Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
James H. ‘Gabby’ Hayes
James H. “Gabby” Hayes, 74, of Ocilla died Tuesday, March 14, 2006 at South Georgia Medical Center in Valdosta.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 17 at Frank Primitive Baptist Church with Elder Edward McIntyre officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Music was provided by pianist Andi McWhorter, congregational song led by Mary Lynn Bracewell and trio: Sharon Martin, Allen Martin and Mary Lynn Bracewell.
Pallbearers were Russ Bryant, Seth Taylor, James Allen Bryant, Jake Hayes, Matthew Hayes, Rusty Merritt and Michael Hayes.
Mr. Hayes was born June 17, 1931 in Winfield, AL to the late Jonas Jackson and Eunice Springer Hayes. He lived in Irwin County since 1953, retiring in 1985 as service manager for Irwin County Motor Company, where he had worked for 32 years. Mr. Hayes was a member of the Frank Primitive Baptist Church.
Mr. Hayes is survived by his wife of 51 years: Betty Wright Hayes of Ocilla; daughter: Wanda Hayes-Bryant of Ocilla; two sons: James Anthony “Tony” Hayes of Ocilla and Steven H. (Sue) Hayes of Baxley; seven grand children: Brandi (Rusty) Merritt, Russ Bryant, Michael (Amber) Hayes, Cristy (Seth) Taylor, Matthew Hayes, Jake Hayes and Tonya Hayes; six great-grandchildren: James Allen Bryant, Morgan Bryant, Lauren Merritt, Leslie Merritt, Slater Hayes and Madelyn Taylor; three brothers: Fred (Dot) Hayes of Birmingham, AL, Thurman (Doris) Hayes of Fayette, AL and Rabon (Sheila) Hayes of Macon, MS.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mildred Lee Hodge Dopson
Mrs. Mildred Lee Hodge Dopson, 79, of Irwin County died Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at the Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Atlanta.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 15 at Salem First Baptist Church in Fitzgerald with the Rev. Willie C. Mobley officiating. Interment followed in Ocilla City Cemetery.
Music was provided by soloists Mrs. Annie Pearl Stepherson and Minister Sarah Fletcher.
Mrs. Dopson was born October 26, 1926 in Irwin County to the late Lucille Hodge Smith and Albert Hodge.
She was preceded in death by her husband: Clarence (Mutt) Dopson; two children: Clarence Dopson, Jr. and Jeremiah Dopson; one brother: Pledge Hodge and one sister: Elizabeth Hodge.
Survivors include 14 children: Gwendolyn Deloris Dopson of St. Paul, MN, Larry (Catherine) Dopson, Randolph (Willene) Dopson, Tony (Pamela) Dopson, Linda (Johnny) Bailey, all of Atlanta, Van Greggory Dopson, Jeffery Lamar Dopson, Willie James Dopson, Tommy (Angie) Dopson, Nelson (Betty) Dopson, Paulette (James) Young, Michelle (Willie) Young, all of Fitzgerald, Anwar Demetrese Brown of Miami, FL and E.J. Wells of Ocilla; two brothers: Eugene Hodge of Miami, FL, Willie Hodge of Columbus; one sister: Ola Mae Bell of Albany; 49 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren.
Henderson Memorial Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Elma Tucker Jeffries
Mrs. Elma Tucker Jeffries, 92, of Douglas, died Monday, May 22, 2006 at Coffee Regional Medical Center.
Mrs. Jeffries, a native of Irwin County, was born December 6, 1913, daughter of the late Wyatt A. and Juda Harper Tucker. She is the widow of the late Claude Bert Jeffries, Sr. and her church membership was at the Satilla Baptist Church in Irwin County. Her son, Claude Bert Jeffries, Jr. preceded her in death.
Survivors include her sister: Zelda Buckman of Lexington; granddaughters: Joye (Mel) Pugh of Douglas and Gaye (Todd) Cook of Bluffton, SC; great-granddaughter: Caitlyn Cook of Bluffton SC; nieces: Jane Ridgeway of Lexington and Judy Dudley of Greenville SC; nephew: Johnny Buckman of Lexington; daughter-in-law: Stella Paulk Jeffries of Douglas.
Funeral services were held at 11 A.M., Friday, May 26 at the Satilla Baptist Church in Irwin County with Rev. Dan Johnson and Rev. William Pope officiating. Larry Hutto and Clarence Ross gave the Eulogy.
Jackie Clayton, pianist gave a musical selection of “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”. Rev. William Pope sang, “Never Alone” and Peggy Harper provided soft music for the prelude and postlude.
Graveside services with Dr. Larry Paulk officiating and burial followed in the Satilla Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Larry Hutto, Danny Coley, Clarence Ross, George Cook, III, Johnny Buckman and Glenn Lott. Honorary pallbearers were Jacob Willis Paulk, Clarence Paulk, Robert J. Riles, Phillip Jowers, Drult P. Nair, Gary H. Paulk, Sim Hogan, Lloyd Vickers and Ted Ridgeway.
Sims Funeral Home, Douglas, was in charge of arrangements.
Esther Flesher
Esther Flesher, 85, of Labelle, FL, died Saturday, May 20, 2006.
Funeral services were held at 3 P.M., Thursday, May 25 at Lehigh Acreas Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Lehigh Acreas, FL.
Mrs. Flesher was born July 3, 1920 in Delaware County, IN to the late Marion and Zella R. Nelson. She was the widow of Sheldon Flesher. Mrs. Flesher was a homemaker and a former resident of Fitzgerald. She was a devoted Jehovah’s Witness for more than 50 years.
She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law: Gary and Patsy Flesher of Ocala, FL, Ronald and Sheila Flesher of Fitzgerald and Dana and Patsy Flesher of Ocilla; daughter and son-in-law: Shelley and Tom Kelso of Longwood, FL; 12 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren; sister: Beverly Willis of Labelle, FL.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Charlie Hyman, Jr.
Charlie Hyman, Jr., 22, of Ocilla died Wednesday, May 17, 2006.
Funeral services were held at 1 P.M., Thursday, May 25 at Pleasant Grove First Baptist Church with Rev. Willie C. Mobley officiating. Interment followed in Ocilla Cemetery. Music was provided by the church choir and soloist Randy Shelly.
Skylar Burgess, Kevis Campbell, Kevis Bryant, Alex Smith, Johnny Mike and Myron McTear served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Jonathan T. Hyman, Corrie L. Hyman, Sr., Rodriquez L. Hyman, Tyris D. Hyman, Latwaine T. Hyman and Corrie L. Hyman, Jr.
Mr. Hyman was born December 16, 1983 to Elizabeth Davis and Charlie Hyman, Sr. He was educated at Irwin County High School and was loved by all who knew him.
He was preceded in death by one grandmother, Vicy Doberson, and two grandfathers, Moses Hyman and Charlie Doberson.
Survivors include his mother and step-father: Elizabeth and Badger Davis; father: Charlie Hyman, Sr.; five brothers: Jonathan Hyman of Jacksonville, FL, Tyris Hyman of Brewster, WA, Corrie (Tara) Hyman, Sr. of Quantico, VA, Rodriquez Hyman of Ocilla and Latwaine Hyman of Ocilla; grandmother: Rebecca Hyman and special cousin, Jennifer Fuller.
Davis Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mable Lee Minshew
Mable Lee Minshew, 75, of Fitzgerald died Friday, May 26, 2006 at the Life Care Center in Fitzgerald.
Graveside services were held at 11 A.M. Monday, May 29 at Young Cemetery in Ben Hill County, with Rev. David Biggers officiating.
Mrs. Minshew was born June 8, 1930 in Irwin County to the late John and Laura Melton Ray. She had lived in Ben Hill and Irwin counties all of her life. She was a beautician and was the former owner/operator of Mable’s Beauty Shop. She was a member of the former Callie Garbutt Baptist Church.
Mrs. Minshew is survived by a son: Roy D. Minshew, Jr. of Fitzgerald; two nieces: Brenda Woodrum Wright of Cordele and Pat Livingston Hale of Fayetteville and a half-sister: Lillian Harnage of Tifton. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy Dixon Minshew.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Pearl R. Padgett
Pearl R. Padgett, 99, of Irwin County died Sunday, May 28, 2006 at Palemon Gaskins Nursing Home in Ocilla.
Funeral services will be held at 1:30 P.M., Wednesday, May 31, at Satilla Baptist Church in Irwin County, with Dr. Larry Paulk and Rev. William Pope officiating. Interment will follow in Brushy Creek Cemetery.
Mrs. Padgett was born November 18, 1906 in Irwin County to the late James Daniel and Nettie Pearl Renew Ross. She was the last of 14 children. Mrs. Padgett was a retired cafeteria manager, having worked at schools in Lax, Ocilla and Fitzgerald.
A member of Satilla Baptist Church, Mrs. Padgett was a Past-Worthy Matron, Order of the Eastern Star.
She is survived by her daughters and son-in-law: Judy and Jacob Willis Paulk of Wray and Jeanette Oakley of Ocilla; six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Hugo Handley and William Robert Padgett.
Paulk Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Vera Smith Walsh
Mrs. Vera Smith Walsh, 83, of Gainesville, FL died Friday, May 26 following an extended illness. Services were held Monday, May 29 in Douglas. She is the mother of Betty G. Hudson of Ocilla.
Wright Yarbrough Tomberlin
Wright Yarbrough Tomberlin, 93, of Fitzgerald died Wednesday, May 17, 2006 at the Osceola Nursing Home in Ocilla.
Funeral services were held at 11 A.M., Saturday, May 20 at Abba Baptist Church, with Rev. Howard Kitchens officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Musicians were Christine Brown, Wanda Ash, Nell Merritt and Ronny Branam (quartet), and pianist Christine Brown.
Tommy Land, Julian Yarbrough, Gerald Merritt, James Yarbrough, Pat Dunn, Frank Clements and Steve Tomberlin served as pallbearers.
Mr. Tomberlin was born January 27, 1913 in Irwin County to the late Robert Lewis and Almeda Yarbrough Tomberlin. He lived in the community most of his life. Mr. Tomberlin retired from the Atlantic Coastline Railroad shops in Waycross and was a former security guard for Irwin Manufacturing Company.
Mr. Tomberlin was a member of Abba Baptist Church. He was an avid bird dog trainer and won several awards. He loved to fish and hunt.
Survivors include his two daughters and sons-in-law: Sonia and James Spires of Fitzgerald and Annette and Ernest Rountree of Ocilla; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Micheal Rogers Tomberlin.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Kathleen Walker
Kathleen Walker, 62, of Fitzgerald died Tuesday, May 16, 2006 at the home of her sister in Irwin County.
Funeral services were held at 2 P.M., Friday, May 19 at Lax Holiness Baptist Church. Interment followed in Lax Cemetery.
Musicians were pianist Sandy Bostelman and soloist Ryan Ussery.
Robert Taylor, Roger Griffin, Richard Giffin, Paul Rogers, Stephen Rogers and Mack Brown served as pallbearers.
Mrs. Walker was born March 27, 1944 in Cherokee County to the late Clifford and Delda Lee Patterson Heath. She lived in Ben Hill and Irwin counties most of her life. Mrs. Walker was a former employee of Shaw Industries, Modern Fibers and the Osceola Nursing Home. She was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law: Tommy and Denise Pitts of Coffee County; daughter: Teresa Brown of Fitzgerald; six grandchildren; sisters: Helen Brooks of Irwin County, Christine Clark of Ocilla, ImoJean Miller and Geraldine Paulk, both of Irwin County, Virginia Hitt of Ocilla and Audrey O’Hagen of Nashville; brothers: Johnny Heath of Honea Path, SC, Hubert Heath and Bill Heath, both of Alapaha and Ricky Heath of Adel.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Lester Walker and a brother, Jimmy Heath. Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
William ‘Bill’ Woods
William “Bill” Woods, 78, of Fitzgerald died Thursday, May 18, 2006 at Dorminy Medical Center in Fitzgerald.
Funeral services were held at 2 P.M., Sunday, May 21, at the Paulk Funeral Home Chapel in Fitzgerald, with Pastor Nook Metcalf Burge and Elder Jerry Barrs officiating. Interment followed in Evergreen Cemetery.
Speaking at the service was Jami Woods, granddaughter of Mr. Woods. Musicians were pianist Sandy Bostelman and soloists Jill Pruitt and Trenton Quinney, grandson of Mr. Woods.
Allen Bridges, Trenton Quinney, Brian Brown, Cory Vassey, David NeSmith and Woodrow Woods served as pallbearers.
Mr. Woods was born January 3, 1928 in Coffee County to the late Dan and Maggie Carter Woods. He grew up in Irwin County and was the last of seven children. Mr. Woods was a carpenter, retiring after 22 years with Western Sizzlin Steak House in Charleston, SC and was a former employee of David Sims in Fitzgerald.
He moved back to Fitzgerald in 1991 from Charleston and was a member of the Colony City Community Church.
Mr. Woods is survived by his wife: Inez Bridges Woods of Fitzgerald; sons and daughters-in-law: James D. “Jimmy” and Kim Woods of Charleston, SC, Tommy F. and Carolyn Brown and William D. and Susie Woods, all of Fitzgerald; daughter and son-in-law: Janet B. and Clarence Morton of Charleston, SC; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Aubrey Dennis Wall
Aubrey Dennis Wall, 79, of New Whiteland, IN died Monday, May 15, 2006 at his residence.
Mr. Wall was born in Barrow County, Georgia on May 27, 1926 to Thomas and Ola Wall who precede him in death.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Martha Wall; sons Wayne (Ann) and Greg (Lisa) Wall; daughter Jerie (Joseph) Morrow; grandchildren Sarah (Scott) Ladd, Sally (Kevin) Newell, Angela (Shanon) Redmon, Elena (Tommy) O’Brien, Elisa (Steve) Rogowski, Dennis Wall and Katherine Wall; four great-grandchildren; brother Clair (Lois) Wall and sister Helen Davis.
Mr. Wall served in the Navy during WW II and was a member of the Whiteland VFW Post 6978. He was the CEO of Wall Enterprises for over 30 years.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Thursday, May 18, at Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Greenwood, IN. Entombment with military honors was held in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either JMH Cancer Center or JCHF Cancer Center at 1159 W. Jefferson Street, Franklin, IN 46131.
Ethel W. Rowe
Ethel W. Rowe, 86, of Ocilla died Tuesday, May 9, 2006 at her residence.
Funeral services were held at 11 AM, Friday, May 12 at Big Creek Baptist Church in Irwin County, with Rev. Wayne McCrimmon and Rev. Ed Reeves officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Music was provided by organist Ann Martin, pianist Faith Williamson and a duet by Ann Martin and Sue Fletcher.
W.T. Sutton, Richard Williamson, Jimmy Mobley, Edward Parrish, Jack Eldridge and Billy Parrish served as pallbearers.
Mrs. Rowe was born July 13, 1919, in Turner County to the late Wilton M. and Cora Cleghorn Woodrum. She lived in the community most of her life.
Mrs. Rowe was a former employee of Irwin Manufacturing Company, H. R. Kaminsky and Sons and former Assistant Postmaster in Mystic. She was a member of Big Creek Baptist Church, where she taught Beginner’s Sunday school class and Baptist Training Union. Mrs. Rowe was a graduate of Mystic High School.
Mrs. Rowe is survived by her daughters: Carolyn (Jerry) Humphrey of Warner Robins, Shirley Davis, and Joyce Satterfield, both of Ocilla; one brother: Roy W. Woodrum of Winter Haven, FL; six grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Clay Rowe, Jr., two sisters and a brother.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Charles Johnson
Charles Johnson, 67, of Ocilla died Friday, May 11, 2006 at Osceola Nursing Home.
Mr. Johnson was born April 28, 1939 in Irwin County to the late Charles R. and Rhoda Buchanan Johnson. He lived in Irwin County most of his life and was a former resident of Pitts and Cordele.
Mr. Johnson was a farmer and a former employee of the Irwin County Road Department. He was of the Church of God faith.
Survivors include his daughters: Judy Cox of Ocilla and Stephanie Cazares of Fitzgerald; son: Bobby Johnson of Lula; seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; sister: Connie Ferguson of Fitzgerald.
Funeral services were private.
Paulk Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
