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Alma W. Pope
Mrs. Alma W. Pope of Ocilla died Friday, August 1, 2003 at Beverly Healthcare, Tifton. She was 85.
Mrs. Pope was born September 26, 1917 in Turner County, daughter of the late Susie Bell Treadwell Wynn and John Calvin Wynn.
A homemaker and avid gardener, Mrs. Pope lived in the Irwin County community since 1941, from Turner County. She was a 1936 graduate of Mystic High School. Mrs. Pope was an active member of Bethlehem Baptist Church and the Lillie Woodrum Sunday School class.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thurman D. Pope, two brothers and four sisters.
Survivors include her son, Bobby Carrol Pope of Ocilla; daughter, Linda Pope of Ocilla; granddaughters and husbands, Carole Anne and Bobby Rowe and Caron and Edward Cushman; great-grandchildren, Chandler Rowe, Landon Rowe, Isabella Rowe, Lillie Cushman and Jesse Cushman and sister, Estelle Holland of Cochran.
Services were held at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Irwin County on Sunday, August 3 at 2 p.m., with Rev. John Gibbs, Jr. officiating..
Music was provided by Ginny Paulk, pianist and granddaughter Caron Cushman played “Where We’ll Never Grow Old” as a special selection on the organ.
Pallbearers were Wendell Pope, Robert Pope, Terry Pope, Raybun Harper, Bryan Roberts and Charles Ross.
Interment was held at Bethlehem Cemetery.
Mary Lou Morgan
Mrs. Mary Lou Morgan of Irwin County died Sunday, August 3, 2003 at Irwin County Hospital. She was 86.
Mrs. Morgan was born February 14, 1917 in Turner County, daughter of the late Mary Amanda Templeton Ireland and Charles Edmond Ireland.
A homemaker, Mrs. Morgan had lived in the community since 1943, coming from Turner County. She was an avid quilter, a Red Cross volunteer and very active in her church, including playing the organ and piano at Irwinville Methodist Church where she was a member. Mrs. Morgan also sang in the choir at Irwinville Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Grady Allen Morgan and son, Jerry Allen Morgan.
Survivors include grandchildren, Melody Ann Morgan of Irwinville, Craig Morgan of Fitzgerald, Shannon Morgan of Irwinville, Darrin Barnes and Tim Barnes, both of Fitzgerald; great-grandchildren, Kaila Nichole Spires, Shelby Dawn Smith, Ryan Allen Morgan and Adam Ellis Morgan, all of Irwinville.
Services were held at Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald on Tuesday, August 5 at 4 p.m., with Rev. Bobby Stone officiating.
Interment was held at Prospect Cemetery in Turner County.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Tommie T. Thompson
Mrs. Tommie Teal Thompson, 83, of Ashburn died Monday, July 28, 2003 at Tift Regional Medical Center.
Mrs. Thompson was born May 28, 1920 in Heard County, daughter of the late Jerome R. Teal and Fannie Mae “Mamie” Hester Teal.
A retired school teacher, Mrs. Teal was a strong supporter of Waterloo Home Demonstration Club. She was a longtime resident of Waterloo and a member of Waterloo Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 61 years, Amos Nelson Thompson of Ashburn; one son and daughter-in-law, Farris and Judy Thompson of Waterloo; two daughters and sons-in-law, Cheryle and Kenneth Bryan of Sycamore and Karen and Ronnie Shiflett of Toccoa; brother J. R. Teal, Jr. of Heard County and sister, Agatha Janney of Heard County; daughter-in-law, Gail Thompson of Ashburn; nine grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by one son, Keith Thompson; one brother, Nathan Teal and one sister, Hazel Teal.
Services were held Wednesday, July 30 at 2 p.m. at Chapel of Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors, with Rev. Terrell Roberts and Rev. Scott Tidwell officiating.
Pallbearers were grandsons.
Interment was held at Waterloo Cemetery.
Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors ? Tiftarea Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
John W. Clark
Sgt John W. Clark of Fitzgerald died Friday, August 1, 2003 at Fitzgerald. He was 31.
Sgt. Clark was born July 8, 1972 in Fitzgerald, son of Linda C. Cleghorn of Fitzgerald and Tommie Clark of Fitzgerald.
A Sergeant with the Fitzgerald Police Department, Mr. Clark had lived in the community all of his life. An avid gardener, John was a graduate of Fitzgerald High School, Abac Police Academy and was a Certified Fire Fighter. He was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include his mother, Linda Cleghorn Clark of Fitzgerald; father and step-mother, Tommie and Delene Clark of Fitzgerald; daughter, Jade Cecilia Clark of Fitzgerald; maternal grandmother, Mary Cleghorn of Fitzgerald; brother, Michael Clark of Fitzgerald.
Services were held at Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald on Sunday, August 3 at 4 p.m., with Rev. Randy Daniell officiating. Sandy Bostelman provided organ music.
Pallbearers were Kyle Krause, Clifford Black, Allen Pope, Ronald Dixon, James Reynolds and Chief Bill Smallwood.
Honorary pallbearers were members of the law enforcement family representing Fitzgerald Police Department, Ben Hill Sheriff’s Office, Irwin County Sheriff’s Office, Turner County Sheriff’s Office and Ocilla Police Department.
Interment was held at Big Creek Cemetery in Irwin County.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Lula Mae Hogan
Mrs. Lula Mae Hogan of Fitzgerald died Sunday, August 3, 2003 at Life Care Center in Fitzgerald. She was 84.
Mrs. Hogan was born January 3, 1919 in Ben Hill County, daughter of the late Annie Hogan and George William Perry Swain.
A homemaker and seamstress, Mrs. Hogan had lived in the community since 1976, coming from Rebecca. She worked for Jaco Pants Company and Manhattan Shirt Company. Mrs. Hogan was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Rebecca.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Clarence Hobson Murray and John Thomas Hogan and three daughters, Gloria Strickland, Ruby Murray and Thelma Wade.
Survivors include sons, Bill Murray, Guy Hogan, both of Fitzgerald; Hubert Murray of Lakeland, FL; Walter Murray of Cordele and Albert Cleo Murray of Lexington, NC; daughters, Barbara Billingsley, Cynthia Carr, Frances Crozier, Ola Register, all of Fitzgerald; Carolyn Wilson of Lakeland, FL and Minnie Ruth Coker of Dade City, FL; sisters, Laura Lewis of Fitzgerald and Clora Stubbs of Newton; 30 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren.
Services were held at Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald on Tuesday, August 5 at 11 a.m., with Rev. Randall Kesler officiating.
Interment was held at Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Rebecca.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Jesse M. Davis, Sr.
Mr. Jesse M. Davis, Sr. of Fitzgerald died Friday, August 1, 2003 at his residence. He was 68.
Mr. Davis was born September 28, 1934 in Coffee County, son of the late Lillie Mae Carver Davis and Elmer Orville Davis.
Mr. Davis had lived in the community since 1978 coming from Miami, FL. He was the owner/operator of Davis Heating and Air Conditioning Company. He was an Army veteran of the Korean Era. Mr. Davis was also a carpenter, mechanic and a refrigerator and a sheet metal technician. He was of the Baptist faith.
His wife, Mary Ellen Taddish Davis, preceded him in death.
Survivors include son, Jesse M. Davis, Jr. of Fitzgerald; daughters, Denise Hoffman of Valdosta and Maxine Rowan of Morven; brother, Paul Davis of Valdosta; sisters, Sue Beverly of Jacksonville, FL and Mary McCallman of Hialeah, FL; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Private services will be held at a later date.
Connie Griffin Todd
Mrs. Connie Griffin Todd, 48, of Telogia, FL, died July 22, 2003.
Memorial services were held Thursday, July 24 at the Telogia Baptist Church in Telogia, FL. A private burial will be at a a later date.
Mrs. Todd was born August 20, 1954 in Nashville. She was retired from the Department of Motor Vehicles as a License Review Specialist for the State of Florida.
Mrs. Todd is survived by her husband, George Todd of Telogia, FL; two sons, Jason Todd and Jesse Todd, both of Telogia, FL; mother, Dorothy T. Davis of Ocilla; two sisters, Catherine G. Stone of Willacoochee and Caron G. Wynn of Ocilla.
Independent Funeral Home of Quincy, FL was in charge of arrangements.
David “Pap” Foster
Mr. David “Pap” Foster of Ocilla died Monday, July 21, 2003 at his home. He was 62.
Mr. Foster was born June 21, 1941 in Abbeville to the late Henry Grady and Galilee Foster.
He attended Queensland Public School. Later in life he met Shirley Laster of Ocilla, where they shared 38 years together. During his life he accumulated a lot of friends, whom he met in his day-to-day life doing something he loved, pulp wooding.
Survivors include his 15 children and three step children: seven daughters, Minister Sophia (Steven) McGauley of Douglas, Erica Foster and Angela Foster, both of Ocilla; Catherine Robinson of Valdosta; Lynette Wilson and Tiffany Wilson, both of Wray and Jeanette Robinson of Miami, FL; 11 sons, David (Sharon) Foster Laster, Jarvis “Pecan” (Joann) Foster, Rico Foster, Carlos Foster, Sidney Young, all of Ocilla; Tyrone Davis of Miami, FL; Michael (Tonia) Wilson and David Wilson, both of Wray; Ray Wynn, Michael Eady and Jeffrey Eady, all of Ocilla; four sisters, Martha (Manfield) Wallace of Tifton; Lillie (Melvin) Williams of Fitzgerald; Mary Holmes and Betty Thomer, both of Tifton; three brothers, Bill (Jean) Foster, Stanley Brown and Jimmy Lee Foster; a special cousin thought of as a brother, Freddy Lee Foster; 33 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; six dedicated friends, Larry Crumely, Wyndell Pope, Vernon Biggers, Horace Hudgins, Nelson Paulk and Bennie Daniels; a host of nieces, nephews, family members and other friends.
Services were held at Pleasant Grove First Baptist Church, Ocilla Saturday, July 26 at 1 p.m., with Rev. Charlie Sneed officiating.
Music was provided by The Sensational McGauley Singers and soloist, Willie Carter.
Pallbearers were Joe Tucker, Derrick Jones, Charles Garrett, Charlie Jordan, Larry White and Horace Laster.
Interment was held at Ocilla Cemetery.
Will Bradley
Will Bradley of Alapaha died Thursday, July 24, 2003 at Berrien County Hospital, Nashville. He was 73.
Mr. Bradley was born November 21, 1929 in Dillsboro, NC, son of the late Isabelle (Messer) Bradley and James Bradley.
Mr. Bradley lived in Alapaha since 1955 and was a former resident of Burbank, CA and Eugene, OR. He was retired owner/operator of Bradley Construction Company. Mr. Bradley was a former volunteer for the Alapaha Fire Department.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Geneva Shultz Bradley; one son, Glenn Bradley; one son-in-law, Fred Benefield; one sister, Sally Sharp and two brothers, James and Bud Bradley.
Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law, Steve and Karen Bradley of Canton, NC; daughter, Patricia Benefield of Fayetteville; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Services were held at Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Ocilla on Sunday, July 27 at 2 p.m., with Kevin Korbach officiating.
Pallbearers were Gary Simmons, Lincoln Gaskins, J. H. Moore, Jordan Flanders, Aaron Pierce and Autrey Moore.
Interment was held at Fletcher Cemetery in Alapaha.
Henry Edward “Papa” Merritt
Mr. Henry Edward “Papa” Merritt, age 72, of Albany, passed away Saturday morning, July 19, 2003 at his residence.
Funeral services were conducted Tuesday, July 22 at noon at Hall and Hall Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Chris Turner and Rev. R. A. Snow officiating. Musical selections were presented by Sis. Regina Turner. Interment followed in Andersonville National Cemetery.
Mr. Merritt was born August 26, 1930 in Wilcox County to the late Thomas Mitchell Merritt and Willie Nancy Ann Bagwell Merritt. He was a U.S. Army veteran having served in the Korean Conflict and was retired from Civil Service at the Marine Corp Logistics Base. He was a member of Lighthouse Ministries.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Clifford and Maggie Ross. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Raymond Merritt of Tifton and George Merritt of Mountain City and by two sisters, Mary Futch of Albany and Willie Mae Merritt of Rochelle.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Carolyn Ross Merritt of Albany; son and daughter-in-law, Earl and Janet Merritt of Pavo; three daughters and sons-in-law, Sharon A. and Dennis Newsome of Albany, Denise M. and Michael Hill of Rockford, IL, Elaine M. and Stan Howard of Baconton; 15 grandchildren, Jennifer Phillips, Joey Rape, Joseph Newsome, Justin Newsome, Nicole Newsome, Michelle Merritt, Chris Merritt, Vicki Merritt, Heather Merritt, Jessica Merritt Sterkeson, Connie Hill, Brian Hill, John Howard, Brent Howard and Rita Meacham; 13 great-grandchildren; three brothers & sisters-in-law, Ralph and Virginia Merritt of Omega, James and Julia Merritt of Baconton, Leonard and Martha Merritt of St. Simons Island; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Annie Gibbs of Thomasville and Geraldine and Richard Curry of Smyrna.
Lois Bennett
Mrs. Lois Bennett, 88, of Jacksonville, FL, died Saturday, July 26, 2003, at Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald.
Services were held Tuesday, July 29 at 10 a.m. at Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Ocilla with Rev. Robert Couey officiating. Interment was held at 3 p.m. at the Edgewood Cemetery in Jacksonville, FL.
Mrs. Bennett was born July 24, 1915 in Macon to the late Milton L. Rackley and Rosa Torbet Rackley. Her husband, Charles Giddens Bennett, preceded her in death. Mrs. Bennett was a homemaker whose hobbies included sewing and crocheting. She was a member of Avondale Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL. Mrs. Bennett lived most of her life in Jacksonville but made her home in Ocilla for the past year and a half.
Survivors include one son, Charles G. “Buddy” Bennett, Jr. of Ocilla; two daughters, Electra Marie Bennett of Orange Park, FL and Cloetta Bennett of Jacksonville, FL; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; two sisters, Rose Ellis and Mildred Howard; two brothers, John Rackley and Wayne Rackley. She was preceded in death by one daughter, Mary Ann Paulk, three brothers and three sisters.
Mildred Irby Smith
Mrs. Mildred Irby Smith of Fitzgerald died Friday, July 18, 2003 at Kindred Hospital in Atlanta. She was 81.
Mrs. Smith was born August 28, 1921 in Flovilla, daughter of the late Eddie Lee (Ashurst) Irby and William Lewis Irby.
Mrs. Smith lived in the community most of her life and grew up in Ocilla. She was a 1938 graduate of Ocilla High School and attended South Georgia College. Mrs. Smith worked at the Shipyards in Brunswick during World War II and was appliance sales manager at Sears for 28 years. She was a member of the First Baptist Church, Fitzgerald and the Phoebean Sunday School Class. Mrs. Smith was a member of the Cherokee Garden Club and the Do Nothing Club.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Asa Anderson Smith, Jr. and three brothers.
Survivors include son and daughter-in-law, Gary D. and Sue Smith of Fitzgerald; daughter and son-in-law, Marcia Ann and Clifton McDuffie of Oakwood; brother, Fred Irby of Cumming; eight grandchidlren and one great-grandchild.
Services were held at First Baptist Churh, Fitzgerald on Sunday, July 20 at 4 p.m., with Rev. Tom Braziel, Rev. Kelly Brown and Rev. Paul Richardson officiating.
Music was provided by organit, Marty Smith; pianist, Susan Spivey; congregational song led by Blane Jacobs and soloist, Amanda Roberts.
Pallbearers were John Cook, Eddy Reeves, Clifford Bernard, Robert Leverson, Dr. Tom Mann and Herman Simpson.
Honorary pallbearers were members of the Rebekah Sunday School class.
Interment was held at Evergreen Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, Fitzgerald; Fellowship Baptist Church, Fitzgerald or First Baptist Church Mininstry of Caring, Gainesville.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
