Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, October 5, 2022/Page 8A
(Ttie Ahuance
Obituaries
Miss Cecile Whitehead
Miss Cecile S. White-
head, age 82, of Rock-
ledge, died on Monday,
September 26, 2022, at the
Treutlen County Health
and Rehabilitation Center
in Soperton.
Miss Whitehead was
bom in Rockledge and was
a 1958 graduate of Treutlen
County High School. She
worked in the medical field
as a laboratory technician
at Macon Hospital and
Treutlen County Hospital
before moving to Atlanta
to further her education.
She attended DeKalb Col
lege, Georgia State Uni
versity and Emory while
working at the VA Medical
Center and Georgia Bap
tist Hospital. She trained
specifically in cytology,
coagulation as well as he
matology and was recog
nized for her expertise in
identifying cells, malignant
or benign. She received nu
merous awards, accommo
dations and nominations
as employee of the year. In
the late 1970s, she was pro
moted to Special Hematol
ogy Technologist assigned
to teaching cell morphol
ogy to Emory’s residents,
fellows and senior stu
dents. During her years of
research, she was published
in the New England Journal
of Medicine. In 2000, after
37 years, she retired from
the Veteran’s Administra
tion and returned to her
home in Rockledge. She
was a member of the Mas
ter Gardeners of Dublin
until it dissolved. She was
a longtime member of the
Rockledge United Meth
odist Church and served as
a Lay Leader to annual con
ference and chair person
of the Board of Trustees.
She was preceded in death
by her parents, Grady Lee
Whitehead and Ruby Mill
er Whitehead, and 1 sister,
Carolyn Whitehead Barrs.
Survivors include 1
sister, Catherine W. Under
wood of Atlanta; and sev
eral nieces, nephews and
great-nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were
conducted on Thursday,
September 29, 2022, at
2:30 p.m., at Rockledge
United Methodist Church,
with Rev. Barbara Nelson,
Dr. Mark Spence and Rev.
Bobby Miller officiating.
Interment followed in the
Rockledge Mt. Zion Cem
etery.
Pallbearers were Ger
ald Thigpen, Sr., A.J. Thig
pen, Ronnie Wilkes, Gene
Thigpen, Scott Sheppard,
Randal Morris, and How
ard Morris.
Honorary pallbearers
were Harley Davidson, Jim
Thompson, and Bill Gain-
ous.
Memorial contribu
tions may be made to the
Rockledge United Meth
odist Church, c/o Bobbie
Hilbun, 899 Hilbun Rd.,
Adrian, GA 31002.
Sammons Funeral
Home in Soperton was in
charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Leola Bridges
Mrs. Leola Greene
Bridges died on Tues
day, September 27, 2022,
at Memorial Meadows
Health Hospital in Vidalia.
Mrs. Bridges was born
in Alley. She was preceded
in death by her husband,
Moses Bridges; her moth
er, Mary Greene; 1 son,
Roger Williams; and 1 sis
ter, Loretta Rush.
Survivors include 3
sons, Eugene (Tracy) Wil
liams of Columbus, OH,
Eric (Diane) Williams of
Vidalia, and Ronnie (Pat-
tie) Bridges of Nashville,
NC; 4 daughters, Laverne
Williams of Washington,
D.C., Jacqueline (Lamont)
Pittman of Scotland Neck,
NC, Angela (Darryl)
Johnson of Moseley, VA,
and Jennifer (Carlington)
Roberts of McDonough;
3 brothers, John (Bar
bara) Joyce, of Lyons, Isa
iah (Cynthia) Joyce, Jr., of
Fredericksburg, VA, and
Preston (Maria) Joyce of
Atlanta; 4 sisters, Gloria
Ann Hicks of Richmond,
VA, Bobbie J. Dorsey of
Atlanta, Grade (Jerome)
Martin of Townsend, and
Shirley (Don) Cray of Ly
ons; 18 grandchildren; and
a host of great-grandchil
dren; 3 great-great-grand-
children; and many more
relatives and friends.
The funeral service
was held on Tuesday, Octo
ber 4, 2022, at 12:00 Noon,
at St. Paul AME Church
in Vidalia. The eulogy was
delivered by Pastor Ron
nie Bridges. Interment
followed in the St. Mary
Baptist Church Cemetery
in Alley.
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Ms. Virginia Collins
Ms. Virginia Rau-
ton Collins, age 97, of the
Ohoopee Community,
died on Friday, September
30, 2022, in Vidalia.
Ms. Collins was born
in the Rock Springs Com
munity in Toombs Coun
ty, and as a child moved
to Stillmore. She was a
1942 graduate of Lyons
High School, later earn
ing a Bachelor’s degree in
Education and Master’s
degree in Special Educa
tion from Georgia Teach
ers College in Statesboro.
Also, she earned a degree
in Theology from New Or
leans Baptist Theological
Seminary. She began her
teaching career in 1944 at
New Branch School, then
to other schools, including
Twin City, where she start
ed the Special Education
program; Oak Park; Lake
land, Georgia; Vidalia;
and retired in 1979 after
35 years of teaching from
Lyons Senior High. She
was a member of Georgia
Retired Teachers Associa
tion. She coached and ref
ereed men’s basketball, and
was a den mother in Twin
City. She was a member
of Stillmore Missionary
Church, where she taught
the adult Sunday school,
and was Woman’s Mission
ary Union Director. She is
preceded in death by her
parents, Jesse Rauton and
Clarice Smith Rauton; and
3 brothers, J.W. Rauton,
Harry Rauton, and Mel
Rauton.
Her family includes
her daughter, Phyllis Col
lins of Ohoopee; 1 brother,
El Rauton and wife Ann; 1
sister-in-law, Phyllis Prath
er Rauton, all of Charles
ton, SC; and several nieces
and nephews.
A memorial service
will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to the Alzheimer’s
Foundation by visiting
their website at alz.org.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Darien Green
Mr. Darien Devonte’
Green, age 30, died on
September 27, 2022, at
Phoebe Putney Memorial
Hospital in Albany after a
brief illness.
Mr. Green was born
in Vidalia. He was a 2010
graduate of Vidalia Com
prehensive High School.
He received a Bachelor of
Arts degree in History at
Albany State University in
Albany. He was a member
of Alpha Phi Alpha Frater
nity’s graduate chapter. He
began his career at Albany
Middle School, where he
taught sixth grade social
studies, then transferred
to Lincoln Elementary
Magnet School, where
he was the remediation
teacher. Due to his success
with the students at Lin
coln Elementary Magnet
School, he was asked to
join the staff at Interna
tional Studies Elementary
Charter School the follow
ing year, where he worked
with third grade students.
In the 2021-2022 school
year, he and the princi
pal established and built
the first team of basket
ball players at Interna
tional Studies Elementary
Charter School. He was
preceded in death by his
great-grandparents, Cal
vin Sr. and Frankie Green,
and Harvey McLendon;
and his grandfather, Lewis
Bernard Phillips.
Survivors include
his mother, Dawn Green
Dasher; 1 brother, De-
Marcus Green; his grand
mother, Lula Mae Green;
his great-grandmother,
Maurine McLendon; 3
uncles, Rofelle Green,
Sr., Kory Phillips, and
Camron Phillips; 3 aunts,
Gabriella (Travis) McK
inney, Brittany Green,
and Brandi (Christopher
“Dre”) Jordan; and a host
of aunts, uncles, cousins,
and friends.
Visitation will be held
on Wednesday, October 5,
2022, from 4:00 until 6:00
p.m. at Vincent R. Drum
mer Funeral Home in Ly
ons. The funeral service
will be held on Thursday,
October 6, 2022, at 1:00
p.m., in the Vidalia Com
prehensive High School
Auditorium. Elder Travis
McKinney will deliver the
eulogy. Interment will fol
low in the Live Oak Bap
tist Church Cemetery in
Alley.
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Cross
continued from page 6A
2. Its first loyalty is to
citizens.
3. Its essence is a disci
pline of verification.
4. Its practitioners
must maintain an inde
pendence from those
they cover.
5. It must serve as an
independent monitor of
power.
The element I quote
most often these days is
No. 3, about the discipline
of verification. It means
that we tell readers how we
know something, or we at
tribute it to someone.
Social media have no
discipline and no verifica
tion.
And they’re mainly
about opinion, not facts.
Journalism, especially
in newspapers, is mainly
about facts, not opinion.
Opinions are the
heartbeat of a democracy,
but they should be based
on facts. And for the facts,
we need newspapers.
Al Cross is professor of
journalism and director of the
Institute for Rural Journalism at
the University of Kentucky. He
was a weekly newspaper
editor and manager, political
writer for the Louisville Courier
Journal and president of the
Society of Professional
Journalists.
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537-31
131
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Vhen You See
lews Happen
Mr. Jason Smith
Mr. Jason Robert
Smith, age 45, of Vidalia,
died on Tuesday, Sep
tember 27, 2022, in Mc
Donough after a sudden
illness.
Mr. Smith was a na
tive of the Center Com
munity and a 1996 gradu
ate of Toombs County
High School. •
He served 4
years in the W —«y~-
United States \
Army. He \
was a veteran
of Operation Iraqi Free
dom, where he was a tank
operator on the Abrams
M1A1 tank. After his time
in the service, he returned
to Toombs County and
worked as a painter and
general contractor before
moving to McDonough,
where he was currently
working with Peachtree
Protection Covers. He at
tended East Gordon Street
Baptist Church. He is pre
ceded in death by his ma
ternal grandfather, Ancle
Kersey; his maternal step-
grandfather, Frank Cran-
mer; his paternal grandpar
ents, Jack and Julie Smith;
and 1 uncle, Danny Kersey.
His family includes his
fiance, Leah Joyner Farrow
of Vidalia; 2 sons, Hunter
Smith of Ft. Carson, CO,
and Hayden Smith of Mc
Donough; his mother,
Kathy Kersey Marchand
and husband Jim of Mc
Donough; his father, Dale
Smith and wife Lisa of Ly
ons; his maternal grand
mother, Bonnie Kersey
Cranmer of Reidsville;
5 siblings, Nick Smith of
Wichita Falls, TX, Jennifer
Cornish and husband Dave
of Frederick, MD, Dequera
Bell and husband Robert
of Glenwood, Jeffery Smith
and wife Melissa of Cart-
ersville, and Kristin Alt
man and husband Brandon
of Long Pond Community;
several aunts, uncles, niec
es, nephews and cousins;
and his beloved dog, Bella.
The funeral service was
held on Sunday afternoon,
October 2, 2022, at 2:00,
in the chapel of Ronald V.
Hall Funeral Home, with
Pastor Dannie Williams of
ficiating. Burial followed at
Lakeview Memorial Gar
dens.
Pallbearers were Andy
White, Wes Miller, Brian
“Tank” Thompson, Casey
Salter, Kevin St. John, and
Mike Irizarry.
Honorary pallbearers
were Rusty McCullough
and Richard Brown.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Wounded
Warrior Project by visiting
their website at support-
woundedwarriorproj ect.
org, or Tunnel to Towers
Foundation by visiting
their website at t2t.org.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Raymond Hartley
Mr. Raymond D. Hart
ley, age 78, of Glenwood,
died on Saturday, October
1, 2022, at Treutlen Coun
ty Health and Rehab after
an extended illness.
Mr. Hartley was a
Mount Vernon native
and a 1962 graduate of
Montgomery County
High School. -
He entered |||^
into the U.S W—
Army, serv- \
ing 2 tours in \
Vietnam and
retired after 20 years of ser
vice. After retiring, he was
a truck driver and a diesel
mechanic. After return
ing to the United States,
he lived in Kentucky and
Florida, before moving
to Stuckey in 1982. He is
preceded in death by his
wife, Silvia R. Hartley; his
parents, Omar and Made
Bracewell; 1 brother, Bea
ver Bracewell; and 1 sister,
Joyce Hall.
His family includes
his sons, Jerry Hartley
and Doug Hartley, both
of Stuckey; 2 grandchil
dren, Joey Hartley and
wife Emily of Glenwood,
and Rebecca Hartley Faulk
and husband Blake of Ce
dar Grove Community; 4
great-grandchildren, Pais
ley, McKenzie, Adley, and
Easton; 1 sister, Charlene
Newsome and husband
Robert of Stuckey; and
several nieces, nephews,
and cousins.
The funeral service was
held on Tuesday morning,
October 4, at 11:00, in the
chapel of Ronald V. Hall
Funeral Home, with Pas
tor BL Horne officiating.
Burial followed in Stuckey
Baptist Church Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to the Sweet On
ion Animal Protection So
ciety, P.O. Box 210, Vidalia,
GA 30475, or to Stuckey
Baptist Church, 945 Old
Glenwood Road, Glen
wood, GA 30428.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
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