Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Laurie Davis Sr.
Laurie Davis Sr., 87, of Midville died Monday, Jan. 13, 2003 at his residence.
His funeral was 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, at Third Chapel Baptist Church, with the Rev. L.E. Jones officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Davis was a native of Burke County and a retired farmer. He was a member of Third Chapel Baptist Church where he served as church custodian.
Survivors include his widow, Carrie Lee Moody Davis of Midville; seven sons and daughters-in-law, Sidney and Doris Davis and Otis and Mamie Davis, all of Midville, Freeze and Lula Davis and Lee Arthur and Josephine Davis, all of Millen, Laurie and Mary Davis Jr. and Johnny and Diane Davis, all of Waynesboro, and Herbert and Connie Davis of Tacoma, Wash.; two stepsons and their wives, Jimmy and Pauline Moody of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and Tommie and Marilyn Moody of Midville; seven daughters and four sons-in law, Mary Turner, Lois Davis and Julia and Earnest McCoy of New York, Mary and Harman Rhodes of Florida, Faye Davis, Gwendolyn and Robert Jackson, all of Millen, and Teresa and William Gibbons of Louisville; three stepdaughters, Mae Dorothy Lewis and his husband, Paul, Rosa Lewis and Elnora Jenkins, all of Midville; a sister, Nora Holmes; 39 grandchildren, 15 step-grandchildren; 47 great-grandchildren; 28 step-great-grandchildren; and 6 great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers were Johnny Davis Sr., Laurie Davis Jr., Sidney Davis Sr., Lee Davis, Otis Davis and Herbert Davis.
Lura E. Hearn
Colonel Lura E. Hearn, USAF (retired), 83, of Boca Raton, Fla., died Monday, Jan. 13, 2003. A memorial service will be 11 a.m., today (Wednesday, Jan. 22), at St. Andrews North in Boca Raton. Burial will be at 3 p.m., Friday, May 9, at Arlington National Cemetery. Colonel Hearn served in the U.S. Air Force for 35 years. His career highlights included participation in the occupational forces in Germany following World War II; service in the Korean conflict; and liaison to the Spanish Air Force. He was assigned to the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) for 5 years, where one of his duties was to track Santa’s trip around the world on Christmas Eve. His commands included the Early Missile Warning Station in Clear, Alaska; and the establishment and command of the 14th Aerospace Force in Denver, Colo. He was decorated with the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Medal and the Air Force Commendation Medal.
Survivors include his widow, Mary Hearn; a daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and John Macchi of Coral Springs, Fla.; a sister and brother-in-law, Freddie and William Edgar Clark of Bartow, Fla.; and six grandchildren, Patrick and Scott Thurman, Kate and Sarah Macchi and Rebecca and Jose Jarquin. Memorials may be made to Boca Helping Hands, c/o First United Methodist Church, 625 Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, Fla. 33432.
Carl T. Anderson Sr.
Carl Terril Anderson Sr., 63, of Hephzibah died Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003 at the Medical College of Georgia Hospital, Augusta. His funeral will be 11 a.m. today (Wednesday, Jan. 22), at the DeLoach-Kennedy Funeral Home Chapel in Hephzibah, with the Rev. Mike Andrews officiating. Burial will follow at Hopeful Baptist Church Cemetery on Winter Road in Burke County. Mr. Anderson, a native of Richmond County, had resided in Burke County for the last 25 years. He retired from the Burke County Board of Education where he served many years as a mechanic for the bus shop. He was a member of Southside Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Willis Anderson Sr. and Mary B. Anderson. Survivors include his widow, Honour Peggy Anderson of Hephzibah; two daughters, Carol Blackstone of Hephzibah and Mary Ann Spears of Augusta; a son, Carl T. Anderson Jr. of Hephzibah; two sisters, Edith L. Johnson of Hephzibah and Mary Wimberly of Augusta; two brothers, Arthur Wayne Anderson and John Willis Anderson Jr., both of Augusta; and five grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Pallbearers will be David “Gerald” Hutto, David Lee Anderson Jr., Reese Gaiser, Gary Rachels, Kenneth Kight and Nick Sanders.
Honorary pallbearers will be John Ed Johnson III and Willie Spears.
Elsie S. Wade
Elsie Swint Wade, 80, of the St. Clair Community, died Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 at Burke County Hospital. Graveside services were 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, at Millcreek Baptist Church Cemetery in Gibson, with the Revs. W.E. Croft and Billy Carroll officiating. Mrs. Wade was a native of Burke County, where she resided most of her life. She was a registered nurse and was previously employed with Burke County Hospital and worked for the Keysville Convalescent Center. She lived in California for 20 years and worked as the night supervisor with the Hawthorne Community Hospital and was a member of the Brushy Creek Baptist Church, where she served as their historian. She was preceded in death by her parents S.D. “Hodge” Swint and Dessie Marie Woodward Swint. Survivors include her widower, Rolla V. Wade of St. Clair Community; a son Rolla “Rocky” Wade of Kingsport, Tenn.; two sisters, Mary Swint Robinson of Augusta and Yancey Alma Swint Desmond of St. Clair Community.
Pallbearers were Chad Shivers, Malcolm Mobley, Keith Walden, Hugh Walden, Greg Coursey, Dr. B. Lamar Murray, Mark Siri and Clifford Banks.
Ollie Collins
Ollie Bell Price Collins, 89, of McBean died Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003 at Burke Medical Center in Waynesboro.Graveside services were 2 p.m., Friday, Jan. 24, at Piney Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, with the Rev. Nevil Smith officiating.
Mrs. Collins, a lifelong resident of Burke County, was a member of Piney Grove Baptist Church, where she attended Sunday School and was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by four children, Georgia Ann Collins, Floyd Minus Collins, Miriam Irene Babb and Daniel Michael Collins; and her parents, Ollie Belton Price and Hattie Roundtree Price. Survivors include her widower, Floyd Brinson Collins; a daughter, Cheryl Salemi of McBean; a son, Jerry Collins of McBean; 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.
Thomas H. Williams
Thomas Hugh Williams, 62, of Waynesboro died Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003 at his residence. His funeral was 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at McElmurray Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Chur-ch, with the Revs. Edward Blueford Sr. and James Clark officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Mr. Williams, a native of Burke County, was a retired mechanic. He was a member of McElmurray Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church where he served on the deacon board and served as assistant chief of the usher board. Survivors include a son, Thomas Craig Williams of Way-nesboro; two sisters and a bro-ther-in-law, Mary and John Hu-ghes of Mt. Vernon, N.Y. and Elouise Williams of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; three brothers and two sisters-in-law, Freddie B. and Yvonne Williams of Hephzibah, Elijay and Barbara Williams and Jackie Williams, all of Waynes-boro; and a dear friend, Merce-dine Johnson of Augusta.
Pallbearers were Jackie Daniels, Darnell Jordan, Robert Sullivan, Bennie Green, Michael Walker and Joe Harmon.
John Thomas Martin
John Thomas Martin, 64, of Waynesboro died Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003 at University Hospital in Augusta. His funeral was 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27, at First Baptist Church, Waynesboro, with Dr. G. Al Wright officiating. Burial was private at Rose Dhu Cemetery in Vidette. Mr. Martin, a native and lifelong resident of Burke County, had retired from Thermal Ceramics after 35 years of service. After retirement he served as a Burke County Baliff for the Burke County Courts. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served during the Cuban Crisis and was a Master Mason with the Way-nesboro Masonic Lodge 274 F&AM. He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Waynes-boro, where he taught Sunday School, the WBDK Class. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Wiley and Ray-mond Martin, and a sister, Edith Cannady. Survivors include his widow, Richardean Hatcher Martin of Waynesboro; a son, John Hamilton Martin of Houston, Texas; a sister, Barbara Hudson of Vidette; and a granddaughter, Sara Margaret Martin.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, Liberty Street, Waynesboro, Ga. 30830.
H.O. Blackstone
H.O. “Odell” Blackstone, 68, of Sandston, Va., died Monday, Jan. 20, 2003 in McGuires Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Va. Graveside services were 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Interment Washington Memorial Park in Richmond. Mr. Blackstone was a native of Burke County. He served in the Korean War and was a mechanic at Fulchers Station in Augusta for 10 years. He retired from South Motors of Richmond after almost 30 years and was a lifelong member of Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).
He was preceded in death by his parents, Annie and William Blackstone Sr. of Hephzibah; a son, Dennis Blackstone of Hephzibah; three brothers, William Blackstone Jr. and Lionel Blackstone, both of Hephzibah, and Ray Blackstone of Illinois; and a sister, Ellen Blackstone of Hephzibah. Survivors include his widow, Faye Blackstone of Sandston; two daughters, Debbie Black-stone of Hephzibah and Shirley Sible of Sandston; two stepchildren, Kathy White of Crimora, Va. and Robert Brittian of Sand-ston; four brothers, Olin Black-stone Sr. of Waynesboro, Loyd Blackstone of Gibson, Joseph Blackstone of Illinois and Clifford Blackstone of Texas; a sister, Donnie Bell Bolton of Gibson; and four grandchildren.Pallbearers were members of the VFW.
Geneva Hall Jenkins
Geneva Hall Jenkins, 89, of Waynesboro died Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003 at Brentwood Terrace Health Center. Her funeral was 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the Chapel of DeLoach-Kennedy Funeral Home in Waynesboro, with the Rev. Roland Dann and Joe Snipes officiating. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mrs. Jenkins was a native of Jenkins County and the daughter of Charlie B. and Lexie Peel Hall. She spent most of her life in Burke County and at the age of 79 retired as secretary/receptionist for Ann B. Harden Realty Co. A graduate of Jenkins County High School, she was a member of the Eastern Star and a former member of the First Baptist Church, where she was active in the WMU and Joy Sunday School Class. Later she became a member of the Fleming Church of God in Augusta.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Fulton Jenkins.
Survivors include two daughters, Patsy Thompson of Mc-Bean and Janice O’Quinn of Waynesboro; two sisters, Dorothy Hall Hodges of Beaufort, S.C. and Sue Hall Kicklighter of Millen; a brother, John Randall Hall of Walterboro, S.C.; five grandchildren, Lexie TenHui-sen, Ann C. Roose, Chuck Curr-ington, Kim Smith and Kelli O’Quinn; and 11 great-grandchildren. Pallbearers were Andy TenHuisen, Ronald Smith, Paul Smith, Dan Weirsma, Chuck Currington and Steven Hall.
Honorary pallbearers were John Russell, Frank Vetter, Albert Jordon, Lynn Jenkins and John Moll. Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Augusta, 1899 Central Ave., Augusta, Ga. 30904.
Hugh G. Jones Sr.
Hugh “Boots” Gordon Jones Sr., 76, died Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003 at Doctors Hospital in Augusta. His funeral will be 2 p.m. today (Wednesday, Feb. 5), at DeLoach-Kennedy Funeral Home Chapel in Waynesboro, with the Rev. Roy White officiating. Burial will follow at Burke Memorial Gardens with full military honors accorded.
Mr. Jones, a native of Dekalb County, had resided in Hephzibah since 1974. He was a retired Gunnery Sgt. for 20 years serving in World War II, Korean War and Vietnam. He also retired from the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta after 21 years. He was a member of the Crossroads Baptist Church, the Waynesboro Masonic Lodge #274 and a former member of the Burke County Sheriff’s Posse.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Fred G. Jones and Mary Elizabeth Webb Jones, seven brothers and two sisters. Survivors include his widow, Della M. Jones of Hephzibah; four sons, Hugh Gordon Jones Jr. of Harlem; David Paul Jones of Grovetown, George Ronald Beckworth of Dearing and Kenneth Wesley Jones of Wrens; a daughter, Sandra Dean Boone of Hephzibah; two brothers, Hilliard Jones of Rock Hill and Ned Jones of Conyers; and 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be members of the Masonic Lodge #274.
Memorials may be made to the Scottish Rite Children’s Medical Center, 1001 Johnson Ferry Road, NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30342.
James Bennefield Sr.
James Bennefield Sr. of Waynesboro died Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2003 at Burke Medical Center. His funeral was 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2, at Phillip Grove Missionary Baptist Church, with the Rev. Eugene Tanzymore and the Rev. Dr. Walter J. Crockett, pastor emeritus, officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Bennefield, a native of Burke County, was a retired truck driver at Mundy, Inc. He was a member of Phillip Grove Missionary Baptist Church, where he served as deacon assistant chairman of the Deacon’s Ministry and as church treasurer.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lillie Mae and Steve Bennefield.
Survivors include his widow, Helen Bennefield of Waynes-boro; two sons, Willie Benne-field of Irvington, N.J. and James Bennefield of Hillside, N.J.; five daughters, Mildred Matthews of Hillside and Doris Spence, Janie Brime and Lillian Bennefield, all of Manhattan, N.Y. and the Rev. Ella Thomas of Waynesboro; a sister, Annie Kent of Waynesboro; two sisters-in-law, Pearl Ellison and Lillie Mae Parker, both of Waynesboro; two sons-in-law, Aaron Thomas of Waynesboro and Earl Spence of Manhattan; a brother-in-law, John Parker of Waynesboro; Dexter Bennefield and Cassandra Spence, whom he reared; and 11 grandchildren and over 20 great-grandchildren. Pallbearers were George Lloyd, Michael Davis, Willie Mack, Willie Lockhart, Julius Lewis, Andrew Clay and Louia Sapp.
Honorary pallbearers were deacons and trustees of Phillip Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Flower bearers were the Phillip Grove Missionary Baptist Church ushers, Mother’s Ministry and the Burke County Youth Council.
Robert D. Shuman
Robert Daniel Shuman, 86, died Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003.
Graveside services were 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at Burke Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Waynesboro, with the Revs. David Carter and Henry Erwin officiating.
Mr. Shuman, a native of Vidalia, grew up in Statesboro. He was the son of the late John Jarvin and Mary Alice Stewart Shuman, In January of 1940, he saw a need to stop Hitler and went to Canada to train as a Royal Canadian Air Force fighter pilot. He participated in the Battle of Britain at its height when the average life expectancy of a fighter pilot was two weeks, and all that stood between Hitler and the free world were 59 squadrons of the RCAF and RAF. Churchill made reference to these valiant men when he said, “Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed to so few.”
When the war was moved to the European continent he was shot down over France while on a mission to support Allied commandos behind the German lines. He spent 3½ years in German POW camps. While imprisoned he lived next door to Paul Brickhill who wrote The Great Escape that later became the movie starring Steve McQueen. Mr. Shuman is featured in a video at the American POW Museum in Andersonville, Ga.
After the war he met and married Carolyn Mundy Shuman, moving to her hometown of Waynesboro where he became a merchant and a farmer. He lived and worked in Waynesboro for the next 58 years where he founded Mundy-Shuman Furniture Company. He was active in the First Baptist and First Methodist churches of Waynesboro and established four college scholarships for those interested in entering the full-time Christian ministry. He was an active Rotarian for over 50 years and was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow for his service to his country in the RCAF and his service to Rotary.
Survivors include his widow, Carolyn Mundy Shuman; a son, Robert Daniel Shuman Jr. of Dublin; two brothers, the Rev. L.J. Shuman of Kingstree, S.C. and Albert Shuman of States-boro; a sister, Mary Dell Trap-nell of Dallas, Texas; and four grandchildren, Sarah Harper of Milledgeville, Katherine Shuman and Robert Daniel Shuman III, both of Dublin, and Elizabeth Shuman of Atlanta. Pallbearers were L.J. Shuman, Albert Shuman, Rob Shuman, Dave Harper, Bobby Edmonds, Bobby Neely, Lamar Murray, Steve Crawford, Dennis Taylor and Bo Cochran. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Waynesboro Rotary Club. Memorial contributions may be made to Habitat For Humanity or WINGS of Dublin-Laurens County.
