for Tues., Feb. 25, 2003



Christopher Byron ”Chris’ Mathis

NASHVILLE — Christopher Byron “Chris” Mathis, 34, Warner Robins, died Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, in Bibb County from injuries sustained in an auto accident.

Born July 16, 1968, in Berrien County to Virgil Mathis and Mary Sutton Mathis, he was a sheet metal fabricator with Timco Corp. and a former member of the Georgia National Guard.

Survivors are two daughters, Ashley Mathis, Nashville, and De-Iah Mathis, Mechanicsburg, Ohio; father and mother, Virgil and Mary Mathis, Nashville; a sister, Elissa Griffis, Nashville; grandmother, Ada Beauchamp, Nashville; and grandfather, L.G. Sutton, Nashville.

Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the chapel of Lovein Funeral Home with the Rev. Junior Swain and Rev. Warner Guthrie officiating. Burial will be in Poplar Springs Cemetery. Visitation is from 7-9 p.m. today at Lovein Funeral Home. — Lovein Funeral Home, a member by invitation of Selected Independent Funeral Homes



George R. McKinnon

HINESVILLE — George R. McKinnon, 72, died Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003, at Liberty Regional Medical Center after a short illness.

He was a native of Nashville and lived the past 44 years in Hinesville. He retired as a CWO-3 from the U.S. Army after 20 years of service. He was the owner of George’s Air Conditioning and Heating in Hinesville. He was a member of Nashville Masonic Lodge.

Survivors are son James McKinnon of Hinesville; daughter, Melanie Bell of Hinesville; four sisters, Francis McNabb, Kathy Spells, Linda Cornelius, all of Nashville, and Betty Lee of Jacksonville, Fla.; four grandchildren, Aaron and Mason Bell and Waylon and Kelly McKinnon, all of Hinesville; and one great-granddaughter, Bailey McKinnon of Hinesville.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. today at Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 in Westview Cemetery in Nashville.– Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel



VALDOSTA — John Wesley Owens, 56, of Valdosta, died on Feb. 19, 2003, at his home, 106 West St. He was born July 26, 1946, to the late Johnny C. Owens and the late Bertha Chaney. He attended Westside High School and later joined the U.S. Army. He is survived by his wife, Mildred Owens; five children, Mark Lewis (Eileen Everett), Stephanie Lewis, Wakefield (Leroy) and Deborah Owens (Joseph Martin), all of Valdosta; Charlotte Owens-Speed (Tommy) of Lake Park, Addie Owens (Shawn Murphy) of Jacksonville, Fla.; stepmother, Margaret Owens of Savannah; stepfather, Morgan Chaney of Miami, Fla.; one sister Shirley Norton of Miami, Fla.; one brother, Johnny Owens (Sandra) of Columbia, S.C.; seven uncles, Willie Owens (Sarah) of Adel, Rufus Owens (Joyce) of Atlanta, James Owens (Luvenia) Cassville, Edward Owens (Christine) of Brooklyn, N.Y., Jimmy Owens of Cincinnati, Ohio, Jerome Owens (Mary) West Palm Beach, Fla., and Leslie Owens (Lila) of Albany; two great-uncles, Jessie Range of Valdosta and Alphonso Owens; three aunts, Martha Gray (Ronnie) of Hahira, Minnie Calhoun (Warren) Valdosta, and Annie Collins (Al) of Midville; great-aunt, Pearlie Redd of Valdosta; four sisters-in-law, Ella Louise Hayes of Bartow, Fla., Annie Sanford and Rose Lewis, both of Valdosta, and Petrollia Lewis of Fargo, brother-in-law, Tom Lewis of Lake Park; 17 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; a special neighbor, Cora Jordan, and also a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and caring friends. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the New Greater Union Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Rocky Hill Cemetery in Mineola. — Scott and Roberts Mortuary



Lillie Mae Register

ADEL — Lillie Mae Register, 80, of Adel, died on Feb. 24, 2003, at the Memorial Convalescent Center of Adel after a long illness.

She was born on June 22, 1922, in Adel to the late Stafford Raburn and Lillar Rosetta Mapleson Davis. She lived in Adel all of her life. She was a Charter member of Gordon Avenue Baptist Church and a member of Golden Witnesses and a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ross





ie E. Register, and one son, Billy E. Register.

She is survived by three sons and daughters-in-law, Ronnie W. and Tiny Register, Roscoe and Debra Register, Roger J. and Kay Register, all of Adel; two daughters and sons-in-law, Dorothy R. and Glenn Walden, Gainesville, Fla., Tammy and Jeff Dyer, Calhoun; one daughter-in-law, Ann Faircloth Register of Valdosta; 10 grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home with the Rev. Robert Lawrence officiating. Burial will be in Woodlawn City Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today at Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home, 202 N. Hutchinson Ave. — Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home



Reuben C. Scruggs

NASHVILLE — Reuben C. Scruggs, 67, of Nashville, died on Monday, Feb. 24, 2003, at his residence.

He was born on June 25, 1935, in Ben Hill County to Charles and Ina Hawks Scruggs.

He was a former tax commissioner for Berrien County and retired sales representative with Woodmen of The World and a Jehovah Witness.

He is survived by one daughter, Brenda Morgan of Ray City; two sons, Robert Scruggs, Nashville, Clint Scruggs, Adel; six grandchildren; and one sister, Jan Rowe, Naylor

Graveside funeral service will be held at 4 p.m., Wednesday Feb. 26 in Westview Cemetery. Visitation will be held from noon until the funeral hour Wednesday. — Lovein Funeral Home, a member by invitation of Selected Independent Funeral Homes



James F. Taw Jr.

VALDOSTA — James F. Taw Jr., 80, of Valdosta, passed away at his residence on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2003. Born in Baldwin, N.Y., on April 22, 1922, to the late James F. Sr. and Linda Gerke Taw, Mr. Taw was a World War II veteran, and was retired from civil service. Mr. Taw was also a substitute teacher for the Valdosta City Schools for 20 years and he was of the Methodist faith.

Survivors include his wife, Stella Taw; two sons and daughters-in-law, James and Brenda Taw and Kenneth and Venice Taw; one granddaughter, Shannon Zapf; and one great-granddaughter, Carsen Zapf, all of Valdosta.

A private family cremation service was held on Monday, Feb. 24, 2003. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of South Georgia. — Carson McLane Inc.



Margaret W. Wilson

VALDOSTA — Margaret W. Wilson, 83, of Valdosta, died Monday, Feb. 24,2003, at her home after a lengthy illness. She was born on Jan. 5, 1920, in Cook County to the late Walter E. and Elneta McArthur Wacter and was a lifelong resident of this area. Mrs. Wilson was a member of the Morningside Baptist Church.

Survivors include a daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Sammy Reaves of Valdosta; two sons and daughters-in-law, Walter and Lana Wilson of Valdosta, Larry and Peggy Wilson of Hahira; seven grandchildren, Deborah Rehberg, Christopher Reaves, both of Valdosta, Mandy Wilson of Atlanta, Tim Wilson, Tom McCullough, both of Hahira, Carol McCullough of Augusta and Deeann Steiner of Macon; six great-grandchildren; two half sisters, Mary Short of Corpus Christi, Texas, and Sara Hall of Eugene, Ore.; two stepsisters, Elmer Hutchinson of Callahan, Fla., and Vonnie Moore of Michigan; four half brothers, Walter Wacter of Valdosta, Ed Wacter of Callahan, Fla., Raymond Wacter of Germany and Bobby Wacter of Albany. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde R. Wilson, one sister, Carolyn Stewart Powell, and one brother, Bill Wacter.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26 in the chapel of Carson McLane Funeral Home with the Rev. Wayne Robertson officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-9 p.m. today at the funeral home. — Carson McLane Funeral Home



James Adams

James Adams, 86, Valdosta, passed this life on Feb. 22, 2003, at South Georgia Medical Center. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. today at the Harrington Funeral Home Chapel and burial will follow in the Charles Knight Cemetery in Lakeland. — Harrington Funeral Home



John Edmond ‘Eddie’ Bennett Sr.

John Edmond “Eddie” Bennett Sr., 92, West Berrien, passed away Saturday, Feb. 22, 200

3, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. today at Salem Primitive Baptist Church in Adel with Elders Dwight Marshall and Thad Marshall officiating. Burial will follow in Pine Grove Church Cemetery. — Purvis Funeral Home, Adel



Mae Herring

Funeral services for Jannie Mae Herring, 76, Valdosta, will be held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003, at the Stevens-McGhee Chapel in Quitman with the Rev. Herbert Herring officiating. Burial will follow in the North End Cemetery in Quitman. — Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home



Martha N. Lott

Martha N. Lott, 85, Nashville, died on Feb. 24, 2003, at Tift Regional Medical Center. Funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home with the Rev. Jimmie Hinson officiating. Burial will be in Pine Grove Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. today at Boone-Lipsey Funeral Home, Hwy. 41 South, Adel.



Little Nykarius Thomas

Little Nykarius Thomas, 11, Dixie, passed away Friday in Dixie. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time but will be announced later by the Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home.



Herman Odum

Herman Odum, 75, Quitman, passed away on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2002, at the Brooks County Hospital in Quitman. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time but will be announced later by the Stevens-McGhee Funeral Home.