Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, October 26, 2022/Page 8A
aHie Aftuance
Obituaries
Mr. Marvin Byrne,
age 83, ofVidalia, died on
Wednesday, October 19,
2022, at the Community
Hospice House in Vidalia
after an extended illness.
Mr. Byrne was born
and grew up in Salisbury,
IN, and as an adult, lived
in Arkansas and Florida
before moving to Baxley in
1970. He lived in Waynes
boro for a short time and
has lived in Vidalia since
1985. He was a member of
Union Construction Op
erators Local #513 in Sa
vannah and worked during
the construction of Plant
Hatch and Plant Vogtle.
He was a member of Lyons
Church of God of Proph
ecy in Lyons and a CB club.
He is preceded in death by
his wife, Mary Josephine
DeVore Byrne; an infant
daughter, Gloria Byrne; an
infant grandson; his par
ents, Sherman and Pachen
Byrne; and 11 siblings.
His family includes
4 children, Glenda Hollis
and husband Brian of Ave-
ra, Richard Byrne of Lyons,
Stewart Byrne of Screven
County, and Vanessa Byrne
ofVidalia; 1 sister, Dorothy
Tracy of Texas; 8 grand
children; 13 great-grand
children; and numerous
nieces and nephews.
The funeral service
was held on Friday morn
ing, October 21, at 10:00,
in the chapel of Ronald V.
Hall Funeral Home, with
Pastor Mike Poppell of
ficiating. Burial followed
in Mt. Vernon Memorial
Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Devin
Powell, Riley Wimberly,
Angel Colmenares and Al
len Hollis.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to the Com
munity Hospice Founda
tion, P.O. Box 2277, Vida
lia, GA 30475.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Kenneth Durden
Mr. James “Kenneth”
Durden, age 96, ofVidalia,
died on Wednesday, Octo
ber 19, 2022, at The Oaks-
Bethany Nursing Home in
Vidalia after a brief illness.
Mr. Durden was a na
tive of Swainsboro and
lived in Vidalia most of his
life. He was a typesetter
for Piggly Wiggly until his
retirement. He was a faith
ful supporter, and at times,
a volunteer for the Ameri
can Red Cross blood drive
campaigns, where he was
able to express his passion
for helping through giv
ing blood. In 1988, a local
news article reported that
he had already donated
over 18 gallons of life-sav
ing blood, and at that time,
he had no plans of slow
ing down his efforts., It is
estimated that he donated
almost 25 gallons over his
lifetime. He served for a
brief time as vice-president
of the Resident Council at
The Oaks-Bethany. He was
a member ofVidalia Primi
tive Baptist Church, where
he served as a deacon and
led the music for over 50
years. He is preceded in
death by his wife, Jean
Doloris Riggs Durden; 1
daughter, Rachel Durden;
his parents, John Dallas
Durden, Sr., and Ermie
Lillian Coleman Durden;
and 1 brother, John Dallas
“Jack” Durden, Jr.
His family includes 1
daughter, Rebecca Dur
den Bridgeman of Mc
Donough.
A memorial service
was held on Saturday
morning, October 22,
2022, at 11:00, at Vidalia
Primitive Baptist Church,
with Pastor Mike Gray of
ficiating.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to the American
Red Cross Blood Services
Division, P.O. Box 97089,
Washington D.C., 20090-
7089 or by giving blood
at a local American Red
Cross blood drive.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Robert Conner
Mr. Robert Henry
Conner, age 68, of Mt. Ver
non, died on Wednesday,
October 19, 2022, at Me
morial Health Meadows
Hospital in Vidalia.
Mr. Conner was born
in Orlando, FL. The fam
ily moved to Mt. Vernon,
where he was a 1973 gradu
ate of Montgomery County
High School. He worked
with the State of Georgia
Corrections System as a
Facilities Manager and re
tired in 2010 after 35 years
of service. He is preceded in
death by his father, Pat Con
ner.
Survivors include his
wife of 29 years, Sharon
Conner, and his mother,
Jessie Mae Conner, both of
Mt. Vernon; children, San-
di Conner, Normantown,
Drew Conner, Long Pond,
Dereck Conner (Becky),
Ailey, and Robert Edwards,
Mt. Vernon; 1 brother,
Mike Conner, Mt. Vernon;
grandchildren, Ellalee, El-
labelle, Luke, Eralynn, and
Owen; and his faithful Lab
rador Retriever companion,
Hank.
A graveside funeral
service was conducted on
Saturday, October 22,2022,
at 3:00 p.m., in Mt. Vernon
City Cemetery, with Rev.
Brian Partick officiating.
Sammons Funeral
Home in Soperton was in
charge of arrangements.
Dr. Christy Powell
Dr. Christy Powell, age
47, of Montgomery Coun
ty, died Tuesday, October
18, 2022, at Emory Uni
versity Hospital in Atlanta
following an extended ill
ness. She was a native of Mt.
Vernon, a 1994 graduate of
Montgomery County High
School, and a 1999 gradu
ate of Sherman College of
Straight Chiropractic in
Boiling Springs, South Car
olina. She began her chiro
practic career in Screven
County, and was there for
many years before open
ing Vidalia Chiropractic in
2017. She attended Con
nections Church in Vidalia,
and was a huge supporter of
Vidalia High School Cheer
and Toombs County Soc
cer Association. She en
joyed baking, cooking, trav
eling, especially her many
trips to Disney World, and
she loved holidays with her
family.
Her family includes her
husband, Kaland Boyer;
three children, Chrislyn
Kersey, Kristian Boyer, and
Kendyl Boyer; mother, Di-
ann Lawrence; father, Elmo
Powell and Debbie; and two
brothers, Stacey Powell and
wife Ashley, and Chance
Powell and wife Jessica, all
of Montgomery County.
The memorial service
was Saturday morning, Oc
tober 22, at 11:00, in the
chapel of Ronald V. Hall
Funeral Home with Pastor
Efton Green and Pastor Bill
Shiver officiating.
Memorial contribu
tions may be made to
Connections Church, 105
Moore Circle, Lyons, GA
30436.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
Mrs. Sandra Wilds-
Strickland
Sandra Darlene Wilds-
Strickland, 63, ofWauchula,
passed away Wednesday,
Oct. 19, 2022. She was born
Dec. 31, 1958, in Vidalia,
GA, to Steven Daniel Wilds,
Sr., and Doris Eve Griffis-
Wilds-Ford. She was a Bap
tist by faith.
Her family was always
her number one prior
ity over anything else. She
would take care of anybody
that needed help with any
thing. She was selfless, car
ing, loving, protective, and
she spoke her mind with a
lot of heart. She had such a
unique and funny character
that she would cause any
body in a room to smile. Her
jokes and old stories would
have anybody laughing and
wishing to hear for more.
She was happily mar
ried to her husband, Steve
Jerry Strickland, Sr., for 47
years. She loved to bake
and cook, especially every
year on Thanksgiving and
Christmas when the whole
family got together. She
loved making her wreaths
for anybody that would ask
her for them.
Darlene was preceded
in death by her parents;
brothers, Danny Eugene
Wilds, Steven Daniel Wilds,
Jr., and Curtis Lee Ford, Jr.;
and daughter, Sandy Kay
Strickland-Willis.
,She is survived by her
husband; son, Steve Jerry
Strickland, Jr., (Candace);
daughters, Sandra Darlene
Strickland-Willis (Lee),
and Mary Kay Strickland-
Smith (Andy); grandchil
dren, Trey, Steve, Lily, JJ, Si
erra, Justin, Meagan, Caleb,
Cass, Lee II, Jayden, Dylan,
Jordan, and Landen; great
grandchildren, Ryder, Pey
ton, and Paislee; and many
nieces and nephews.
A graveside funeral ser
vice was held Tuesday, Oc
tober 25, at 2:00 p.m. at the
Lyons City Cemetery with
Pastor Efton Green officiat
ing.
Pallbearers were Steve
Strickland, Jr., Justin Strick
land, Caleb Strickland, Ray
McDonald, Sr., Ray McDon
ald, Jr., Richard McDonald,
Meagan Strickland-Sterling
and Sierra Strickland.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Multiple
Myeloma Research Foun
dation, 303 Main Ave., 5th
Floor, Norwalk, Ct. 06851
or by visiting their website
at themmrf.org.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
Mr. J.C. Joiner, Jr.
Mr. John Calvin “J. C.”,
“Jumper” Joiner, Jr., age
72, of Soperton, died on
Wednesday, October 19,
2022, at Candler County
Regional Hospital in Met-
ter.
Mr. Joiner was a life
long resident of Soperton.
He worked as a welder at
Ogeechee Steel in Swains
boro and was a self pro
fessed “shade tree” me
chanic. He was preceded in
death by his parents, John
Calvin Joiner, Sr., and Wil
lie Lee Warnock Joiner.
Survivors include his
children, Kimbey O’Neal
(Timmy), Dublin, Tina
Joiner, Soperton, and Tom
my Joiner, Bowie, TX; and
4 grandchildren, Hootie,
Landon, Kevin and Char-
lieMae.
A graveside funeral
service was conducted
on Thursday, October 20,
2022, at 2:00 p.m., in West-
view Cemetery.
Sammons Funeral
Home in Soperton was in
charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mildred Tuck
Mildred Elizabeth
Wall Tuck of Mt Vernon,
GA, passed away peace
fully with her family by her
side at Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital Mon
day, October 17, 2022. She
was 83 years old.
Born June 6, 1939, at
the Telfair Hospital in Sa
vannah, GA, to Albert Mar
tin Wall and Essie Burke
Wall, Mildred attended
the old Pooler Elementary
School and graduated from
Savannah High School
in 1957. She was a 1960
graduate from the Georgia
Baptist School of Nursing
in Atlanta, as well as a 1965
graduate of the Emory Uni
versity School of Nursing.
After many years as a Reg
istered Nurse and Direc
tor of Nursing at Wheeler
County Hospital, Mildred
got her Masters in the Fam
ily Nurse Practitioner Pro
gram from Georgia South
ern University in 1990. She
continued to work with
patients in Glenwood and
Alamo, and in Vidalia with
Dr. Geoffrey Conner as
well as at the Mercy Medi
cal Clinic in Lyons, leaving
a legacy of healthcare in the
area, influencing many to
go into nursing.
As a founding mem
ber of College Hill Baptist
Church in Mt Vernon, Mil
dred served the church as a
deacon, pianist and hostess
of the Church Christmas
party for many years. She
was also a charter member
and piano player at Dean
Forrest Baptist Church in
Savannah in earlier years.
Her many interests includ
ed serving on the Mont
gomery County Board of
Health, the local chapter
of the American Heart As
sociation, being a mem
ber of both the Mt Ver
non Garden Club and the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. Mildred great
ly enjoyed travelling with
family and friends and at
tending the grandchildren’s
athletic and school events.
For 33 years, she enjoyed
Saint Simons Sound and its
beaches and spending time
on Tybee with family.
Mildred is survived by
her husband of 56 years,
Horace Clayton Tuck,
daughter Beth (Andy)
Powell, son Scott (Lori)
Tuck, grandchildren Sarah
Tuck, Ella Powell and An
drew Tuck, and her brother
Dr. Albert Wall, and many
nieces and nephews. She
was preceded in death by
her parents, Albert and Es
sie Wall, and her youngest
brother, Ben Burke Wall.
Funeral services were
held at College Hill Bap
tist Church on Thursday
at 1:00 p.m. with Reverend
Dr. Wayne Durden offici
ating. Interment followed
at Mt Vernon Memorial
Cemetery.
Pallbearers were An
drew Tuck, Andy Powell,
Johnny Mobley, Dr. Geof
frey Conner, Bryan Couey,
Mike Mobley, and Ben
Wall.
In lieu of flowers,
please consider a donation
to Mercy Medical Clinic
& Foundation/The Mer
cy Ministries, 714-1 NW
Broad Street, Lyons, GA
30346.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
Mr. John Collins
Mr. John J. Collins, age
56, of the Lothair Com
munity of Soperton, died
on Tuesday, October 18,
2022.
Mr. Collins was born
in Soperton and was a 1983
graduate ofTreutlen Coun
ty High School. He worked
with the Georgia Depart
ment of Corrections in the
late 1990s. He worked as
a Construction Inspector
with Georgia Department
of Trasnportaton and re
tired after 20 years. After
retiring, he worked as a
consultant. He attended
Boiling Springs Mission
ary Baptist Church and
Anchor of Hope in Sop
erton. He was preceded in
death by his parents, Roger
Bruce Collins and Trudie
“Tootsie” Jeanette Chester;
1 brother, George Kelly
Collins; his paternal grand
parents, Kelly and Leila
Collins; and his maternal
grandparents, George and
Trudie Chester.
Survivors include his
wife of 19 years, Heidi
Henry Collins, and his
children, Chestin “Ches”
Hayes Collins and Adelyn
“Addy” Cecile Collins, all
of Soperton; 1 brother,
Mike Collins (Melanie),
Vidalia; 2 nieces, Olivia
Warnock (Jackson), Tarry-
town, and Amelia Peacock,
Vidalia; his in-laws, Jeff
Henry and Annie J. Glover
(Jimmy), all of Soperton;
and 1 uncle, Russell Col
lins, Swainsboro.
Funeral services were
conducted on Saturday,
October 22, 2022, at 11:00
a.m., in the Williams Cha
pel of Sammons Funeral
Home, with Rev. Conway
Jones officiating. Inter
ment followed in Westview
Cemetery.
Sammons Funeral
Home in 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