Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, November 9, 2022/Page 8A
aHie Aftuance
Obituaries
Mrs. Lisa Adams
Mrs. Lisa Caves Ad
ams, age 65, of Vidalia,
died on Tuesday, Novem
ber 1, 2022, at her home.
Mrs. Adams was a life
long resident of Vidalia.
After graduating from Vi
dalia High School in 1975,
she completed her Bache
lor of Science degree from
Tift College. She worked
for Oxford Industries for
31 years. Her employment
began as a secretary, pro
gressing to a Senior Engi
neer, then advancing to be
come the first female Plant
Manager for the company.
After retirement from Ox
ford, she became the Busi
ness and Industry Services
Specialist at Southeastern
Technical College, where
she trained local industrial
managers on leadership
skills. She served on the
Vidalia City School Board
for 15 years. She was a
1994 graduate of Leader
ship Toombs and served
as a member of the Alum
ni Association. She served
as Director of Toombs-
Montgomery Chamber of
Commerce in 1997, Vice
Chairman of Economic
Development in 1998,
Vice Chairman at large for
Economic Development
in 1999, and Chairman
Elect for Economic Devel
opment in 2000. She was a
member of the Vidalia Ro
tary Club for several years,
serving as President of the
Rotary Club from 2002-
2003. She also served on
the Vidalia Onion Festival
Committee from 2003-
2007, and was Chairman
of the Vidalia Area Con
vention and Visitors Bu
reau from 2006-2007. She
also served as Chairman
of the Board of Directors
for Southeastern Techni
cal College and Chairman
of the Board for Toombs-
Montgomery Chamber
of Commerce in 2011.
In 2003, she was named
Lady of the Year for Vida
lia, GA. Her recognition of
this honor stemmed from
her extensive resume re
sulting from her devout
service to her community.
She was an active mem
ber of Tabernacle Baptist
Church, where she helped
start the women’s ministry
program, as well as serving
on various church com
mittees.
Her family includes
her husband of 45 years,
Pat Adams of Vidalia; 1
son, Nathan Adams of
Portland, OR; her moth
er, Carol Caves; 1 sister,
Sherry Scott and husband
Ranee of Evans; 1 brother-
in-law, Garry Adams and
wife Susan; and several
nieces and nephews.
The funeral service
was Sunday afternoon,
November 6, at 3:00,
at Tabernacle Baptist
Church, with Pastor Bob
by Thompson and Rev.
Randy McDuffie officiat
ing. Burial followed at
Pinecrest Cemetery.
Pallbearers were John
Brewton, Wendell Dixon,
Loyd Mobley, T.J. Jackson,
James Lowe, and Dennis
Donahue.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Piedmont
Augusta’s Randy W. Coo
per, MD, Center for Breast
Health Services, 818 St.
Sebastian Way, Augusta,
GA 30901, or Tabernacle
Baptist Church Building
Fund, P.O. Box 160, Vida
lia, GA 30474.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mrs. Babs Craft
Mrs. Babs Fowler
Craft, age 80, of Uvalda,
died on Thursday, No
vember 3, 2022, at her
residence after an extended
illness, under the care of
Regency Southern Care
Hospice and surrounded
by her loving family.
Mrs. Craft was born in
Toombs County and was
a 1960 graduate of Vida
lia High School. She lived
most of her life in Mont
gomery County, where she
was employed as a teacher
with the Montgomery
County Board of Educa
tion and retired after 32
years of service. She was
a member of the Beta Sig
ma Phi Sorority, Eastern
Star, Methodist Women
and Uvalda Community
Church. She is preceded in
death by her parents, Leon
Fowler and Mazie May
Fowler.
Her family includes
her husband of 62 years,
Eustus Lamont Craft, Sr.,
of Uvalda; 1 son, Eustus
“Monty” Lamont Craft II
and wife Sonja of Uvalda;
1 daughter, Karen Patricia
Craft Wall and husband
Richard Alan Wall, Sr., of
Bonaire; 1 sister, Geina
Fowler Adams and hus
band Scott of Uvalda; 5
grandchildren, Barbara
“Babs” Patricia Wall Or
ange and husband Jimmy
Neil Orange III, Jami Sha
Wall, Richard Alan Wall II,
Taylor Jean Craft Mason
and husband Caylen and
Eustus “Ty” Lamont Craft
III; and 2 great-grandchil
dren, Logan Jeanine Or
ange and Jimmy Neil Or
ange IV.
The funeral service
was held on Monday
morning, November 7,
at 11:00, at Uvalda Com
munity Church, with Rev.
Shareon Napier Wommack
officiating. Burial followed
at Uvalda City Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Ty
Craft, Alan Wall II, Caylen
Mason, Jimmy Orange III,
Martin Moses, and Lloyd
Moses.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Uvalda
Community Church,
P.O. Box 173, Uvalda, GA
30473.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mrs. Eunice Shephard
Mrs. Eunice “Anny”
Shephard, age 74, of Vi
dalia, died on Friday, No
vember 4, 2022, at her
home after a sudden ill
ness.
Mrs. Shephard was a
native of Telfair County,
1965 graduate of Telfair
County High School, and
lived in Telfair until mov
ing to Vidalia in 2001. She
retired as supervisor af
ter 33 years from Roydon
Wear in McRae-Helena
and was a member of Cor
nerstone Baptist Church
in the Kibbee Community
in Montgomery County.
She is preceded in death
by her parents, Newman
and Jenny Ray.
Her family includes
her husband, Mike Sheph
ard of Vidalia; 2 children,
Jennifer Shephard Mc
Donald and husband Matt
of Glenwood, and Wayne
Shephard of Vidalia; 3
grandchildren, Jack Den
nis and wife Dara of Vi
dalia, Danny Schmidt of
Huntsville, AL, and Day
tona Shephard of Gaffney,
SC; 2 great-grandchildren,
Toni Kate Dennis and In
die Rey Dennis; 3 siblings,
Carolyn Howard of Jack
sonville, GA, Leroy Ray
and wife Betty of McRae-
Helena, and Larry Ray and
wife Gail of Reidsville;
and several nieces and
nephews.
A graveside funeral
service was held on Mon
day, November 7, at 3:00
p.m., at Clements Ceme
tery at Mt. Galilee Baptist
Church near Jacksonville,
GA, with Pastor Gaynor
Ridgdill officiating.
Those desiring may
make memorial contri
butions to St. Jude Chil
dren’s Research Hospital,
262 Danny Thomas Place,
Memphis, TN 38105, or
by visiting their website at
stjude.org.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Jimmy Richardson
Mr. Jimmy Richard
son, age 79, of Vidalia,
died on Sunday, Novem
ber 6, 2022, at his resi
dence under the care of
Comfort Care Hospice
and surrounded by his lov
ing family.
Mr. Richardson was
born in Vida
lia and was a
1962 gradu
ate of Vidalia
High School.
He served in
the United
States Army during the
Vietnam War and later
worked as a printer with
Guido Evangelistic Asso
ciation. He was preceded
in death by his parents,
Frank Richardson and
Myrtice Gray Richardson;
1 brother, Bill Richardson;
1 sister, Ann Richardson
Hall; and 1 granddaugh
ter, Heather Richardson.
His family includes
his wife of 57 years, Mer
le McIntyre Richardson
of Vidalia; 2 sons, Jamie
Richardson of Eastman
and Jason Richardson of
Savannah; 1 grandson,
Shawn Richardson of Sa
vannah; 1 sister, Betty
Richardson Williamson of
Vidalia; and several nieces,
nephews and other rela
tives.
The graveside funeral
service was held on Tues
day afternoon, November
8, at 2:00, at Pinecrest
Cemetery, with Brother
Steven Richardson offici
ating.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to Guido Evan
gelistic Association, P.O.
Box 508, Metter, Georgia
30439.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. James Steptoe
Mr. James Billy “Sam”
“Sambo” Steptoe, age 75,
of the Meeks Community,
died on Monday, October
31, 2022, at Fairview Park
Hospital in Dublin.
Mr. Steptoe was a life
long resident of Johnson
County. He was a mechan
ic for his entire life, own
ing and operating Sam’s
Garage in Adrian until the
early 2000s. He attended
Corinth United Methodist
Church. He was preceded
in death by his parents,
Bryat Benjamin “B.B.”
Steptoe and Lessie Beth
McCoy Steptoe; his wife,
Mamie Jean Caraway Step
toe; and 1 sister, Louise
Steptoe Munoz.
Survivors include 1
son, Jordan Willis, Kite; 1
brother, Johnny Steptoe,
Meeks; several nieces and
nephews, including a spe
cial niece, Ivey Willis, and
a special nephew, Oliver
Willis.
A graveside funeral
service was conducted
on Saturday, November
5, 2022, at 11:00 a.m., in
Corinth Church Cemetery
in Meeks, with Rev. Wes
Webb officiating.
Pallbearers were
Mitchell Meeks, Buster
Willis, Howard Mason,
Ronnie Hutcheson, Joe
Martin and Jordan Willis.
Sammons Funeral
Home in Soperton was in
charge of arrangements.
A
Mr. Donnie Knight
Mr. Donnie Knight,
age 71, of Vidalia, died
on Monday, October 24,
2022, at Community Hos
pice in Vidalia after an ex
tended illness.
He was born in
Waynesville and was a 1970
graduate of Brunswick
High School. He worked
for the Southern Company
for 35 years as a supervisor
in outage control. After re
tirement, he worked for the
Tumi Company as an in
ventory control supervisor.
He was a foster parent for
Toombs County, and over
the years he fostered many
children from Toombs and
surrounding counties. He
was a frequent blood do
nor for the American Red
Cross. He was a former
member of the Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints and attended
at Cedar Crossing Bap
tist Church, where he was
baptized as a profession of
faith on June 15, 2022. He
was preceded in death by
his natural parents, Emo
ry Lloyd Knight, Sr., and
Alma Rosalie Knight; 2
brothers, Lloyd Knight and
Charles Knight; 2 sisters,
Laverne Hardee and Ha
zel Anderson; and 1 son,
Ricky Knight.
Survivors include his
wife of 22 years, Joyce Ann
Knight; his children, Mi
chelle Purcell (Dudley), of
Waynesboro, Glenn Knice-
ley (Rachel) of Hardy, VA,
Terra Ramey (Scott) of
Rocky Mount, VA, Staci
Martin (Jimmy) of Lake
Havasu, AZ, and Chris
Laufer of Rocky Mount,
VA; his grandchildren,
Danielle Knight, Gabrielle
Knight, Stonewall Knice-
ley, Katie Kniceley, Hunter
Laufer, Rayann Ramey,
Kevin Kniceley, James
Martin, Aubrey Martin,
Kristin Laufer, and Austin
Laufer; his great-grandchil
dren, Isabelle, Jason, Xan-
der, Reagan, and Dakota;
and 1 sister, Barbara Louise
Barnes (James) of Uvalda.
The funeral service will
be held on Friday, Novem
ber 11, 2022, at 5:00 p.m.,
at Cedar Crossing Baptist
Church in Uvalda.
Memorial contribu
tions may be made to
Cedar Crossing Baptist
Church, P.O. Box 157,
Uvalda, Georgia 30473.
Mr. David McNeal
Mr. David McNeal, age
69, of Alamo, died on Mon
day, October 31, 2022, at
Meadows Regional Hos
pital of Vidalia after an ex
tended illness.
Mr. McNeal was born
in Telfair County, grew up
in Montgomery County,
and lived most of his life
in Wheeler County. Af
ter receiving a Batchelor
of Arts degree from Tiff
College, he worked as a
Deputy Warden of Secu
rity at Dodge County Cor
rectional Institute. There
he received several awards
such as State Correctional
Departments Employee of
the Year. He was a mem
ber of the Wheeler County
Chamber of Commerce,
where he served as presi
dent from 2003-2004.
He was a member of the
Wheeler County Board of
Education for 20 years, a
member of the Wheeler
County Lions Club, and a
supporter of the Wheeler
County High School Ath
letic Department, where
he served many years as the
announcer for the Wheeler
County football games. He
was preceded in death by
his parents, Ottis F. McNe
al and Marjory Hammack
McNeal, and 1 brother, Ot
tis F. McNeal, Jr.
He is survived by his
wife of 47 years, Jennifer
Fulford McNeal; 1 daugh
ter, April Logue (Dennis)
of Alamo; 1 son, Brandon
McNeal ofMetter; 1 grand
daughter, Brooklyn Kram
er of Alamo; 2 grandsons,
Colson and Parker Logue
of Sandy Springs; 1 broth
er, Ken McNeal (Jennifer)
of Vidalia; 2 sisters, Janice
Mock (Jim) of Alamo and
Joyce Allen (David) of
Tarrytown; and numerous
nieces and nephews.
The funeral service was
held on Thursday, Novem
ber 3, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.,
in Alamo United Meth
odist Church. Interment
followed in the Alamo
City Cemetery. Rev. Andy
Brownley and Rev. Dylan
Bowden officiated.
In lieu of flowers, do
nations may be made to
the Alamo City Cemetery
Fund or the Alamo United
Methodist Church.
ALAMO, GEORGIA
Call 537-3131
When You See News Happen
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