrie Jean Thomas, Mary G. Whitley and Burrell Vinnin Harper, all of Nicholls; her sons, Lonnie and wife Brenda Gillis and Jesse and wife Linda Gillis of Nicholls; her sister, June Mills Kirkland of Douglas and 11 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at the Chapel of Sims Funeral Home in Douglas, with Rev. James Steed and Rev. Lee Taylor officiating.
William and Jackie Smith and Michael and Jan Thomas sang “Beulah Land.” Also, a taped selection of “It’s Not Goodbye” was provided. Sammy Snipes, pianist, provided soft music for the prelude and postlude.
Burial followed in the Mount Zion Church cemetery in Atkinson County.
Active pallbearers included Tim Mills, Russell Mills, Victor Kirkland, Ronnie Harper, Billy Jack Moxley, Daniel Taylor, Bruce Trowell, Charles Whitley and Chuck Whitley.
Sims Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Morris Harrison Chaffin, Sr.
Morris Harrison Chaffin, Sr., age 72 of Alma, passed away Saturday, June 17, 2006 at the Bacon County Hospital after a short illness.
He was a native of Coffee County; but, had lived most of his life in Bacon County. He was son of the late John Clarence Chaffin and Ilene Bagley Chaffin and was also preceded in death by a son, Morris H. Chaffin, Jr. A brother, John Chaffin and a sister, Dot Deen. Morris was a member of Douglas Chapel Baptist Church, retired from Satilla REMC. after 46 years of employment and had served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Tanner Chaffin of Alma; a son, Larry Chaffin Tanner of Nicholls; a sister, Bobbie Jean Meeks of Douglas; four grandchildren, Morris Chaffin, III and Christy Chaffin, both of Alma and Samuel and Jacob Tanner, both of Nicholls and two great-grandchildren, Jason Ridge Lewis of Alma and Graycee Chaffin of Nicholls.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 20, 2006 from the Chapel of Crosby Funeral Home with Rev. Fred Morgan and Rev. Billy Mac Dyal officiating. iIntermentfollowed in Meeks Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Neal Deen, Al, Grady and Jerry Meeks, Mike O’Steen and Dwayne Thomas. Honorary escort were all the grandchildren, all present and past employee’s of Satilla REMC.
Crosby Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Nancy Ellen Surrency Mullis
Mrs. Nancy Ellen Surrency Mullis, age 48, of Brunswick Georgia passed away Friday, June 16, 2006, in Brunswick Georgia.
Mrs. Mullis, a native of Bacon County, she was born February 14, 1958. She was a homemaker and her church membership was at the First Church of the Nazarene in Alma. She was preceded in death by her mother, Betty Jean Moore Surrency.
Survivors include two sons Ryan L. Mullis and Justin R. Mullis, both of Saint Marys, her father Warnie F. Surrency and stepmother, Carolyn; one brother Freddie and wife Adrianne Surrency; two sisters, Gail and husband Barney Taylor and Kathy and husband Larry Cothern, all of Alma and three stepbrothers Gary and wife Donna Byrd of Brunswick, James and wife Deanna Byrd of Darren and Russell and wife Kelli Byrd of Rantoul IL. Several nieces and nephews also survive.
Funeral services were held Monday, June 19, 2006, at First Church of The Nazarene in Alma with Rev. Mark Barth and Rev. Mike Landrum officiating. Brentley and Elonda Carter sang “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and “Safe In The Arms Of Jesus” with Elonda Carter, pianist. Burial followed in the Moore Cemetery, Bickley Community.
Active pallbearers were Nathan Henderson, Lamar Henderson, Johnny Henderson, Jerry Lee Meeks, Rodney Taylor and Bradley Taylor.
Sims Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
