Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Ronald U. Sherrod
Mr. Ronald U. Sherrod, 53, of West Green, Ga., passed away at his home following a brief illness.
Mr. Sherrod, a native of Fargo, Clinch County, Ga., he was the son of the late Joe Sherrod and the late Inez Alice Williams Sherrod.
He had lived in the Douglas and West Green areas for many years. Survivors Include: two sons Ronnie Aaron Sherrod and Wesley Woodrow Sherrod, both of Douglas, Ga.; two sisters, Wilma McKinnon of West Green, Ga., and Juanell Kraft of Lake City, Fla.; five brothers, Verl Sherrod of Enigma, Ga., Joe Sherrod, Jr. of Homerville, Ga.
Carey Sharrod, Roger Sherrod, and Joel Sherrod, all of Douglas, Ga.; several aunts, uncles, and other relatives.
Memorial services were held Saturday morning, October 25, 2003, at 10 a.m., at the residence of Wilma McKinnon of West Green, Ga., with Rev. Roy Davis, Jr., officiating. Special musical selections, "Take My Hand,'' "If I Lost You", and "Rocking Chair," were rendered by taped music. Interment will follow at a later date.
Ricketson Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of the arrangements.
Atha Bowden
Ms. Atha Bowden, 99, of New York, N.Y., passed away October 4, 2003, following an illness.
Ms. Bowden, a native of Nicholls, Ga., was the daughter of the late Thomas and Lucy Bowden. She lived most of her life in New York City and was one of the older members of Mother A.M.E. Zion Church and served faithfully until her health began to decline. She was retired from Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).
Survivors include: three nieces, Eva Wilson of Nicholls, Ga., and Barbara Byrd and Georgia B. Evans, both of Waycross, Ga.; one nephew, Dr. Wilbur T. Leaphart of Atlanta, Ga.; one surrogate son and confidant, Mr. and Mrs. Ellie McDew of New York City; several grandnephews and nieces and other relatives.
Graveside service were held on Saturday, October 11, 2003, in Nicholls City Cemetery, with Rev. Ernest Ryals officiating.
Fluker Funeral Home of Waycross, Ga., was in charge of the arrangements.
Billy Edward Lancaster
Mr. Billy Edward Lancaster, 79, of Douglas, Ga., passed away on Friday October 17, 2003, at Coffee Regional Medical Center from an extended illness.
Mr. Lancaster, a native of Pelahatchie, Miss., was born December 4, 1923, the son of the late Wallace and Alice Gilmore Lancaster. He was a retired supervisor for Chicago Cash Register and was a master locksmith.
Survivors include: his wife, Betty Jo Andrews Lancaster of Douglas, Ga.; several step-children.
Funeral Services were held at 2 p.m., Sunday, October 19, 2003, at Sims Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Lee Wimberly and Rev. Sam DeCasper officiating. Songs were " Beulah Land," "Sheltered in the Arms of God," and "I Can Only Imagine," with Dewayne Holt, soloist. Interment followed at New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery, Ambrose, Ga.
Active pallbearers were Jeff Rutland, Terry Wimberly, Greg Spires, Jason Robey, Robert Hypes, and Michael John Robey.
Honorary pallbearer was Cecil Holt.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Corine Britt Wright
Corine Britt Wright, 76, native of Ashburn, Ga. She passed away after an extended illness.
She was the daughter of the late Charlie Oscar and Katie Irene Davis Britt and was a retired seamstress. She was the widow of the late Theodore Yarbrough "Speed" Wright.
Survivors her children: Harold Wright, Douglas, Ga., Earl Wright, Ashburn, Ga., Wilene W. Bryant, Fitzgerald, Ga., a sister Retha Odom, Ashburn, Ga., seven grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at Perry Funeral Chapel on October 28, 2003, at 2 p.m.
Interment followed in the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery.
Perry Funeral Chapel of Ashburn, Ga., was in charge of the arrangements.
Mark Cauley
Mr. Mark Cauley, 20, of Broxton, Ga., passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2003, from a sudden illness.
Mr. Cauley a native of Coffee County, Ga., was born December 6, 1982. Mr. Cauley was a farmer.
Survivors include: his mother, Denise C. Collins and husband, Dexter Collins, of Broxton, Ga.; father, Gene "Buster" Cauley, Jr., and wife, Caryn, of Ambrose, Ga.; one sister, Candace Cauley of Ambrose, Ga.; three brothers, Matthew Cauley and Tyler Cauley, both of Ambrose, Ga., and Chance Collins of Broxton, Ga.; grandparents, Roosevelt "Boots" and Geraldine Carter of Fitzgerald, Ga., and Gene and Nellie Cauley of Ambrose, Ga.; step-grandparents, Billy and Sue Collins of Broxton, Ga.; one nephew, Daylon Cauley of Ambrose, Ga.; fianc/ and best friend, Renee Johnson of Broxton, Ga.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m., Friday, October 17, 2003, from Reedy Branch Baptist Church of Broxton, Ga., with Rev. Steve Willingham officiating. Songs were "Wish You Were Here" by soloist Archie Rish, "Go Rest High On That Mountain" by soloist Haley Kight, and "Amazing Grace" by soloist Danny Stone. Susan Thurman, pianist, played soft music for the prelude and postlude. Interment followed at Harper Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Henry Lewis, Ben Smith, Craig Coffee, Matt McCallum, Rhett Fussell, Carl LaRocque, Brandon Gilliard, and Grant Royals.
Honorary pallbearers were B.H. Tanner, Billy Wall, Lane Morgan, Neal Floyd, Bruce Cunard, Charles Lewis, Danny Lindsey, Van Brown, Kramer Royer, Aaron Stewart, Ashley Ricketson, Josh Polk, Steven Paulk, Rhett Hester, Doug Shook, Ron Morris, Scott Johnson, Greg Roberts, Abe Morris, Steve Faulkner, Davey Carter, David Lindsey, Josh Brigmond, Nick Harper, and Danny O'Steen.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Floyce Lott Day
Mrs. Floyce Lott Day, 78, of Broxton, Ga., passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2003, at Coffee Regional Medical Center following a brief illness.
Mrs. Day a native of Coffee County, Ga., was born February 2, 1925, the daughter of the late Johnny and Mary Duke Lott. She was a homemaker and a member of New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church, Fitzgerald, Ga.
Survivors include: her husband, Rev. Edward Day of Broxton, Ga.; six sons, Charles Edward Day Jr., and wife, Judy, oif Apopka, Fla., Johnny Day and wife, Marla, of Ambrose, Ga., Sgt/FC Jerome Day and wife, Jan, of Ft. Stewart, Ga., Stanford Day and wife, Billie Jean, and Jimmy (Brenda) Day and wife, Brenda, all of Broxton, Ga., and Ronnie Day and wife, Selena, of Douglas, Ga.; two daughters, Joyce Gay and husband, Byron, of Broxton, Ga., and Glenda Carelock of Hazelhurst, Ga.; one daughter-in-law, Sandra Spivey of Broxton, Ga.; five sisters, Mary Rae Buckner of Douglas, Ga., Daisy Smoak of Enterprise, Ala., Corine Glyzinski of Lacey, Wa., Gail Young of Fitzgerald, Ga., and Diane Stevens of Douglas, Ga.; five brothers, Johnny Lott and Elisha Lott, both of Winter Garden, Fla., Benjamin Lott of Naples, Fla., and J.H. Lott and Millard Lott, both of Estelle, S.C.; 25 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Mrs. Day was preceded in death by one son, George Wayne Day.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Friday, October 17, 2003, from New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church, Fitzgerald, Ga., with Rev. Vernon Hughes, Rev. Willie Guthrie, Rev. Lawton Watson, Rev. Travis Day, Rev. Wilburn Thompson, and Rev. Daniel Dean officiating. Songs were "My Heavenly Home" by Fred Smith and Family and "Beulah Land" by Kristi Gay, Rev. Travis, Tina Day. Sandra Sellers, pianist, played soft music for the prelude and postlude. Interment followed in the New Corinth Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Kevin Day, Daron Carelock, Johnny Day, Ashley Day, Steven Day, Justin Gay, Jonathan Day, and Jared Vickers.
Honorary pallbearers were W.L. Smith, Ed Smith, Rudolph Merritt, Joe Pridgen, Lester Johnson, Cecil Kimbrell, Donnie Hamilton, Thomas McNeal, Jimmy Bullock, Tommy Shouder, Joe Padgett, and Wimbric Padgett.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Meagan Nelson
Meagan Nelson, 14, of Smith Cemetery Road, Wray, Ga., passed away Saturday, September 20, 2003. Megan native of Coffee County, was an eighth grade student at West Coffee Middle School and attended New Lacy Church of God in Alma, Ga.
Survivors include: her parents, Henry Elisha (Bum) Nelson, II and Ronda Arsenault Nelson of Wray, Ga.; paternal grandparents, H. E. Nelson and Julie Hodge Nelson of Ambrose, Ga.; maternal grandparents, Danny and Diane Good of Alma, Ga., and Ronnie Arsenault of Jacksonville, Fla.; one brother, William Henry Nelson of Wray, Ga.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Thursday,, September 25, 2003, at New Lacy Church of God with Rev. Calvin Lewis and Rev. George Carroll Paulk officiating. Interment followed in New Hope Cemetery in Coffee County.
Active pallbearers were Brandon and Ronald Worth, Danny Smith, Bud Wilson, Dennis Lytle, and Dwain Stevens.
Crosby Funeral Home of Alma, Ga., was in charge of all the arrangements.
Dustin Randall Varnedore
Dustin Randall Varnedore, 11, of Coffee County, Ga., passed away Saturday, September 20, 2003.
Dustin lived in Wray, Ga., for the past two years. He was in the sixth grade at West Coffee Middle School was a member of the 4H Club. Dustin attended New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church in Ben Hill County.
Survivors include: his parents, David and Ann Stone Varnedore, Jr., of Wray, Ga.; one sister, Roseanne Varnedore of Wray, Ga.; grandparents Virginia Raffield of Warner Robins, Ga., Earl Raffield of Warner Robins, Ga., David and Beth Varnedore of Douglas, Ga., Rosetta Johns of Irwinville, Ga., and Harold Giddens of Irwinville, Ga.; aunts and uncles, Mindy and Russell Tucker, Bobby and Selina Cotterman, Philip and Dicie Sulatyski, James Varnedore and Loretta Varnedore.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, September 24, 2003, at New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church in Ben Hill County with the Rev. Vernon Hughes officiating.
Paulk Funeral Home of Fitzgerald, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Kayla Marie Varnedore
Kayla Marie Varnedore, 13, of Coffee County, passed away Saturday, September 20, 2003.
Kayla lived in Wray, Ga., for the past two years. She was in the eighth grade at West Coffee Middle School and attended New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church in Ben Hill County.
Survivors include: her parents, David and Ann Stone Varnedore, Jr., of Wray, Ga.; one sister, Roseanne Varnedore of Wray, Ga.; grandparents Virginia Raffield of Warner Robins, Ga., Earl Raffield of Warner Robins, Ga., David and Beth Varnedore of Douglas, Ga., Rosetta Johns of Irwinville, Ga., and Harold Giddens of Irwinville, Ga.; aunts and uncles, Mindy and Russell Tucker, Bobby and Selina Cotterman, Philip and Dicie Sulatyski, James Varnedore and Loretta Varnedore.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, September 24, 2003, at New Corinth Calvary Holiness Church in Ben Hill County with the Rev. Vernon Hughes officiating.
Paulk Funeral Home of Fitzgerald, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Isobel Greene Beecher
Mrs. Isobel Greene Beecher, 89, of Douglas, Ga., passed away Saturday, October 18, 2003, at her residence following an extended illness.
Mrs. Beecher, a native of Coffee County, Ga., was born July 12, 1914, the daughter of the late Thomas and Ida Haskins Merritt. She was retired with 30 years of service from Coffee Industries as a sewing machine operator and was a member of Waldrop Avenue Church of God. Mrs. Beecher was a Sunday School teacher at Pridgen Baptist Church for many years and was the widow of the late J.P. Greene and Eston Beecher.
Survivors include: three daughters, Frances Batchelor and husband, Charles,, Sue Brantley and husband, Jesse, and Sherry Knowlton and husband, David, all of Douglas, Ga.; two sons, Jimmy Greene and wife, Lucy, of Swanee, Fla., and Jerry Greene and wife, Clara Mae, of Broxton, Ga.; one sister, Nola Smith of Douglas, Ga.; four step-children, Mavis Bipper, Carold Beecher, Barbara Lepley, and Bill Beecher; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and five great-great-grandchildren. Mrs. Beecher was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Angie Merritt.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, October 21, 2003, at Sims Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Barry Peavey officiating. Songs were "I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy" and "Amazing Grace" by John Glosson, soloist and organist. Interment followed at Pridgen Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Jesse Brantley, Jr., Health Greene, Tommy Greene, Michael Greene, Jamie Brantley, and Justin Brantley.
Honorary pallbearers were deacons of Pridgen Baptist Church.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements
Ida L. Lanier
Mrs. Ida L. Lanier, age 97, of Douglas, Ga., passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2003, at Southern Senior Living Center from an extended illness.
Mrs. Lanier, a native of Dillon, S.C., was born June 24, 1906, the daughter of the late Julian Clyde and Flora Lupo, Sr. She was retired from DFACS and was a teacher.
Survivors include: one son, Richard Lanier and wife, Betty, Douglas, Ga.; one niece, Monte Lupo Prater and husband, Bob, of Tulsa, Ok.; three grandchildren, Tommy, Terry, and Tony Harrell and families; six great-grandchildren.
Cooper Funeral Home of Dillon, S.C., was in charge of the arrangements.
Lorene White Compton
Mrs. Lorene White Compton, 61, of Pearson, Ga., passed away Tuesday, October 14, 2003, at Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas, Ga., following an extended illness.
Mrs. Compton, a native of Atkinson County, Ga., was born October 1, 1942, the daughter of Loren and Donnie Wildes White. She was a homemaker and had worked as an aide in a nursing home. She was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include: three sons, John Bell of Bethany, Ok., David Bell of Wingate, NC, and Albert Compton of Pearson, Ga.; one daughter, Donna Ruth Compton of Pearson, Ga.; one brother, Jimmy Loren White of Lakeland, Fl.; three sisters, Carlene Rogers of Axson, Ga., Kathleen Sutton of Axson, Ga., and Pauline Sutton of Pearson, Ga.; three grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. Mrs. Compton was preceded in death by two sons, Neal Edwards and Billy Bell.
Funeral services for Mrs. Compton were held at 2 p.m., Thursday, October 16, 2003, at the Axson Evangelistic Church, with Rev. William Pope officiating. Special musical selections, "Beulah Land" and "Wish You Were Here," were rendered by soloist Diane Heflin, with taped accompaniment. Mary Ann Williams, pianist, provided the soft music for the prelude and postlude. The interment followed in the Axson Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Steve White, Charles Sutton, Bill Sutton, Mark Sutton, Keith Moore, and Brian Sutton.
Relihan Funeral Home of Pearson, Ga. was in charge of the arrangements.
Billy Edward Lancaster
Mr. Billy Edward Lancaster, 79, of Douglas, Ga., passed away on Friday October 17, 2003, at Coffee Regional Medical Center from an extended illness.
Mr. Lancaster a native of Telahactchie, Miss., was born December 4, 1923 the son of the late Wallace and Alice Gilmore Lancaster. He was a retired supervisor for Chicago Cash Register and was a master locksmith.
Survivors include: his wife, Betty Jo Andrews Lancaster of Douglas, Ga.; several step-children. Mr. Lancaster was preceded in death by his first wife, Hazel Holt Lancaster.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m., Sunday, October 19, 2003, at Sims Funeral Home Chapel, with Rev. Lee Wimberly and Rev. Sam DeCasper officiating. Songs were "Beulah Land," "Sheltered in the Arms of God," and "I Can Only Imagine," with Dewayne Holt, soloist. Interment followed at New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery, Ambrose, Ga.
Active pallbearers were Jeff Rutland, Tommy Wimberly, Greg Spires, Jason Robey, Robert Hypes, and Michael John Robey.
Honorary pallbearer was Cecil Holt.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
Dorothy Jeanette "Dot" King
Mrs. Dorothy Jeanette "Dot" King, 52, of Ambrose, Ga., passed away on Friday October 17, 2003, at her residence following an extended illness.
Mrs. King, a native of Berrien County, Ga., was born October 15, 1951, the daughter of the late John Henry and Stella Howard Luke. She was a homemaker and a member of Trinity Non-Denominational Church.
Survivors include: her husband, Winston King of Ambrose, Ga.; one daughter, Julie Beasley and husband, Robby, of Frostproof, Fla.; four sons, Johnny King and wife, Angie, Warren King and wife, Kayla, and Michael King, all of Douglas, Ga., and Charles King of Ambrose, Ga.; two sisters, Jean Joiner of Willacoochee, Ga., and Geneva Kirkland of Cosby, Tenn.; four brothers, Marvin Luke of Enigma, Ala., Melvin Luke of Alexander City, Ala., Tommy Luke of Lake City, Fla., and Donnie Luke of Brunswick, Ga.; nine grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren , three step-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held on Monday, October 20, 2003, 11 a.m. at Trinity Non-Denominational Church, with Rev. Floyd Musgrove and Rev. Roy Davis officiating. Julie Beasley, Johnny King, and Debbie Garner read poems. Songs were "Were Angels Fear to Tread" by soloist Cindy Musgrove, "Beyond The Sunset" and "You're All Invited to My Mansion" by tape. Cindy Musgrove, pianist, played soft music for the prelude and postlude. Interment followed at Griffin Cemetery.
Active pallbearers were Keith Musgrove, Chris Musgrove, Phillip Carter, Kenny Smith, Mark Carter, Fred Cole, John Edge, and Ricky Stevens.
Sims Funeral Home of Douglas, Ga., was in charge of arrangements.
