Obituaries for Monday, Jan. 1, 2007

Published 5:32 pm Sunday, December 31, 2006

Sparks

Oteen Bennett



Valdosta

James L. ‘J-Bird’ Westberry

Roberta C. (Bobbie) Walker



SPARKS

Oteen Bennett

Mrs. Oteen Bennett, 77, passed away Saturday, Dec. 30, 2006, at Tift Health Care Nursing Home in Tifton after a long illness. Born July 11,1929, in Sparks, she was the daughter of the late William Wesley and Gatsy Louise Pritchard Moore. Living most of her life in Cook County, she was a homemaker of Holiness faith. She was preceded in death by husband, Melton Lee Bennett; son, Lee Vernon Bennett; two grandsons and one great grandson.

Survivors include sons and daughters-in-law, Nolan and Brenda Bennett of Sparks and William and Sue Bennett of Lakeland; daughters and sons-in-law, Louise and Charles Baker of Tifton, Wanda Harper of Sparks, Bunny and Gene Baker of West Berrien Community, Gloria and Jimmy Kilpatrick of Chula, Lola and Dale Hancock of West Berrien Community and Lavonia and Dave Scott of Waycross; 25 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, at West Central Avenue Church of God in Lenox with the Rev. Gordon Statun and the Rev. Dean McKinney officiating. Interment will be at Oaky Grove Church of God and visitation will be tonight from 6-9 p.m. at Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home, Hwy. 41 S. — Boone Lipsey Funeral Home.



VALDOSTA

James L. ‘J-Bird’ Westberry

James L. “J-Bird” Westberry, 86, of Valdosta passed away Saturday, December 30, 2006, after a lengthy illness. He was born on September 30, 1920 in Moultrie, Georgia to the late Owen and Nona (Coleman) Westberry. He was a cement mason, a member of Westside Baptist Church and the American Bowling Conference. Mr. Westberry served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II. He was an ever loving husband, father, and grandfather. He spent his free time fishing, bowling or playing golf. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Lucille Westberry and Eunice Touchton, and brother, Owen Westberry.

Survivors include ever loving wife of 59 years, Frances Westberry of Valdosta; three sons and daughters-in-law, Gary and Beth Westberry of Adel, Greg and Judy Westberry of Naylor and Dave Westberry and Fiancee Laura Harlow of Miami, Fla.; a number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews; brother and sisters-in-law, Ray and Faye Westberry of Valdosta; devoted pet, Angel; three brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Michael and Jane Heller of Columbus, Ohio, Robert and Diane Heller of Bradenton, Fla. and John Heller of Columbus, Ohio.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007, in the Westside Baptist Church with burial following in the Morrison Cemetery in Morven. Mr. Westberry will lie in state one hour prior to service. Family will receive friends tonight (Jan. 1, 2007) from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Sympathy may be expressed to the family online at www.musicfuneralserices.com. — Music Funeral Services of Valdosta.



Valdosta

Roberta C.

(Bobbie) Walker

Roberta C. (Bobbie) Walker, 85 of Valdosta, died on Sunday, December 31, 2006 at her residence following a lengthy illness. She was born in Atlanta on March 1, 1921 to the late James Robert and Julia Walker. Ms. Walker spent most of her life in Georgia, except for a few years in South Carolina when she was a young girl. She worked for over 40 years and then retired from Ft. McPherson as a civil servant. Ms. Walker moved to Valdosta in October of 2005 to live with her niece and receive medical care. She enjoyed life, she loved people and always sought to put others before herself and was young at heart. She adored her family and enjoyed other activities like reading the Atlanta papers, books, taking trips, playing cards, Bingo, and watching the Atlanta Braves. She was a former member of the Georgia Beta Club and the Spanish American War Ladies Auxiliary.

She is survived by her Niece, Pat Scoby and her husband Warren of Valdosta; great niece, Tisha Scoby of Atlanta; great nephew, Richard (Kristen) Scoby of Midlothian, VA; and a great-great niece and nephew, Drew and Brooklyn Scoby. She is preceded in death by a brother, Julian R. Walker, Sr. and a nephew, Julian R. Walker, Jr.

Funeral services will be held in Valdosta at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, January 5, 2007 in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home. Father John O’Brien will officiate. The family will receive friends before the service on Tuesday from 2 p.m. until service time. A visitation and a graveside funeral will be held in Atlanta on Wednesday, January 6, 2007. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home 760 Pollard Boulevard, SW Atlanta, Georgia 30315, or The Pearlman Cancer Center at South Georgia Medical Center, 2501 N. Patterson St. Valdosta, GA 31602. Condolences may be conveyed to the family on the obituary page of www.mclanefuneralservics.

com. — Carson McLane Funeral Home