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ofrt Ahuance
The ADVANCE, May 26, 2021/Page 7A
Obituaries
Mrs. Belton Dinkins
Born on March 5, 1927,
in Lillington, North Caro
lina, Belton Ree McLean
Dinkins was the daughter of
Charlotte McLean and James
O. McLean.
A lifelong believer in
the transformative power of
education, she attended Nor-
rington Elementary School,
Shawtown High School,
Livingstone College and
Elizabeth City State College,
where she earned a Bach
elor’s degree in elementary
education. She continued
her postbaccalaureate educa
tion by pursuing additional
studies at Shaw University,
North Carolina Central Uni
versity and Western Carolina
University.
Love of the Lord and the
African Methodist Episcopal
Church filled Mrs. Dinkins’
life. She joined Norrington
AME Zion Church in Lilling
ton as a child. At the time of
her passing, she was a devout
member of St. Paul AME
Church in Vidalia, where
she served on the Stewardess
Board for two years and for
many years welcomed visi
tors during the morning wor
ship cervice. When she could
no longer attend church in
person, she listened to wor
ship service on her iPhone
and also enjoyed the Family
Worship Center musical pro
grams on Jimmy Swaggart’s
Sonlife Broadcasting Net
work.
Although born and
reared in North Carolina,
Mrs. Dinkins worked pro
fessionally only in Georgia.
Before moving to Vidalia
with her family in 1968, she
taught in Sparta, Eatonton,
Cornelia, Gainesville and
Lyons. In Vidalia, she taught
at J.D. Dickerson Elementary
School and Sally D. Mead
ows Elementary School. Mrs.
Dinkins retired in 1983 after
a 31-year career in education.
She spent the next few years
working as a substitute teach
er and caring for her mother,
who died in 2002 in Vidalia
at the age of 104.
Mrs. Dinkins was pre
ceded in death by her parents
and Willie Scott Dinkins, her
husband of 60 years.
Survivors include
daughter Beverly Ann Din
kins Learmont and her hus
band, Nigel Learmont, of De
catur, Georgia; daughter Julia
Dinkins of Stone Mountain;
daughter Juliett Dinkins of
Athens, Georgia; a son, Wil
lie Scott Dinkins II, his wife,
Bethanne Marik Dinkins,
and their daughter Ahlayla
Crawford-Dinkins of Brook
lyn, New York; and her “ sis
ters in spirit” Martha Jackson
of Uvalda, Georgia, Lillie
Turner, Carrie Rumph, Clara
Broomfield, Carol Hansley,
Cleo Hansley and Geraldine
Bell ofVidalia, Georgia.
Mrs. Dinkins also leaves
behind the “unofficial sons
and daughters” who held a
special place in her heart.
They include Terence Jack-
son, Keith Turner and Al
mond Smiley, Jr., of Vidalia,
Georgia; Ronald Shipman
of Thomson, Georgia; Pa-
mala Jones Bolden of Grif
fin, Georgia; Marcia Johnson
Parker of Jonesboro, Geor
gia; and Hong Im Tan of Syd
ney, Australia.
On May 22, 2021, when
her death came as a minister
ing angel, it was five months
after a fall in which Mrs. Din
kins sustained multiple inop
erable fractures.
Visitation will be held
Thursday, May 27, 2021,
from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the
chapel of Vidalia Funeral
Home. On Friday, May 28,
2021, friends and family will
gather at 2 p.m. at Vidalia Fu
neral Home to celebrate her
life on Earth and pray for her
personal peace as Mrs. Din
kins finds a new, pain-free life
with Christ in Heaven. Burial
will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday,
May 29, 2021, in Savannah,
Georgia.
In lieu of flowers — Mrs.
Dinkins was allergic to them
— the family asks that you
get a Covid-19 vaccine or
consider making a memorial
contribution to the Belton
Dinkins Scholarship Fund at
St. Paul AME Church (P.O.
Box 1024, Vidalia, Georgia
30475).
Full Paid Obituary
Mr. Albert Collins
Mr. Albert Jared “Big
Country” Collins, age 33,
died on Sunday, May 16,
2021, at his home.
Mr. Collins was born
in Savannah. He was a
2006 graduate of Toombs
County High School and
received a full scholarship
to a Division I college to
play basketball. He lived
and worked in Nashville,
TN, for 3 years as a musi
cian and singer. He was
Baptist by faith. He was
preceded in death by his
paternal grandfather, Al
bert J. Collins, Sr., and his
maternal grandparents,
Milon A. and Myrtle L.
Gay.
Survivors include his
parents, Albert Jarahn Col
lins, Jr. , and Kim G. Col
lins of Lyons; 1 sister and
brother-in-law, Kayla C.
and Jake Dyal of Lyons; 2
nephews, Jasper and Jacus
Dyal; his paternal grand
mother, June Collins of
Lyons; his girlfriend, Ra
chel Carter and her boys,
Jayden and Brantley; and
several aunts, uncles, and-
cousins.
Funeral services were
held on Friday, May 21,
2021, at 11 a.m., in Liberty
Baptist Church in Lyons,
with Rev. Bradley Benton
and Rev. Michael Plowmen
officiating. Burial was in
the Old Reedy Cemetery
in Toombs County.
Pallbearers were Lo
gan Lollis, Brock Aldrich,
Chuck Hill, Nick Hayes,
Nick Wilkerson, Ryan Col
lins, Lee Milligan and Dan
ny Lindsey.
Higgs Funeral Home
of Soperton was in charge
of arrangements.
Clark and Shaw Monument Company
856 Lyons Center Road, Lyons, Georgia 30436
Georgia Marble • Granite • Bronze • Mausoleums
Office 912-526-4444
Fax 912-526-0508
Toll Free: 1-866-839-4563
Owners: Bill Clark and Chuck Shaw
email: clarkshawmonu@att.net
Mrs. Becky Vaughn
Mrs. Becky Dees
Vaughn, age 81, of Vidalia,
died on Saturday, May 27,
2021, in Memorial Health
University Medical Center
in Savannah after a brief ill
ness.
Mrs. Vaughn was a na
tive of Toombs County,
growing up in Cedar Cross
ing, and was a 1957 graduate
of Toombs Central School.
She was an LPN and nursed
at the Bethany Home in Vi
dalia and Tattnall Health
care for many years. She was
a member of Cedar Crossing
Baptist Church. She was pre
ceded in death by her hus
band, Thomas Ray “Jack”
Vaughn; her parents, John C.
Dees and Sadie Jones Dees;
and siblings, Pete Dees, Joan
Peterson, Jackie Foskey,
Marion “Baby” Dixon, Lucy
Sammons, Dwight Dees,
and Bobby Dees.
Survivors include 2
children, Quinn William
son and Missy of the Kibbee
Community, and Charisse
Williamson of Vidalia; 4
grandchildren, Fallon Wil
liamson of Vidalia, Dakota
Williamson of Kibbee,
Ashley Burke and husband
Scottie, and Sean William
son and wife Heather, all of
Swainsboro; 3 brothers, Au
brey Dees of Cedar Cross
ing, Johnny Dees and wife
Teresa of Baxley, and Jerry
Dees of Cedar Crossing;
numerous nieces and neph
ews; and extended family,
Earl and Deidre Henriott
and Dakota Henriott, all of
Vidalia.
The funeral service was
held on Tuesday, May 25,
2021, at 11:00 a.m., in the
chapel of Ronald V. Hall
Funeral Home, with Pastor
Reece Mincey officiating.
Burial followed in Lakeview
Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers were Mike
Galbreath, Earl Williamson,
Josh Keener, Buddy Lane,
Jerry Dees, Roger Ander
son, Mickey Claxton, Larry
Jarriel and Scottie Burke.
Flowers will be ac
cepted, or memorial con
tributions may be made to
the Sweet Onion Animal
Protection Society, P.O. Box
308, Vidalia, GA 30475.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mrs. Doris Edge
Mrs. Doris Phillips
Edge, age 85, of Soperton,
died on Sunday, May 23,
2021, at the Treutlen Coun
ty Health and Rehabilitation
Center in Soperton.
Mrs. Edge was a lifelong
resident of Soperton. She
had worked for Red Ricks
at the grocery store before
working at Soperton Manu
facturing for 27 years and
retiring in 1995. She had
formerly attended Bethsaida
Baptist Church and Harmo
ny Baptist Church. She was
preceded in death by her
parents, Walter A. “Buddy”
and Nora Lee Davis Phillips;
her husband, Clyde Iverson
Edge; 2 siblings, Buddy Ray
Phillips and Kathleen Sam
mons; 2 sons, Ronnie Phil
lips and Herman “Buck”
Edge; and 3 grandchildren,
Jackie Willis, Tammy Cul
lens and Chris Thigpen.
Survivors include her
children, Steve Anthony
Edge (Rhonda), Soperton,
Rodney Lee “Boss Man”
Edge (Jennifer), Soperton,
Larry Edge (Kadi), Palm
Dessert, CA, and Janice
Glover and Shirley Lyles,
both of Dublin; 1 sister,
Anie Laura Morris, Wrights-
ville; grandchildren, Peggy,
Ronald, Carrie, Dawn, Den
nis, Loranda, Debbie, Larry
Keith, Lisa, Darrin, Angie,
Kevin, Stephanie, Curtis,
Waylon, Justin, Chrissy,
Krista, Chris, Morgan, and
Sophie; numerous great
grandchildren; and many
nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be
conducted on Wednesday,
May 26, 2021, at 11:00 a.m.,
in the Williams Chapel of
Sammons Funeral Home,
with Rev. Gill Gliss and Rev.
Clint Hutcheson officiat
ing. Interment will follow in
Westview Cemetery.
Sammons Funeral
Home in Soperton is in
charge of arrangements.
Ms. Anna Gibbs
Ms. Anna Michelle
Gibbs, age 31, died on May
15,2021.
Ms. Gibbs was born in
Columbus and was raised
in Winston-Salem, NC. She
attended West Forsyth High
School and studied Dental
Hygiene at Forsyth Tech
nical Community College.
Anna was preceded in death
by her Pawpaw, Norman
Schilling.
Survivors include her
son, Wyatt Norman Gibbs;
her parents, John Gibbs and
Sonia Schilling; her grand
parents, Joanne and Ray
mond Adams, Sidney and
Nancy Gibbs, and Merle
and Marc Fairchild; 1 broth
er, Ryan Spach; 1 sister, Kai-
tlyn Spach; special aunts,
Lisa Tygart and Susie Schil
ling; 1 special uncle, Scott
Schilling; and special cous
ins, Justin Tygart, Anthony
Tygart, and Patrick Tygart,
Laurie Boone, Linda Spen
cer, Jason Schilling, Dillion
Hinton, Kodie Schilling,
Bella Schilling, and Piper
Schilling; and a host of other
family and friends.
Private services will be
held to celebrate her life.
In lieu of flowers,
friends wishing to honor
Anna are invited to donate
to a fund set up for Wyatt
Gibbs. A direct link is on Vo-
gler’s website.
Frank Vogler & Son Fu
neral Home in Clemmons,
NC, was in charge of ar
rangements.
Mr. Henry Bond III
Mr. Henry Bond III,
age 85, died on Thursday,
April 22, 2021, in Gaines
ville, GA.
Mr. Bond was born in
Chattanooga, TN, and grew
up on Lookout Mountain,
TN. He attended The Mc-
Callie School, and gradu
ated from The Darlington
School in Rome, GA. He
attended Sewanee (The
University of the South),
before graduating from
The University of Tennes
see at Chattanooga with a
BA in Business. He subse
quently grad
uated from
Washington
University in
Saint Louis
with an MBA.
He served in
the Air National Guard,
stationed in France at Toul
Rosieres AFB. He worked
for General Electric in
Schenectady, NY, before
ultimately settling in Geor
gia for the remainder of his
life. He pursued a career in
Information Technology
Consulting, working for
much of his career at Man
agement Science American
and American Software.
He was a lifelong Episcopa
lian, serving as an Episco
pal Church Verger. He was
involved at The Cathedral
of St. Philip in Atlanta, The
Episcopal Church of the
Holy Family in Jasper, and
Grace Episcopal Church in
Gainesville. He was preced
ed in death by his wife, Lau
ra Massee Walker Bond; his
parents, Henry Bond, Jr.,
and Kathleen James Lynch
Bond Kemp; and his sister,
Frances Kathleen “Kay”
Bond Scobell Benson.
Survivors include 2
children, Laura Bond Bark
er and Henry Richmond
Bond, their spouses, Jack
Barker and Stephanie Bond,
and 4 grandchildren, Kath
leen and Martha Barker and
Julia and Daniel Bond.
Funeral services will be
held on Saturday, June 19,
2021, at 1:00 p.m., at Alley
United Methodist Church
in Ailey, with Rev. Denise
Vaughn of the Episcopal
Church of the Annuncia
tion in Vidalia officiating.
Interment will follow in the
Peterson Cemetery in Ailey.
In lieu of flowers, the
family requests donations
to Ailey Methodist Church,
P.O. Box 7, Ailey, GA
30410; or Peterson Cem
etery, P.O. Box 7, Ailey, GA
30410.
Mrs. Gail Lewis
Mrs. Gail Lewis, age 71,
of Santa Claus, died on Sat
urday, May 22, 2021, at her
home after a sudden illness.
Mrs. Lewis was a na
tive of Swainsboro and was
a 1967 graduate of Swains
boro High School. She
lived in Statesboro for a few
years and moved to Toombs
County in 1983. She was the
owner of BGL, and she and
her husband were the own
ers of Professional Insurance
in Lyons. She attended Cor
nerstone Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death
by her husband, Mayor Al
Lewis; her parents, Roy
Brinson and Mildred Tan
ner Brinson; and 2 broth
ers, Robert Brinson and Phil
Brinson.
Survivors include 3
children, Clay Cumbee of
Swainsboro, Brande Lewis
and Ashley Lewis of Santa
Claus; 3 grandchildren, Dal
ton Ridgdill of Ocilla, Atlan
ta Ridgdill Foster and hus
band Peyton of Macon, and
Landon Lewis of Grayson;
and a special niece, Kimber
ly Lewis of Swainsboro.
A memorial service
will be held on Thursday,
May 27, 2021, at 11:00
a.m., in Cornerstone Baptist
Church, with Pastor Gaynor
Ridgdill and Eddie Toole of
ficiating.
The family will receive
friends at the church from
10:00 until just prior to the
service.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to Diamonds in the
Ruff, P.O. Box 771, Soper
ton, GA 30457; or Christian
Family Center, 21 Outreach
Lane, Soperton, GA 30457.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Lowry
continued from page 6A
made postponing elections
into a high political art, in
keeping with the lack of
democratic accountability
in other neighboring Arab
states.
How Israel should
handle the threat of another
terror state devoted to its
destruction arising on its
borders is, any fair-minded
person should concede, an
inherently difficult
question.
It has offered the
Palestinians a state twice, in
2000 and 2008, to no avail.
Israel evacuated the
Gaza Strip entirely in 2005.
It can’t be blamed for
Hamas winning the
elections in 2006, taking
over Gaza in a coup against
Fatah a year later, and
misgoverning the territory
ever since, with an emphasis
on using it as a base from
which to wage war against
Israel.
Much is made of its
border controls in Gaza and
the West Bank, but a border
isn’t a denial of citizenship
rights, rather a demarcation
between two societies. If
the Palestinians would ever
accept the right of Israel to
exist and embrace a
program of peaceful
development, they’d get
their own sovereign state.
Instead, they want to
wipe Israel from the map,
and are getting an assist
from purveyors of the
malicious lie that Israel is
morally indistinguishable
from the old, racist South
Africa.
Rich Lowry is editor of the
National Review.
(c) 2021 by King Features
Synd., Inc.