Georgia, U.S., Marriage Records From Select Counties, 1828-1978
Lester (J.) Spires Jr.
Services for Lester (J.) Spires Jr. of Helena were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, in the chapel of Lowe’s Funeral Home with interment in Helena City Cemetery.
Eddie Selph, Hal Chandler, and Clyde Joiner officiated.
Spires, 73, died Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2003. A native of Leon County, Fla., he had resided in Helena most of his life and was the son of the late Lester (Pap) Spires Sr. and Essie Belle Hulett Spires. He was owner and operator of S & S Welding and Machine Shop and owner of Helena Package Store, he was retired. He was also a member of Helena City Council for 16 years and served in the United States Marine Corps for 10 years and was a decorated veteran of the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife, Hilda Spires of Helena; children, Lester (Jim) Spires, Richard (Rick) Spires, Bonnell Kaiser, all of Helena, and Jonathan Spires of McRae; sisters, Hazel Varnadore of Allendale, Fla., Virginia Ashley of Holly Hill, Fla., Nellie Kate Peacock of Cochran, and Linda Sue Strickland of Hazlehurst; 10 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Bobbie Stanton
Bobbie Stanton, 57, of Eastman, died Monday, Jan. 6, 2003.
Survivors include her children, Roy Willis, Karen Dixon, both of Eastman, Donna Williams of Atlanta, Debra Williams of Helena, Keith Yawn of Cochran, and Kevin Yawn of Milan; and brother, Arthur Powell of McRae.
Lowe’s Funeral Home of Helena was in charge of arrangements.
Fostell Cook Studstill
Services for Fostell Cook Studstill of Warner Robins were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11 in Southerland Funeral Chapel with interment in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Rhine.
The Rev. Carl Cranford officiated.
Studstill, 84, died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003, in Ridge Health Care Home in Cartersville. A native of Telfair County, she was the daughter of the late Ray Vaughn and Susan Brown Cook and widow of Earl Studstill. She was a member of Old Daniel Baptist Church, and a retired Civil Service employee of Warner Robins Air Force Base.
Survivors include her sisters, Audrey Studstill of Eastman and Barbara Thornton of Ellijay; brothers, L.V. Cook of Columbus, Hugh Cook of Byron and Buford Cook of Rhine; and four nieces and three nephews.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman was in charge of arrangements.
Allene W. Walker
Services for Allene W. Walker of Milan were held at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, in Sand Grove Baptist Church with interment in the church cemetery.
The Rev. Donald Whitman, Rev. Hal Dickman, and Bobby Joe Ryals officiated.
Walker, 88, died Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003 at her residence. She was a lifelong resident of Dodge County, the daughter of the late Eddie Walker and Effie McLeod Walker and widow of A.L. (Buddy) Walker. She was a member of Sand Grove Baptist Church, a graduate of Georgia Southern University, where she received a B.S. in education, and was a retired school teacher with the Dodge County School System with 30 years of service.
Survivors include her daughter, Diane W. Sumner of Americus; son, Larry S. Walker of Milan; sisters, Clara Walker and Javene Watkins, both of Milan; brother, Thomas Walker of Milan; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorials can be sent to Sand Grove Baptist Church Building Fund, c/o Mike Watkins, 21 Watkins Lane, Milan, Ga. 31060.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman was in charge of arrangements.
Sandra Reaves Wilkes
Services for Sandra Reaves Wilkes of McRae were held at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan 3, at McRae First Baptist Church with interment in Oakgrove Cemetery.
Dr. William Connell, the Rev. Dahl McDermott, the Rev. Jack Nelson and Donnie Swanson officiated.
Wilkes, 62, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003. A native of Dodge County, she was the daughter of the late Fred C. and Ophelia Kirkus Reaves. A member of the Woodmen of the World Lodge #688 in McRae, Wilkes was a homemaker; a member of the McRae First Baptist Church, the American Red Cross Pink Ladies and Woodmen youth program volunteer.
Survivors include her husband, Arthur Wilkes of McRae; son, John Wilkes of Douglas; daughters, Julie Joiner and Suzy Floyd, both of McRae; brothers, Keith Reaves of Brunswick and Paul Reaves of Milan and six grandchildren.
Vaughn Funeral Home of McRae was in charge of arrangements.
Herman Luther Williams
Graveside services for Herman Luther Williams of Orlando, Fla., were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Blockhouse Church Cemetery in Jacksonville, Ga.
Williams, 82, died Sunday, Jan. 5, 2003. A native of Telfair County, he was the son of the late Joseph David and Effie Pearl Williams. He was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II and was self-employed in retail sales.
Survivors include his wife, Marjorie W. Williams of Orlando, Fla.; son, Bruce Williams of Orlando, Fla.; sisters, Marjorie Nell Harrell and Hazel Wilcox, both of Jacksonville, Ga., and Runette Broome of Albany.
Juanita L. Brown
Graveside services for Juanita L. Brown were held at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, in Brown Cemetery in Chauncey.
The Rev. Curtis Wells officiated.
Brown, 81, of Chauncey died Sunday, Dec. 29, 2002, in the Medical Center of Middle Georgia. A native of Muskogee, Okla., she had lived in Dodge County for many years. She was the daughter of the late George C. Doss and Lula Blanche Hollenbeck and the widow of George Felton Brown.
Brown was a member of El Bethel Baptist Church, a hairdresser and licensed practical nurse.
Survivors include her daughters, Edna Jean Cox of Nashville, Tenn. and Jackie Fortier of Antioch, Calif.; 12 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to El Bethel Baptist Church c/o Melvin Cooper, 544 Kirkley Road, Milan, Ga. 31060.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman was in charge of arrangements.
Doris Grimes
Services for Doris Grimes of McRae were held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2, at Corinth CME Church of McRae with interment in Oak Grove Cemetery.
The Rev. Robert L. Yarborough Sr. officiated.
Grimes, 75, died Sunday, Dec. 29, 2002 in Brunswick. A native of Telfair County, she was the daughter of the late Allen Richardson and Margie McMillian Richardson. She retired from the Telfair County School System.
Survivors include her husband, G.W. Grimes of McRae; daughters, Ruby Hartrentz Grimes of McRae, Lajuana G. Colvin of Brunswick and Brenda G. Kennedy of McDonough; son, Dr. George W. Grimes of Milledgeville; sisters, Thelma Studstill and Mattie Myles, both of McRae; five grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
A.L. Spaulding Funeral Home of McRae was in charge of arrangements.
Jewell Hall
Services for Jewell Hall of Alamo were held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, in Snowhill Baptist Church with interment in the church cemetery.
The Rev. Charles Reddish and the Rev. John Brigmond officiated.
Hall, 78, died Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 at the Telfair Regional Hospital. She was a native of Dodge County and had resided in Jacksonville, Fla. and Alamo for most of her life.
Survivors include her husband, W.H. Hall of Jacksonville, Fla.; sons, Henry D. Hall of Jacksonville, Fla., and Holland Reynolds of Hazlehurst; brothers, Lowell Graham of Alamo, Edward Graham of Jacksonville, Fla., and Alldon Graham of Savannah; sisters, Hettie Lou Stevenson of Alamo, and Mettie White of Glenwood; six grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Towns Funeral Home of Alamo was in charge of arrangements.
Gussie Maude Hilliard
Services for Gussie Maude Hilliard of Eastman were held at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, in St. Paul Holiness Church with interment in Friendship Baptist Church Cemetery in Telfair County.
The Rev. Jesse Bowen officiated.
Hilliard, 87, died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, in Glendale Nursing Home in Wadley. A native of Telfair County, she was the daughter of the late Barry Frank Padgett and Mattie Bell Davis Padgett and the widow of Allen C. Bowen and Seab Hilliard. She was preceded in death by a son, William Bowen. A member of Friendship Baptist Church and a homemaker, she lived in Dodge County most of her life.
Survivors include her husband, Rudolph Hilliard; daughters, Lutrelle Hinson and Vaunelle Floyd; sons, Allen Jurell Bowen, George Bowen, Robert Lee Hilliard, Ronald Hilliard and Larry Hilliard; foster daughter, Bonnie Cowart; foster son, Edward Pittman; brothers, Clarence Padgett and C.J. Padgett; 29 grandchildren, 55 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home of Eastman was in charge of arrangements.
Bernadine Varnadoe Laws
Services for Bernadine Varnadoe Laws of Lumber City were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, at the First United Methodist Church in Lumber City with interment in the Riverside Cemetery in Lumber City.
The Rev. James Boyd, Rev. Claud Cook and the Rev. James Hancock officiated.
Laws, 82, died Friday, Jan. 3, 2003 in the Jeff Davis Hospital. A native of Telfair County, she was the daughter of the late John Monroe Varnadoe and Florence Brewer Varnadoe and the widow of George Laws. She was a retired nurse and a member of the First United Church in Lumber City.
Survivors include two uncles, Morris Brewer of Lumber City and Hughey Brewer of Bonaire; one niece and several great-nephews and cousins.
Miles Funeral Home of Hazlehurst was in charge of arrangements.
