for Jan. 16, 2003



Austin Lamar Avera

QUITMAN — Austin Lamar Avera, 86, of Quitman, died on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003, at the Brooks County Hospital. He was born on March 14, 1916, to the late Reason J. and Queen Victoria Mathis Avera in Berrien County. Mr. Avera was a farmer, an exterminator and a member of Northside Baptist Church in Quitman.

Mr. Avera is survived by his wife, Ada Olivia Priest; his children, Betty Carol Johnston (Curt), Kerryville, Texas; Laverne A. Barrow (Olin), Bonaire; R. John Avera (Sue), Curtis Avera (Mandy), all of Valdosta; Victoria Avera Cox (Frank), Omega; 17 grandchildren; and 26 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two sons, Austin L. Avera Jr. and Tommy Malloy Avera.

Funeral services for Mr. Avera will be held at 1 p.m. today at the Northside Baptist Church in Quitman with the Rev. John E. Cone and the Rev. Ben Damico officiating. Mr. Avera will lie in state at the church from 12:30 p.m. today until service time. The family received friends Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at the Carson McLane Funeral Home. Donations may be made to the Northside Baptist Church of Quitman or to The Gideons in memory of Mr. Avera. — Carson McLane Funeral Home



Marlene Bragg

SWAINSBORO — Marlene Bragg, 67, died Tuesday at the Emanuel Medical Center in Swainsboro. The Screven County native was a member of Antioch Christian Church.

Miss Bragg is survived by four sisters, Betty B. Lee, Dorothe B. Deal, Jackie B. Hill and Althea B. Davison, all of Sylvania; two brothers, Wilbur Bragg of Valdosta and Carlos Bragg of Sylvania; aunt, Madeline Dunaway of Rincon; uncle, Brantley Bragg of Twin City; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services for Miss Bragg will be at 2 p.m. today at Antioch Christian Church with the Rev. Billy Bennett and Emory Alloways officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Wilbur Bragg II, James Bragg, Stephen Bragg, David Bragg, Ted Lee, Ray Lovett, Dwayne Deal, Dale Deal and Marty Bragg. Deacons of Antioch Christian Church will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Visitation was from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.

In remembrances may be made to Antioch Christian Church c/o Brenda Durrence, 1661 Winchester Road, Sylvania, GA 30467 or American Cancer Society c/o Teresa Harley, 210 Sylvan Circle, Sylvania, GA 30467. — Thompson Strickland Waters Funeral Home, Sylvania



William Turner ‘Dub’ Cooper

MOULTRIE — William Turner “Dub” Cooper, 89, of Moultrie, died on Jan. 14, 2003, at John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital, Thomasville.

He was born on Oct. 3, 1913, in Colquitt County to the late William Frank and Nancy Eliza Sapp Cooper. He was a residential construction builder, U.S. Army WWII veteran and was a member of First Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Betty Lee Pierce Cooper of Moultrie; son, William Turner Cooper Jr. of Albany; two daughters, Liza Lee Cooper Newson of Lake Park and Debra Jo Cooper Evans of Cochran; five grandchildren, Christina Louise Cooper Vallier, Robert Thomas Cooper, Rachel Leigh Cooper, Jed Carlton Evans, Laura Elizabeth Evans; four great-grandchildren, Carolyn Michelle Vallier, Hillary Kay Hawkins, Cade William Cooper, Parker Riley DePaola.

Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, at Cobb Funeral Chapel in Moultrie with Dr. Jerry Mahan, the Rev. Roger Benton and the Rev. Sam Stephens officiating. Burial will be in Big Creek Cemetery. Casketbearers will be Click Peters, Floyd Peters, Ray Pierce, Scott Pierce, Chuck Hinson and Harry Hinson. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at Cobb Funeral Chapel, Moultrie.

Dub Cooper spent more than 89 years of life entertaining family and friends with his quick wit and unusual sense of humor. Dub never let the truth stand in the way of a good story, and the tales he spun captivated and sometimes embarrassed his audience. He was also a gifted writer, and the postcards he wrote were collected and treasured by those who received them.

Dub Cooper loved kids, the smaller the better, and his wife and family secretly feared he’d someday be arrested for b





ugging or kissing some stranger’s baby while he waited for his beautiful blond bombshell wife to finish shopping. “Daddy loves all things what’s little,” his baby daughter once explained.

Dub Cooper was a builder by profession, and houses he built are spread all across South Georgia and north Florida. He thought everybody should have a house, and he often worked out arrangements so members of his crew could build and live in a home of their own. He’d build a home, move into it, and sell it out from under his family. “Your sweet mama,” he’d tell his children, “is the only bride in Georgia who’s had more new houses than new dresses since she got married.”

Dub Cooper was a great adventurer. He traveled with his wife Betty, her brother Carroll and Carroll’s wife Sylvia by car all over North America from Canada and Alaska to Mexico, and he visited Japan and Singapore when in his 70s. Dub was notorious for leaving his fellow travelers and getting lost. On a trip to see a Georgia Bulldog football game with the Moultrie First Baptist Church KeenAgers, Dub wandered off during the game, ended up at a bus station on the verge of buying a ticket home, when he called Sam Stephens in Moultrie. Sam called the Athens Police, who took Dub back to his tour bus where everybody was waiting less than patiently for him. Dub said that was an uncomfortably, quiet trip back to Moultrie.

Dub once decided to take a stroll while visiting his son in Japan. He could see water in the distance below the hill where they lived, and he set off to find it. He reached the water easily enough; but when he tried to retrace his steps back home, he was chased out of the Shinto Cemetery he’d cut across on his trip down the hill and lost his bearings. Since all signs were in Japanese not being able to speak the language, Dub wandered about for several hours before walking up to a cab and handing over his son’s business card and all his Japanese money. The cabbie dropped him off at the Naval Base about 10 hours after his exploration began.

Dub Cooper loved his family and friends, and he enjoyed his life to the fullest. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the donors’ local libraries. — Cobb Funeral Chapel, Moultrie



Mike G. Phelps

LAKE PARK — Mike G. Phelps, 45, of Lake Park, died on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center after a sudden illness. Mr. Phelps was born on Dec. 9, 1957, in Valdosta to Donald Plenn and Pauline Courson Phelps of Lake Park. Mr. Phelps was employed with PCA and was of the Baptist faith.

Mr. Phelps is survived by his wife, Karla Pittman Phelps; daughter, Kasey Phelps; his parents, all of Lake Park; brother, Ronald Phelps and his fiance, Barbara Brown, Valdosta; sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and Edward Cannington, Valdosta; sister and brother-in-law, Beverly and Larry May; brother and sister-in-law, Dan and JoAnna Phelps; mother and father-in-law, Dot and Bo Pittman, all of Lake Park; brother-in-law, Randy Pittman, Valdosta; special cousins, Becky Downing and Megan Ray, Lake Park; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and good friends. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Jimmy Phelps, Tim Phelps and Melvin Phelps. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 17 at the McLane Lakewood Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Michael P. Lyons and the Rev. Tom Ray Kelley officiating. Mr. Phelps will be cremated according to his wishes. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at the family’s residence, 5500 Loch Laurel Road, Lake Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Mike G. Phelps to the American Heart Association, the Lake Park United Methodist Church Building Fund or to the charity of your choice. — McLane Lakewood Funeral Home



Norwood Owens Stewart

VALDOSTA — Norwood Owens Stewart, 74, of Valdosta, died on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center after a lengthy battle of end stage renal disease.

Born in Ochlocknee in Thomas County to the late Ulysses Coleman and Ulabee Owens Stewart, he was a retired agricultural business

owner and farmer. Mr. Stewart was a graduate of the University of Georgia, an Agriculture Businessman of the Year award winner, a recipient of the Thomasville, Thomas County Sports Hall of Fame Award, a veteran of the Korean Conflict and was of the Methodist faith.

Survivors include his wife, Gladys Green Stewart of Valdosta; two daughters, Lisa Parham of Atlanta and Tanya Stewart of Valdosta; two sons and daughters-in-law, Steve and Grace Stewart of Valdosta, Bryan and Angela Stewart of McDonough; two grandsons, Dade and Nicholas Parham of Atlanta; six brothers, Alvin Sarah Stewart and Rudene and Marie Stewart, all of Pelham, J.L. Stewart of Swainsboro, Donald and Betty Jean Stewart of Headland, Ala., Charles Stewart and Cecil and Faye Stewart, all of Ochlocknee; one sister, Madeline Alred of Moultrie. Mr. Stewart was preceded in death by three sisters, Lois Shiver, Kathleen Sterling and Ruth Sheffield, and one brother, James Stewart. Services for Norwood Stewart will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Jan. 17 in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home with the Rev. Doug Veal officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Norwood Stewart to the American Kidney Fund, 6110 Executive Blvd., Suite 110, Rockville MD 20852. — Carson McLane Funeral Home



George Walton Webb

JASPER, Fla. — George Walton Webb, 76, of Jasper, died on Tuesday at his residence. Mr. Webb was a lifelong resident of Hamilton County where he retired as building inspector. He served during WWII in the U.S. Navy. Survivors include his wife, Lois M. Webb of Jasper; two sons, Don Webb of Hahira and Walton Webb of Lakeland, Fla.; one sister, Elizabeth Johnson of Jennings, Fla.; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Webb was preceded in death by two sons, Louis Webb and Sam Webb. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003, in the chapel of Harry T. Reid Funeral Home with burial in the Hebron Cemetery of Jasper. The Rev. Wendell Hill will officiate. Visitation with the family will be from 5-7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. — Harry T. Reid Funeral Home



Lucille Adams, 81, Valdosta, passed this life on Jan. 12, 2003, at the Holly Hill Nursing Home. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in Sunset Hill Cemetery. Minister Lewis Butler will officiate. — Harrington Funeral Home



Funeral services for Jennie Demps will be held Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, at Mt. Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Quitman with the Rev. R. Medlock officiating. Burial will follow in the North End Cemetery in Quitman. — Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home of Quitman



Mary Graves, 80, originally of Dixie, passed away in Shreveport, La., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time but will be announced later by Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home of Quitman.



Howard Lamar Jenkins, 52, Valdosta, died Jan. 11, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center. Funeral services will be held at noon, Friday, Jan. 17 at St. James Baptist Church with the Rev. T.J. Haynes, pastor, and Pastor David Moore officiating. Burial will be in Macedonia Baptist Church in Morven. — Stevens Funeral Home, Valdosta



Thelma Lane, 70, of Statenville, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, at Heritage House Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18 in the Valdosta Chapel of Music Funeral Services with burial following in Sunset Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the funeral home. — Music Funeral Services of Valdosta



Lonnie James Mathis, 85, of Naylor, died on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, at his residence. Services for Mr. Mathis will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18 at Pleasant Way Baptist Church with the Rev. Bill Watson officiating. Burial will follow in Antioch Baptist Cemetery in Cordele. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Friday at the Carson McLane Funeral Home. — Carson McLane Funeral Home



Sueellen Strong, 60, of Valdosta, died Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2003, at

South Georgia Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced by Carson McLane Funeral Home.