Obituaries
Published 9:29 pm Monday, December 5, 2005
for Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Grady L. Barr
LAKE PARK — Grady L. Barr, 89, Lake Park, died on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center after a lengthy illness. He was born on June 26, 1913, to the late James and Maudie Avant Barr in Midland City, Ala., and had lived in this area 48 years. Mr. Barr was a farmer and had served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was also a member of the First Baptist Church of Lake Park.
Mr. Barr is survived by his wife, Gloria Phillips Barr of Lake Park; a daughter, Barbara Johnson; a son, Kenny Barr; and a granddaughter, Andrea Johnson, all of Lake Park; niece and her spouse, Ida and A.G. Proctor, Ocala, Fla.; and a nephew, Jeff Williams of Tampa, Fla.
Services for Mr. Barr will be held at 2 p.m., today, March 18 in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral Home with the Rev. Austin Deloach of First Baptist Church of Lake Park officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 p.m. until service time at the funeral home. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
Nell Mathis
NASHVILLE — Nell Mathis, 85, of Nashville, died on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at Berrien Nursing Center.
She was born on Dec. 9, 1917, in Berrien County to Lowell Dawson and Nelsie Pickard Abell. She was a homemaker and member of Vickers Church.
She was the widow of the Rev. Marvin Mathis, who died in 1998.
Mrs. Mathis is survived by three sons, Dawson Mathis of Washington, D.C., and Nashville, Ronnie Mathis, Fairfax, Va., Ricky Mathis, Pembroke, N.C.; 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; three sisters, Mattie Robinson, Lakeland, Fla., Ruth Phagan, Van Buren, Ark., Ann Mayfield, Keystone Heights, Fla.; three brothers, Julian Abell, Enigma, Lonnie Abell, Valdosta, Paul Abell, Nokomis, Fla.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2003, at Vickers Church with the Rev. Ronnie Lawson officiating. Burial will be in Westview Cemetery. Visitation will be held after 5 p.m. today with the family receiving friends from 6-9 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to Hospice of Tiftarea or Hospice of South Georgia. — Lovein Funeral Home, Nashville, a member by invitation of Selected Independent Funeral Homes
Robert F. Morrell
VALDOSTA– Robert F. Morrell, 65, of Valdosta, died Monday, March 17, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center. He was born Feb. 17, 1938, in Darlington, S.C. Mr. Morrell became the managing editor of the Tifton Gazette in 1966 and served until 1982 and then served as publisher from 1982 to 1986 and then publisher of the Valdosta Daily Times from 1986 to 1993. He became Business Services manager and later became vice president of Thomson Newspapers Inc., Southern Division, and from 1996 until 1998, he was the publisher of The Valdosta Daily Times. Mr. Morrell was an Eagle Scout, a veteran of the United States Marine Corp, and a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of South Carolina. He was a member of the Associated Press News Council, on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Press Association. Both newspapers received the General Excellence Award under his management. He was a member of the Rotary Club in both Valdosta and Tifton, on the Board of Directors of the Chambers of Commerce for both Tifton and Valdosta, on the Library Board for Tifton/Tift County and served as the chairman of the Building Committee for the Library Expansion in Tifton. He also served on the Boards of Directors of the Red Cross and the United Way in both Tifton and Valdosta. Mr. Morrell was of the Methodist faith.
Mr. Morrell is survived by his wife, Betty Morrell of Valdosta; his sons and daughters-in-law, Jeff and Norma Morrell of Dalzell, S.C., Jimmy Morrell of White, Ga., and Rob and Suzan Morrell of Lake Park; his mother, Dorothy Morrell of Columbia, S.C.; a granddaughter and a great-daughter and his parents-in-law, Bill and Louise Pilcher of Tifton. He was preceded in death by his father, Fuller Morrell.
Funeral services for Mr. Morrell will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home with Dr. Charles Adams officiating. The graveside committal will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Tifton. The family will receive friends Wednesday before the service from 10-11 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to your favorite charity or to the First United Methodist Church. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
Ira F. Pittman
VALDOSTA– Ira F. Pittman, 85, of Valdosta, died on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at his residence after a lengthy illness. He was born on Jan. 9, 1918, in Berrien County to the late Leon and Callie Eunice Pittman. Mr. Pittman served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World World II and retired from Levi Strauss after 28 years of employment. He was also a member of the Forrest Park Church of Christ.
Mr. Pittman is survived by his wife, Bertha Deloach Pittman, Valdosta; a son and daughter-in-law, John L. and Lana Pittman of Orlando, Fla.; a daughter and son-in-law, Faye and Larry Black of Valdosta; a daughter-in-law, Rhonda Pittman of Valdosta; a son and daughter-in-law, Ben and Cyndie Pittman of Manassas, Va.; a daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Dave Donald of St. Petersburg, Fla.; 10 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and a sister, Geneva Thompkins of Moultrie. He was preceded in death by a son, Thomas B. “Tommy” Pittman.
The services for Mr. Pittman will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2003, in the chapel of the Carson McLane Funeral Home with Jason Roberts, Terry Broome and Ray Joyner officiating. Burial will follow in McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at Carson McLane Funeral Home. — Carson McLane Funeral Home
David Wendell ‘Slim’ Vest
HOMERVILLE — David Wendell “Slim” Vest, 58, of Homerville, passed away early Monday morning at his residence, following a lengthy illness.
A native of Hartsville, Ala., he had lived in Clinch County since 1977. He owned and operated Vest Trucking Company and was a member of Rock Spring Baptist Church of Hartsville, Ala. He attended Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He was the son of the late William Herman Vest and Ruby E. Wallace Vest.
Survivors are his wife, Johnnie Faye Roe Vest, Homerville; two daughters, Detra Smith of Moulton, Ala., and Deresha Harris of Morgan City, Ala.; one son, David Jeremy Vest of Morgan City, Ala.; six sisters, Jean Hensley, Moulton, Ala., Alyine Keenum, Trinity, Ala., Dorothy Smith, Decatur Ala., Peggy Appleton, Hartsville, Ala., Patsy Ritterhouse, Lee Port, Texas and Sandra Rhoden, Hartsville, Ala.; two brothers, William C. “Bill” Vest, Homerville, and James Malcolm “Mac” Vest, Hartsville, Ala.; five grandchildren; several nieces and nephews and other relatives.
Funeral services for Mr. Vest will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2003, at the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. Burial will be in North Cemetery near DuPont.
Mr. Vest will remain at the funeral home where the family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. today with visitation after 4 p.m. Mr. Vest will be carried to the church one hour prior to the services. — Roundtree Funeral Home, Homerville
Ruth Redding Barker
Ruth Redding Barker, 90, Miller, formerly of Quitman, died Monday, March 17, 2003, after a lengthy illness. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Thursday, March 20, 2003, on the old side of Oak Hill Cemetery. — Maxwell-Miller Funeral Home, Quitman
Ben Brooks
Ben Brooks, 83, Quitman, passed away Monday, March 17, 2003, at the Presbyterian Nursing Home, Quitman. Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by Washington Funeral Home, Quitman.
Eddie Mae Johnson
Funeral service for Eddie Mae Johnson will be held at 1 p.m., Wednesday, March 19 at Payton AME Church on Jumping Gulley Road. The Rev. Clement Choice, pastor, will officiate. Burial will follow in Payton AME Church Cemetery. — Stevens Funeral Home, Valdosta
Billy Simmons
Billy Simmons, 63, Adel, died March 17, 2003, at Memorial Convalescent Center of Adel after a short illness. Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 19 in the chapel of Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home. Burial will be in Eastern Cemetery in Jeffersonville, Ind., at a later date. — Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home, Adel
Roosevelt Stewart
Roosevelt Stewart, 62, Valdosta, passed this life on March 14, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, March 19, 2003, at the Harrington Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Booker T. Jenkins will officiate and burial will follow in Sunset Hill Cemetery. — Harrington Funeral Home
Joann W. Tillman
Joann W. Tillman, 68, Adel, passed away Monday, March 17, 2003, at Adel Convalescent Center following a lengthy illness. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. — Purvis Funeral Home, Adel