Obituaries for March 26, 2006
Published 9:43 pm Saturday, March 25, 2006
Louis C. Baxley
TY TY — Louis Claytor Baxley, 76, of Ty Ty, died Saturday, March 25, 2006, at Beverly Health Care after a lengthy illness.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the First Baptist Church of Ty Ty with the Rev. Danny Jones and the Rev. Jimmie Hinson officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery. The body will lie in state in the church for one hour before the service.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight at Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors, Tiftarea Chapel.
Pallbearers will be Jim Bailey, Charles Marakham, Dan Reynolds, Derry Hewitt, Jim Joy, Vernon Tanner and Emerson Wilson. Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons of First Baptist Church of Ty Ty, Dr. Paul Murray, Dr. Kathrine Gibbons, Charles Denby, Milton Sledge, John Burgess, John H. Lindsey, Mary Jane Tipper, Dot Wilson, Barbara Markham, Maggie Joy, Sherry Boyette, George Barfield and Charlotte Barfield.
Born on Aug. 14, 1929, in Barnwell, S.C., Mr. Baxley was the son of the late Lonnie and Eloise Creech Baxley.
He was retired from the Tift County Sheriff’s Department and had worked in the security department at Tift General Hospital. As a member of the First Baptist Church of Ty Ty, he was a longtime deacon, a member of the Senior Adult Sunday School Class, the Men’s Brotherhood, and the Joy Fellowship, and was the church bus driver for several years. He was a 50-year Mason and a Shriner and enjoyed working in his yard and bird watching.
He was preceded in death by three brothers, one sister and one grandson, Joseph Thompson.
Survivors include his wife, Agnes L. Stancil Baxley of Ty Ty; one son, John Baxley of Albany; two daughters and sons-in-law, Cynthia and Allen Varnadoe of Omega and Eloise and Scott Nipper of Tifton; one sister, Myrtis Owens of Blackville, S.C.; grandchildren, Daniel and Apahril Varnadoe, Melody and Chris Lamb, Paige Baxley, Sean Baxley, Madison Nipper, Jared Nipper and Jace Nipper; great-grandchildren, Haven and Caden Lamb, Chastity Sumner and Colt and Caleb Strickland; a special nephew, Norman Sanders of Barnwell, S.C., and many other nieces and nephews.
Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to Hospice of Tift Area or First Baptist Church of Ty Ty.
Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors – Tiftarea Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Middleton ‘Nat’ Ridley Jr.
ALBANY — Middleton Nathaniel “Nat” Ridley Jr., 78, of Albany, died Saturday, March 25, 2006, at Palmyra Nursing Home after a long battle with Parkinson Disease.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Kimbrell-Stern with interment to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery with military honors. Dr. William E. “Butch” Knight Jr. and the Rev. Tom W. Davis will officiate. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Kimbrell-Stern.
A native of Appling County, Mr. Ridley was a veteran of the United States Army and served during the Korean Conflict.
He was a businessman and retired at age 74 from the Dougherty County Board of Commissioners as an information officer. Mr. Ridley was a member of First Baptist Church of Albany where he served as a deacon, offering bearer and a Special Education Sunday School Teacher.
Survivors include his wife Mary Ridley of Albany; two sons, David Ridley and his wife Glenda of N. Charleston, S.C., and John Ridley and his wife Julie of Greenville, N.C.; a daughter, Anna Rose McDonald and her husband Mark of Suwannee; eight grandchildren, Laura, Matthew, Mary Kate and Emily McDonald, all of Suwannee,Catherine and Stephen Ridley of N. Charleston, S.C., and Rebekah and Jeannie Ridley of Greenville, N.C.; a sister, Mrs. Faye Ridley Massey of Tifton; and several nieces and nephews.
His parents Middleton Nathaniel Ridley Sr. and Mrs. Ethel Hall Ridley preceded him in death.
Those desiring please make donations to First Baptist Church of Albany, P.O. Box 67, Albany, GA 31702, or Albany Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1828, Albany, GA 31707.
You may sign the guest book and share your own special thoughts and memories with the family of Mr. Ridley by visiting Kimbrell-Stern’s Web site at www.kimbrellstern.com.
Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Lucy R. Kelley
MIAMI, Fla. — Lucy R. Kelley, 76, of Miami Beach, Fla., died Thursday, March 23, 2006, at the Miami Heart Institute in Miami Beach, Fla.
Graveside services will be held at 4 p.m. Monday at Lelia United Methodist Church Cemetery. The Rev. Ken Kelly will officiate. The family will receive friends from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Kelley was born on Feb. 6, 1930, in Albany, N.Y. She was the daughter of Micheal DiBella and Margaret Curro DiBella, both deceased.
She was a medical secretary for Mt. Sinai Medical Center for 27 years. She was of the Catholic faith. She moved to Florida 45 years ago.
Survivors include her husband Frank P. Kelley of Miramar, Fla., to whom she was married for 40 years; a brother, Leonard DiBella of Albany, N.Y.; two sisters, Mary Van Buren of Valatie, N.Y,. and Jayne Devoss of Albany, N.Y.; a sister-in-law, Erie K. Chambliss of Tifton; and many nieces and nephews.
Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals is in charge of arrangements.
Frank Jackson Jones
CHULA — Frank Jackson Jones, 73, Chula, died Saturday, March 25, 2006, at his residence.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church, Chula, with Dr. W. Ches Smith III and the Rev. Larry Layfield officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery, Chula. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors – Tiftarea Chapel.
Jared York, Aaron York, Sam Phelps, Ben Phelps, Jake Jones, Mike Fletcher, Reid Jones and Dan Richardson will serve as pallbearers.
Born Oct. 31, 1932, in Tift County, Mr. Jones was the son of the late Paul Verner Jones and Josie Lightfoot Jones. He was also preceded in death by an infant daughter and two brothers, Derris and Hubert Jones.
Mr. Jones had lived in Tift County most of his life.
He was a member and deacon of First Baptist Church, Chula.
He had worked for the Bank of Tifton from 1949 to 1956. He was the owner and operator of Jones Peanut Company in Chula.
Mr. Jones is survived by his wife, Nell Pearman Jones of Chula; one son and one daughter-in-law, Frank and Nicki Jones of Chula; two daughters and two sons-in-law, Terri and David York of Valdosta and Ginger and David Phelps of Jefferson City, Mo.; three brothers, Hulen Jones, Donald Jones and Larry Jones, all of Chula; three sisters, Joyce Richardson of Tifton and Joann Bryan and Shirley Stripling Brown, both of Chula; and eight grandchildren, Jared York, Aaron York, Hannah York, Sam Phelps, Ben Phelps, Jake Jones, Kelsey Jones and Ashlyn Jones.
Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to a charity of the person’s choice.
Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors – Tiftarea Chapel is in charge of arrangements.
Pearl Mathis
RAY CITY — Pearl Mathis, 80, of Ray City, died Saturday, March 25, 2006, at South Georgia Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Chapel of Lovein Funeral Home, Nashville. Burial will follow at Beaver Dam Cemetery. The Rev. Shane Ashley and the Rev. Clint Ashley will officiate. Visitation will be after 2 p.m. Monday with the family receiving friends from 7 to 9 p.m. at Lovein Funeral Home, Nashville.
Mrs. Mathis was born on Feb. 28, 1926, in Colquitt County. She was the daughter of Redden Whitt Worrell and Mattie Belle Peacock, both deceased.
She was a homemaker and retired with Nashville Textile.
She was a member of Beulah Holiness Baptist Church in Cook County.
Survivors include her husband, William “Billy” Mathis of Ray City; two daughters, Carole Kemp of Ray City and Amanda Jones of Nashville; a son, Donnie Mathis of Galax, Va.; a sister, Nellie Mae Hall of Moultrie; two brothers, Albert Worrell of Wakulla, Fla., and Lacy Worrell of Tifton; nine grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Lovein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.