Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Bubber Craig Parker
Services for Bubber Craig Parker of Helena were held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 25 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment at McMillian Cemetery in Dodge County.
Parker died Sunday, March 23, 2008 at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. He was the son of the late William Craig and Hannah Elizabeth Lindgren Parker and was married to Alice Faye Browning Parker.
He was a member of Northside Baptist Church of Fitzgerald and had retired from Piggly Wiggly in Eastman. He lived in Telfair County most of his life.
In addition to his wife, survivors include one daughter, Christie Parker Ammons of Fitzgerald; one son, Bubber Parker Jr. of Rentz; four grandchildren; two sisters, Hannah Parker of Helena and Pat Mills of Rentz; and one brother, Chip Parker of Lumber City.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Georgia Mae Roberson
Services for Georgia Mae Roberson of Alamo were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 22 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment in Little Rock Cemetery.
The Rev. Paul Jackson and Shawn Roberson officiated.
Roberson, 90, died Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at the Community Hospice House in Vidalia. She was the daughter of the late George and Sallie Mae Hulett of Telfair County and the widow of Lamar Roberson. She was preceded in death by three sons, Roy, Bobby and Lamar Roberson Jr.
A native of Telfair County, she lived most of her life in Wheeler County. She was a member of Friendship Baptist Church and a retired seamstress of Alamo Shirt Factory.
Survivors include two sons, Grady (Carolyn) Roberson of Bloustown, Fla. and Paul Roberson of Baxley; six daughters, Gussie Mann, Marty Roberson and Jewel Anderson, all of Alamo, Anita Browning of Mt. Vernon, Mary Braddock of Cedar Crossing and Ruby Gibbs of Uvalda; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
The grandsons served as pallbearers.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Lynda Jones Walker
Services for Lynda Jones Walker of Jacksonville, Ga. were held with a private interment in the Blockhouse Cemetery.
Walker, 62, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008. She was the daughter of the late Emory and Mable DuBose Jones and was married to Bob Walker. She was preceded in death by her sister, Sue Jones Crafton.
She was born and reared in Telfair County.
In addition to her husband, survivors include her son, Jon; daughter, Stephanie; and grandchildren, Hannah and Sarah, all of Jacksonville; brother and sisters, Gwen Weatherford of Milledgeville, Jackie (Dan) Elrod of Hazlehurst and Emory (Faye) Jones Jr. of Hawkinsville.
Contributions may be made to Blockhouse Baptist Church, P.O. Box 96, Jacksonville, Ga. 31544.
Vaughn Funeral Home of McRae was in charge of arrangements.
Frankie H. Woodard
Services for Frankie H. Woodard of Eastman were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 16 in Southerland Funeral Chapel with interment in Zion Hope Cemetery.
The Rev. Daniel Cook and the Rev. Robuck Burch officiated.
Woodard, 59, died Thursday, March 13, 2008 in Arcadia, Fla. She was the daughter of the Ruby Walker Howell and Frank Howell and was married to Jimmy Woodard Sr.
Born in Telfair County, she was a mobile home transport operator and attended Zion Hope Baptist Church.
In addition to her husband, survivors include two daughters, Teresa Deluca (Chris) and Rosa Garnett Woodard; two sons, Jimmy Woodard Jr. (Trudy) and Tony Woodard (Leslie); two sisters, Rosa Pearl Fountain and Velma Spires; one brother, Bennett Howell; and five grandchildren, Tyler, Jessica, Jasmine, Piper and Wade.
Honorary pallbearers were Ernie Fountain, III, Eric Fountain, Casey Farmer and Dustin Melvin. Active pallbearers were Ernie Fountain Jr., Chuck Spires, Tommy Howell, T.C. Roberson, Slade Woodard, Lance Woodard, Steven Woodard and David Woodard.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman was in charge of arrangements.
Catherine Gillis Anderson
Services for Catherine Gillis Anderson of Jacksonville, Ga. were held at 3 p.m. Friday, March 14 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment in the Turnpike Baptist Cemetery.
Dr. William Connell officiated.
Anderson, 83, died Tuesday, March, 11, 2008 at St. Joseph’s Candler Hospital in Savannah. She was the daughter of the late Clarence Tillman and Rose Lee Ray Gillis of Telfair County.
Born August 22, 1924, she was a housewife.
Survivors include two sisters, Louise Gillis Godry of Bradenton, Fla., Ruby Gillis Smith of Vidalia; one brother, Charles Gillis of Jacksonville, Ga.; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Tasker Bass Dixon
Services for Tasker Bass Dixon of McRae were held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 14 in the chapel of Vaughn Funeral Home with interment in the Oakgrove Cemetery.
Dixon, 87, died Wednesday, March 12, 2008. She was the daughter of the late Lee and Ida Cox Bass.
A native of Wheeler County, she lived most of her life in Telfair County. She was a retired seamstress, an Eastern Star member and a member of McRae First Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, R.L and Ethel Ann Dixon of McRae; daughter and son-in-law, Catherine and James Turpen Sr. of Tallulah Falls; sisters, Maudie Mitchell of Alamo and Annette (Gene) Towns of Eastman; sisters-in-law, Mrs. Cecil Bass and Mrs. Sam Bass, both of Hazlehurst, Mrs. Jessie Lee Bass of Jacksonville, Fla., Mrs. Max Bass of Atlanta, Mrs. Aubrey Pittman and Mrs. J.H. Dixon, both of Glenwood, and Mrs. Herman Dixon of Mt. Vernon; grandchildren, James Turpen Jr., Mark Turpen, Brian Dixon and Brad Dixon; great-grandchildren, Ann Turpen, Dixon Turpen, Jade Turpen and Rabun Turpen; and several nieces and nephews also survive.
Contributions may be made to McRae Manor Nursing Home, P.O. Box 179, McRae, Ga. 31055 or to a favorite church or charity.
Vaughn Funeral Home of McRae was in charge of arrangements.
Wayne House Jr.
Memorial services for Wayne House Jr. were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, March 1 at The Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, Fla., followed by a reception at the church. Interment took place at 10 a.m. Monday, March 17 in Arlington National Cemetery.
Retired Navy Commander House, 76, a naval aviator who served during the Vietnam War, died of a lung illness Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008 at his home in Jacksonville, Fla. He was the son of the late Wayne and G. Lorene House and was married to Mary House. He was preceded in death by a brother, Stephen Allen House.
The 27-year Navy veteran retired from active duty in 1982, ending a distinguished career that included service on four aircraft carriers and two assignments in Europe. Wayne House Jr. was born in Cassville, Mo., July 20, 1931, and grew up in Kansas City, Mo. He graduated with a chemical engineering degree in 1953 from the University of Missouri. He worked briefly with Phillips Petroleum Co. in Texas and joined the U.S. Navy in 1955. After completing naval aviation training in Pensacola, Florida, and Beeville, Texas, he was assigned to CIC School, NAS Glynco, Brunswick, Georgia. During his stay in Brunswick, he met the former Mary Peel; they were married and first moved to Jacksonville in 1958. He was assigned to VA-44 at NAS Jacksonville.
Following the completion of his tour in the reserves, he resumed his work as a chemical engineer with Phillips Petroleum in Texas. Commander House greatly missed his flying career and rejoined the Navy as a regular officer with duty as a flight instructor in Pensacola. His career first took him to the West Coast in 1962 when he attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. His sea duty included tours as a carrier pilot on USS Midway, USS Hancock, USS Enterprise, and USS Kitty Hawk. During his last assignment as an aviator, he was the Commanding Officer of VAW-114, North Island in Coronado, Calif. For his final deployment at sea, Commander House served as the navigator on the USS Kitty Hawk in the early 1970s. His overseas tours included assignments in Naples, Italy, supporting the Sixth Fleet, and London, England, where he supported naval air commands in Europe. His last assignment was as Comptroller at NAS Cecil Field, Florida. After his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Commander House and his wife lived in the Washington, D.C. area, where he worked as an independent consultant for several years, returning to Jacksonville in 1988.
In addition to his wife of 49 years, survivors include two daughters, Mary Singh of New Canaan, Conn., and Nancy House of Washington, D.C.; a son-in-law, R. Nicholas Singh; two grandchildren, Sarah and Jeremy Singh; three sisters-in-law, Jane Neglia of Jacksonville, Peggy Jones of Milan and Deanna Lauer of State College, Penn.; a brother-in-law, Robert Butterfield of Rochester, N.Y.; and several nieces and nephews.
Contributions may be made to the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, 1750 Radford Boulevard, Suite B, Pensacola, Fla. 32508.
Jacksonville Memory Gardens Funeral Home of Orange Park, Fla. was in charge of arrangements.
Jacob Jackson 'Jackie' Ryals
Services for Jacob Jackson “Jackie” Ryals of McRae were held at noon, Tuesday, March 18 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment in the Sandhill United Methodist Church Cemetery.
The Rev. Ralph Horne officiated.
Ryals, 81, died Sunday, March 16, 2008. He was the son of the late Albert Jackson and Mary Louise Webb Ryals of Telfair County and was the widow of Betty Spires. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Sandra Marie Ryals.
Born Mary 13, 1926, he was an Army Veteran of World War II, retired as Georgia Game & Fish Commissioner, Wildlife Ranger, and a farmer. He was a member of Helena Masonic Lodge 536, a member of the Dodge County Shrine Club and was a member of Sandhill United Methodist Church.
Survivors include six children, Billy Jackson Ryals of Cochran, Donny Ryals of Lutz, Fla., Timothy Ryals of Glenwood, Joanne Ryals of Lakeland, Fla., Grady DeWayne Ryals of Dublin and Regina Morton of McRae; 13 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one brother, Peter Ryals of Hazlehurst; and one sister, Grace Cartwright of Midway.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Sarah Frances Ryals
Services for Sarah Frances Ryals of Eatonton were held at noon Saturday, March 15 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment in the Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery.
The Rev. Randall Frashier officiated.
Ryals, 84, died Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at the Medical Center. She was the daughter of the late Jacob and Mary Webb.
Born Feb. 2, 1924 she was a native of Telfair County and was a housewife.
Survivors include four children, Ann Piper of Thomaston, Robert Green of Eatonton, Bobby Green of Gordon and Janie Hulett of Macon; 13 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; two brothers, Jackie Ryals of McRae and Peter Ryals of Hazlehurst; and one sister, Grace Cartwright of Midway.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of the arrangements.
John J. Wilkins, III
Services for John J. Wilkins, III of Athens were held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 14 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church with interment in Oconee Hill Cemetery.
Wilkins, died Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at his home. He was the son of John J. Wilkins Jr. and Marjorie Woods Wilkins Daughtry and was the widower of his beloved wife of 50 years, Jean Lovat Anderson Wilkins, March 22, 2007.
Born in Athens Sept. 12, 1934 he attended Athens High School and graduated from Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Conn. in 1952. He earned a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Georgia in 1957, where he was a member of Chi Phi Fraternity; president of the Inter-fraternity Council; a member of Sphinx and Gridiron; a founder of the Greek Horsemen; vice president of the Student Council; and a member of Phi Kappa Literary Society and Omega Delta Kappa.
He followed his father and grandfather in the apparel manufacturing business founded by his family in 1907. He founded Bellgrade Manufacturing Company in 1959 in Jefferson, Ga. This company merged in 1969 with his family’s Big Ace Corporation to form Wilkins Industries. Wilkins Industries grew under his leadership to become the largest non-government employer in Athens and one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of women’s jeanswear. He was the first local employer to integrate African-American women into the industrial workforce. Wilkins had a life-long interest in helping and encouraging others and delighted in the accomplishments of those he mentored.
Wilkins was one of the founders of Athens Academy, chartered in 1966. He served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees from the inception of the school until the time of his death. His dream of establishing an excellent college preparatory school in Athens guided the school through its founding and growth. His 42 years of service spanned all facets of development as the school moved from its original small campus on Prince Avenue to its current 105-acre location in Oconee County. Seeing the school flourish in later years filled him with great pride and excitement. In 1996 the Board of Trustees named the upper school the John J. Wilkins III Upper School Campus.
Wilkins was a member and former vestryman of Emmanuel Episcopal Church. He has served as president of the board of the Athens City Club; treasurer of Athens Country Club; vice-chairman of the American Apparel Manufacturers Association Education Foundation; and a member of the advisory board of St. Mary’s Hospital. He was also a member of the Piedmont Driving Club and the Commerce Club in Atlanta as well as the University Club in New York City.
Wilkins enjoyed the countryside and cattle farming in Oglethorpe County. He was an avid vegetable gardener, a gourmet cook and a lover of fine wines. He was a voracious reader. He utilized his great wit and gift of storytelling as a means of communication, not only to entertain but also to encourage and inspire others. While growing up on Milledge Circle in Athens, he was known among his boyhood friends as the “Mayor of Five Points,” a title that followed him throughout his life.
Survivors include his son, John Julian Wilkins IV; daughter-in-law, Pamela Hall Wilkins, and granddaughter, Alexis Gabrielle Hart Wilkins of Atlanta; his daughter, Ellen Fraser Wilkins Wiley; son-in-law, Floyd Murray “Buck” Wiley III, and grandson William Young Wiley, II, of Atlanta; his brother, Thomas Hart Wilkins and wife, Ann Collins Wilkins of Athens.
Honorary pallbearers were past and present members of the Athens Academy Board of Trustees.
Contributions may be made to the John J. Wilkins III Memorial Building Fund, Athens Academy, P.O. Box 6548, Athens, Ga. 30604.
Bernstein Funeral Home of Athens was in charge of arrangements.
Glenda Lee Buttrom
Services for Glenda Lee Buttrom of Byron were held at 2 p.m. Friday, May 30 in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment at Telfair Memorial Gardens in McRae.
The Rev. Rick Odom officiated.
Buttrom, 66, died Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon. She was the daughter of the late Vickes Hines and Anna Lee Owens and was married to Donald R. Buttrom. She was preceded in death by a brother, William (Buddy) R. Silver.
Born August 15, 1941 in Jacksonville, Fla., she graduated from McEvoy High School in Macon, a resident of Byron for 35 years and had retired from Warner Robins Air Force Base.
In addition to her husband of 47 years, survivors include her four children, Tonya L. Cranford, Lynn (Mike) Howard, Laura (Philip) Hammond and Eric Buttrom, all of Byron; two grandchildren, Andrew Hammond and Christa Howard; one brother, Guy Y. Silver of Jacksonville, Fla.; one sister, Arlene Cameron of Byron.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of the arrangements.
