Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Ralph Tapley
Ralph Tapley, 94, of Swainsboro died Thursday, March 10, 2005, at Emanuel Medical Center after an extended illness.
A native of Emanuel County, Mr. Tapley was a retired Union Insulator and was a member of Hebron B aptist Church. He was the husband of the late Alice Lee Henry Tapley.
He is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Danny and Julie Tapley of Swainsboro; a sister, Arlie May of Savannah; a granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Dana and Chuck McDonald of Metter; two step-grandchildren, Ashley Dunmire of Swainsboro and Trey Neesmith of Lyons; and one great-grandson, Landon McDonald of Metter.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, March 12, at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Peebles-Curry-Durden Mortuary with Rev. Burton Dixon officiating. Interment was in Swainsboro City Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Donny Riner, Charles Henry, Wayne Tapley, Ronnie Henry, Jeff Durden and David Rountree. Honorary pallbearers were past and present employees of Shop Rite Pharmacy.
Peebles-Curry-Durden Mortuary of Swainsboro was in charge of arrangements.
Corean Lightner
Corean Lightner, 88, of Metter died Thursday, March 10, 2005. The Candler County native lived in Cincinnati, OH for more than 63 years. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Hartwell in Cincinnati, where she served faithfully for 62 years. She returned to Metter in January, 2005.
Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Arthur and Carrie Edwards and Johnnie and Eula Edwards, all of Metter; four step-children, Henry Lightner, Mattie Powell, Helen Robertson and Emma Greene, all of Cincinnati, OH; one brother, Coolidge Summerlin of Metter; one sister, Essie Nash of Cincinnati, OH; 54 grandchildren; 74 great-grandchildren; and 57 great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 19, at the W.H. Whitaker Memorial Chapel, Whitaker Funeral Home in Metter. Burial will be in Steephill Baptist Church Cemetery in Cobbtown.
Whitaker Funeral Home of Metter is in charge of arrangements.
Patricia “Rigdon” Richard
Patricia “Rigdon” Richard, 57, passed away on Tuesday, March 8, 2005.
She is survived by her husband, Ron Richard of Norcross; one daughter, Amber Noel Nixon of Mississippi; and four grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Saturday at R.T. Patterson Funeral Home.
R.T. Patterson Funeral Home of Norcross was in charge of arrangements.
Virgil Ray Hadden
Virgil Ray Hadden, 80, died Friday, March 18, 2005.
The Emanuel County native lived in the Metter area for the past 20 years. He was a member of the Metter VFW Post # 5893. He was an avid outdoorsman, fisherman and loved to tinker and restore old farm equipment.
He is survived by his wife, Evelyn Bird Hadden; sons, Virgil E. Hadden of Naples, Fl., and Ray Hadden of Rincon; daughters, Christine Dressler of Rincon, Linda Crosby and Judy Herndon, both of Metter; a brother, Henry A. Hadden of Cartersville; and a sister, Marilyn B. Warren of Pooler; 13 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted at 4 p.m. Sunday at Morgan Family Funeral Home, with burial following in the Lake Cemetery. Rev. Charles Beasley officiated.
Pallbearers were John Hammond, Steven Oglesby, Jessie Collins, Perry A. Hill, Chuck Herndon and Evan Crosby.
Morgan Family Funeral Home of Metter was in charge of arrangements.
Flora L. Lanier
Flora L. Lanier, 91, died Thursday, March 17, 2005.
The native of Candler County lived all of her life here and was a member of Rosemary Primitive Baptist Church. She attended Georgia Southern, where she received a B.S. degree, Master’s degree and sixth year in elementary education.
She was a member of the Candler County Retired Educators Association, having taught in the Candler County School System for 30 years. She was a charter member of the Candler County Daughters of the American Revolution, and served on the Candler County Library Board from 1950-1988. She was preceded in death by her husband, James Clyde Lanier, Sr.
She is survived by a son, James Clyde Lanier Jr., and a daughter-in-law, Louise Bird Lanier; grandchildren, James C. Lanier, III and wife Montell Lanier of Metter, Johnny and Lisa Lanier of Vidalia, Janie and Len McCook of Statesboro, and Jill and Richard Bowen of Statesboro; eight great-grandchildren; and a brother and sister-in-law, James R. and Frances Lanier, of Metter.
Funeral services were conducted Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rosemary Primitive Baptist Church with burial following in the church cemetery. Elder Sam Bowen, Elder Charles Garrett and Rev. Grady Wilson officiated.
Pallbearers were Landon Lanier, Spencer Lanier, Josh McCook, Keith Lanier, Jim Lanier and Stephen UpDeGraff.
Honorary pallbearers were male members of Rosemary Primitive Baptist Church, Brock and Johnathon Bowen and Logan Hall.
Remembrances can be made to the Ogeechee Area Hospice, PO Box 531, Statesboro, GA 30458 or Rosemary Primitive Baptist Church, c/o Homer Lewis Lanier, Rt. 2 Box 93, Metter, GA 30439.
Morgan Family Funeral Home of Metter was in charge of arrangements.
Georgia Bird Rogers
Georgia Bird Rogers, 61, died Feb. 28, 2005, at White River Junction, Vt. She was the daughter of the late George Rogers and Jewell Bird Rogers.
She was reared in Atlanta and was a child with special needs. She has lived in Vermont the last several years since her parents’ death.
She is survived by several first cousins, including George M. Bird of Metter, Helen Strickland of Lakeland, Albert Lanier of California and Martha Rhodes of Mississippi.
Cremain burial was held at Lake Cemetery on Friday, March 18, 2005.
Kennedy Funeral Homes, Hooks Chapel, of Metter was in charge of arrangements.
Charles Emmons
Charles Emmons, 68, of Metter formerly of Mulberry, died of heart failure Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Candler County Hospital. Born in Atmore, AL on Sept. 13, 1936, he moved to Metter from Mulberry six and a half years ago. He was a retired transportation manager for Badcock Furniture. He was an Air Force veteran and a member of the Mulberry Memorial American Legion Post 72. He was a member of the Corinthian Masonic Lodge No. 191 in Mulberry and and was of the Methodist faith.
He is survived by his wife, Diane Emmons; daughter, Jeri Anne Walker of Cape Coral, Lisa Messer of Mulberry, Karen Cedro, Califon, N.J.; sister, Doris Hadley of Metter; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Friday at Seigler Funeral Home of Mulberry, FL.
This announcement was made courtesy of Wood Funeral Home.
Christopher Michael Clayton
Christopher Michael ‘Chris’ (Monkey) Clayton, 22, died Friday March 25, 2005.
He lived all of his life in the Metter, Twin City, and Millen areas, graduating in 2002 from Emanuel County Institute, where he played football. He had been accepted by Ogeechee Technical College to study to become an officer with the Department of Natural Resources.
He was an avid hunter and fisherman, loving to be outdoors, and was a friend to everyone. He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Stanley Clayton, Carlton Lockhart Parrish and Wilmeth Johnson Parrish.
He is survived by his parents, Marilyn & Dr. Wayne Tapley of Metter and Bill and Connie Clayton of Millen; a sister, Amanda Clayton and a step-sister, Cara Tapley, both of Metter; step-brothers, Ben and Charles Tapley, both of Metter, Danny Irick, of Columbia, S.C., and Justin Irick, of Millen; his paternal grandmother, Hazel Clayton of Millen; his uncle, Michael Parrish of Twin City; and a cousin, Will Parrish, also of Twin City.
Funeral services were conducted at 2 p.m. on Monday March 28, 2005 at Open Door Worship Center, with burial to follow in the Oak Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Jenkins County near Millen. Pastor Ray Woodcock and Rev. Mike Whelchel officiated.
Pallbearers were Will Parrish; James Rich; Matt Lane; Ben Tapley; Charles Tapley; Roy Griswold; and Jerry Oliver.
Morgan Family Funeral Home of Metter was in charge of arrangements.
Rhodney L. Lamar
Rhodney L. Lamar, 47, of Reidsville died Thursday, March 17, 2005 at Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah. He was a native of West Palm Beach, FL and he attended the public schools of Palm Beach County. In 1980, he moved to Brooklyn, New York and began his career as a full-time minister at Brooklyn Bethel (Watch Tower Society).
Rhodney lived in Reidsville for the past ten years where he was an elder in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothea Lamar; two sons, Rhodney Lamar Jr. and Justin M. Lamar; one daughter, Chelsea D. Lamar, all of Reidsville; his mother, Annie and Roy Williams of Swainsboro; two brothers, Eric Williams of Miami, FL and Ravioy Lamar of New York, NY; two sisters and one brother-in-law, Teresa Pugh of Fairburn, and Glenice and Kermit Drinks of Collins; two uncles and several other relatives and friends.
A memorial service was held on Sunday at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Reidsville.
Whitaker Funeral Home of Metter was in charge of arrangements.
Louis Carroll Rich
Louis Carroll Rich, 89, died Monday, March 21, 2005. The native and life-long resident of Cobbtown was a farmer and a member of the Baptist faith.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Christine Green Rich of Cobbtown; sons and daughters-in-law, Leverne and Louise Rich of Houston, TX, Lewis Spencer and Debbie Rich of Cobbtown, and Glenn Edward and Vicki Rich of Baxley; a brother, James Rich of Brunswick; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren;
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, at Morgan Family Funeral Home with burial to follow in the Connors Baptist Church Cemetery. Rev. Sterling Bargeron will officiate.
Pallbearers will be John Rich, Jerry Findley, Dennis Rich, David Rich, Jimmy Rich, and Richard Norton.
Visitation will be 5-9 p.m. Wednesday (today) at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances can be made to the Tattnall Community Hospital, 247 S. Main St., Reidsville Ga 30453.
Morgan Family Funeral Home of Metter is in charge of arrangements.
Daniel Ray Henry
Daniel Ray Henry, 42, of Metter died Monday, March 21, 2005 after an extended illness. He graduated from Metter High School in 1980 after which he attended Clark College in Atlanta. He was a member of Jerusalem A.M.E. Church in Brooklet.
Survivors include a son, Daniel Bryant Henry of Kalamazoo, MI; his parents, John and Amy Henry of Metter; one brother, Bryant Henry of Metter; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Sandra and Clarence Wright of Ft. Lauderdale, FL and Karen and Jimmie Mountain of Swainsboro; four uncles, Clarence Whitfield of Miami, FL, Arthur and Henrietta Whitfield of Statesboro, Grady and Frances Whitfield of Decatur and Emmit Wilkerson of Metter; three aunts, Canary Whitfield of Metter, Ruthie Burnett of Dublin and Mildred and Nathaniel Grant of Metter.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the W.H. Whitaker Memorial Chapel. Burial will be in Dixon Grove Cemetery.
Whitaker Funeral Home of Metter is in charge of arrangements.
Ouida Ellis
Ouida Ellis, 66, of Metter died Sunday, March 27, 2005 in the Metter Nursing Home after a brief illness. She was born in Tattnall County to the late Gordy and Mary Mathis Robinson. She was the wife of the late Tommy Kennedy (Dean) Ellis. She was a member of New Life Missionary Baptist Church in Aline.
She is survived by three sons and a daughter-in-law, Tom and Earline Ellis of Swainsboro, Perry L. Ellis and Alton Ellis, both of Metter; two daughters, LaVern Ellis of Metter and Stephanie Ellis of Savannah; six brothers and a sister-in-law, Charlie Robinson, and Daniel and Mary Robinson, all of Bowling Green, FL, Henry Robinson, Roosevelt Robinson, Gordy Robinson Jr. and Frank Robinson, all of Lake Placid, FL; two sisters and a brother-in-law, Lillie M. Maddox of Mystic and Mary Alice and Willington Service of Lake Placid, FL.
Funeral service will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. at the W.H. Whitaker Memorial Chapel in Metter. Burial will be in Dixon Grove Cemetery near Metter.
Whitaker Funeral Home of Metter is in charge of arrangements.
