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The ADVANCE, May 17, 2023/Page 8A
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Obituaries
Mrs. Ethyleen Westberry
Mrs. Ethyleen West-
berry age 84, of Vidalia,
died on Tuesday May 9,
2023, at Memorial Health
Meadows Hospital in Vida
lia after a sudden illness.
Mrs. Westberry was a
lifelong resident of Vidalia.
She retired from Oxford
Industries after 40 years as
a utility operator. At the
age of 65, she received her
General Education Di
ploma and was chosen to
speak at the Georgia State
Capitol, where she re
ceived the EAGLE award
for adult literacy. She was
a member of the First As
sembly of God, where she
served in the Women’s
Ministries and the Chil
dren’s Church Bus Minis
tries for 10 years. She was
preceded in death by her
husband, Jessie Westberry;
her parents, Jim and Alma
Black; and siblings, Curtis
Black, Maedine Spell, and
Geraldine Johnson.
Her loved ones include
her 3 daughters, Sharon
E. Lindsay and husband
Glenn of Lyons, Karen
Wilkes-Pedatella and hus
band Gino ofMoultrie, and
Marian Strom of Vidalia; 2
sisters, Earline Hardiman
and Christine Sikes, both
of Lyons; 6 grandchildren,
Misty C. Osborne and
husband Bruce, Anthony
Wilkes and wife Meghan,
Kayla Purcell and husband
Mike, Kelsey Dattage and
husband Jacob, Chandler
Strom and wife Natalie,
and Zack Strom and wife
Emily; 17 great-grandchil
dren; 9 great-great-grand-
children; and several nieces
and nephews.
The funeral service
was held on Saturday af
ternoon, May 13, at 1:00,
at Wilkes Funeral Home,
with Blake Hardiman offi
ciating. Burial followed at
Lakeview Memorial Gar
dens.
Pallbearers were Ran
dy Spell, Ricky Taylor,
Danny Spell, Greg Sikes,
Chris Galbreath, Matt Hol
ley, Bob Jones and Greg
Fowler.
WILKES
FUNERAL HOME
Mr. T.A. Moxley
Mr. Thomas Alexan
der “T.A.” Moxley, age 87,
of Vidalia, died on Sunday,
May 7, 2023, at Oxley Park
Health and Rehabilitation
in Lyons after an extended
illness.
Mr. Moxley was a
native of Montgomery
County, a 1954 graduate
of Mt. Vernon-Ailey High
School and lived in Mont
gomery County until mov
ing to Vidalia in 1976. He
worked at Piggly Wiggly
Southern many years un
til their closing, and later
worked at Handy Andy
for several years. He was a
member of Vidalia Baptist
Temple. He is preceded in
death by 2 wives, Betty Jo
Wilson Moxley and Bobby
Jean Hightower Moxley;
his parents, Joseph Chess
Moxley and Della Jim
Hughes Moxley; 1 brother,
Bernard Moxley; and 1 sis
ter, June Davis.
His family includes 2
brothers, Jack Moxley and
wife Patsy of Lyons and
Wendell “Hoss” Moxley
and wife Johnnie of Vida
lia; 1 niece and 3 nephews;
and 3 stepchildren, includ
ing Jimmy Holt and wife
Janice of Vidalia.
There will be no ser
vices at this time.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Virgil Patrick
Mr. Virgil Lee “Buddy”
Patrick, age 78, ofNorman-
town Community, died
on Sunday, May 7, 2023,
at Community Hospice
House in Vidalia after an
extended illness.
Mr. Patrick was a na
tive of Palmetto, FL, mov
ing to Toombs County as a
child, and then later mov
ing to Bradenton, FL. He
was a graduate of Southeast
High School in Bradenton
and later earned a degree in
Airframe and Power Plant
from Embry-Riddle Aero
nautical University in Day
tona Beach, FL. He worked
with Ryder Truck Rentals
as a diesel mechanic and
retired after 22 years of
service. After retirement,
he returned to Toombs
County in 2003. He was a
Baptist by faith. He is pre
ceded in death by his son,
Thomas Lee Patrick; his
parents, Virgil Patrick and
Rena Carroll Patrick; and
2 siblings, Edna Morris and
Robert Patrick.
His family includes his
wife of 59 years, Connie
Hoevener Patrick of Nor-
mantown; 2 children, Les
lie Patrick Skrzypek and
husband Laslew of Tampa,
FL, and James Bradley Pat
rick and wife Stefanie of
Arizona; 5 grandchildren,
Alton, Paulina, Sonia, Ve
ronica and Lydia; and 1
brother, Jack Patrick and
wife Rene of Toombs Cen
tral.
A memorial service
will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, me
morial contributions may
be made to the Ameri
can Cancer Society, P.O.
Box 6704, Hagerstown,
MD 21741, or by visit
ing their website at cancer,
org, or Community Hos
pice Foundation, P.O. Box
2277, Vidalia, GA 30475.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mother Evelyn McRae
Mother Evelyn McRae,
age 96, died on May 10,
2023.
Mother McRae was
preceded in death by her
husband, Minister Wil
bert McRae, Sr.; her father,
Thomas Jefferson Outler;
her mother, Anna Outler;
and several siblings.
Survivors include 3
sons, James (Monique)
McRae, Savannah, Wil
bert McRae, and Steven
(MeMe) Lewis, Atlanta;
4 daughters, Carrie Sum-
mersett, Novella McRae,
Frankie (Herman) Joyce,
Lyons, and Henrietta (Al
len) McArthur, Vidalia;
1 sister, Evangelist Es-
tella Joiner, McCall, SC; 1
brother, James (Barbara)
Outler, Vidalia; 22 grand
children; 44 great-grand
children; 38 great-great-
grandchildren; and many
nieces, nephews, cousins,
and friends.
The funeral service was
held on Tuesday, May 16,
at 1:00 p.m., at East Park
Church of God in Christ.
TIidalta
Jfluneral Home
106 Pine St., Vidalia
537-8887
Mrs. Armenia Sharpton
Mrs. Armenia Sharp-
ton of Vidalia died on May
5, 2023, at Landmark Hos
pital in Savannah.
Mrs. Sharpton was
preceded in death by her
parents, and her husband,
Rev. Butler Sharpton.
Survivors include 1
daughter, Stacy (Chris)
Freeman, Vidalia; 1 son,
Marcas (Christy) Ricks,
Vidalia; 1 niece, Sebrena
Adams, Vidalia; 6 grand
children; and 1 great
grandchild.
The funeral service
will be held on Saturday
at 11:00 a.m. at St. Paul
A.M.E. Church in Vidalia.
Tltiialta
Shuteral idame
106 Pine St., Vidalia
537-8887
Star
continued from page 7A
upcoming reelection cam
paign.
The theme that he is
championing is freedom.
“Freedom, personal
freedom, is fundamental to
who we are as Americans,”
is how he opens the video.
But what can our presi
dent be thinking about?
The vision of America’s
founders was freedom. It’s
why the focus of our Con
stitution, as originally
crafted, was to limit govern
ment.
Not so complicated.
More government, less free
dom.
Today’s clear direction
of the country, particularly
under the leadership of
Biden, is toward much
more government and
much less freedom.
We’ve got staggering
national debt because poli
ticians choose to not be
honest with citizens by rais
ing their taxes every time
they increase spending. In
stead, they spend and bor
row.
According to the U.S.
Treasury Department, fed
eral expenditures accounted
for 25% of our GDP in
2022. In 2015, they ac
counted for 20%.
One not-so-subtle hint
where Biden stands is his
calling the $4.5 trillion in
spending cuts over 10 years
proposed by Republicans
“draconian.” The total
spending in the budget re
cently submitted by Biden
calls for $82.2 trillion in
spending over 10 years.
$4.5 trillion cuts out of
$82.2 in spending is any
thing but draconian.
What does all this mean
for minority Americans
Biden claims to care so
much about?
The median age of the
nation’s white population is
43.7; of Blacks, 34.6; and
Hispanics, 29.7.
The growing debt bur
den over time will fall dis
proportionately on these
younger black and Hispanic
Americans. A legacy of
massive debt, bloated gov
ernment, sclerotic eco
nomic growth, and life on
an ever-expanding govern
ment plantation is the fu
ture Biden is laying out for
the minority Americans he
allegedly cares about.
A just-issued report
from the U.S. Government
Accountability Office bears
the title “The Nation’s Fis
cal Health: Road Map
Needed to Address Pro
jected Unsustainable Debt
Levels.”
Everyone seems to un
derstand that national debt
larger than our entire na
tional economy is a crisis
needing attention.
Everyone, that is, ex-
Amber
continued from page 7A
me,” I add. “Anything you
feel like making is fine.”
I appreciate his trying
to help me through this is
sue more than he will ever
know.
While it seems weird
that a perfectly healthy
middle-aged woman would
grow tired of food, it ap-
cept Biden.
If America’s future is to
be free, the work needed
today is to get government
back in line, the point of the
Republican Limit, Save,
Grow Act. Otherwise, we
can continue the current
ride to socialism and a fu
ture as a country that once
was great.
Star Parker is president of
the Center for Urban Renewal
and Education and host of the
weekly television show "Cure
America with Star Parker." To
find out more about Star
Parker and read features by
other Creators Syndicate
writers and cartoonists, visit the
Creators Syndicate website at
www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS.
COM
parently is a rather com
mon problem. I have three
friends who told me they
are in the same boat. “Let us
know what you figure out,”
they said to me last week.
So I’ll continue to fight
my food fatigue and find
answers for myself and oth
ers going through a similar
food funk. By the way, what
should I make for dinner to
night? Or tomorrow night?
Or the next day?
Mrs. Lucy Kramer
Mrs. Lucy H. Kramer,
age 87, of Cedar Crossing,
died on Sunday, May 14,
2023, at Oxley Park Health
and Rehab in Lyons after
an extended illness.
Mrs. Kramer was born
in Toombs County and
was a 1953 graduate of
Toombs Central School.
She married her husband
and moved to Blooming-
dale where they lived for
several years. She worked
in Bloomingdale at Pat
rick’s Market, where she
played catcher for the
company softball team.
She returned to Toombs
County in 1974, worked at
Cedar Crossing Grocery,
and later was a door greeter
at Walmart in Vidalia. She
attended Cedar Crossing
Baptist Church and was a
member of Georgia Power
Ambassadors. She is pre
ceded in death by her hus
band of 66 years, Floyd F.
Kramer; her parents, Oscar
Eugene Hitchcock and Etta
Mae Chastain Hitchcock;
and 3 brothers, Charles
Gardiner, Claude “Ju
nior” Gardiner, and Bobby
Hitchcock.
Her family includes
2 sons, Keith Kramer and
Melvin Kramer and wife
Vicki, all of Cedar Cross
ing; 1 daughter-in-law,
Tonya Kramer of Vidalia;
4 grandchildren, Keisha
Kramer Powell and hus
band Derek, Ethan Kramer
and wife Hali, Jodi Kramer
and Jeremy Kramer; 4
great-grandchildren, Land-
on, Natilyn, Sawyer, and
Caroline; 1 brother, Eu
gene Hitchcock and wife
Joan of Marietta; and nu
merous nieces and neph
ews.
A graveside funeral
service will be Wednesday
morning, May 17, at 11:00,
at Lakeview Memorial
Gardens, with Pastor Ron
nie Saxon, Pastor Reece
Mincey and Pastor Melvin
Kramer officiating.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Cedar
Crossing Baptist Church,
P.O. Box 157, Uvalda, GA
30473.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mrs. Annie Wrenn
Mrs. Annie “Grace”
Poole Wrenn, age 93, of Vi
dalia, died on Wednesday,
May 10, 2023, at Meadows
Park Health and Rehabili
tation Center in Vidalia af
ter an extended illness.
Mrs. Wrenn was born
in Blountstown, FL, and
lived most of her life in Vi
dalia. From an early age she
had a love for music and
played guitar and sang on
the radio and with numer
ous bands and later wrote
songs. Grace and her hus
band moved to Macon,
where she worked in the
emergency room. She was
a member ofMt. Zion Bap
tist Church. She is preced
ed in death by her husband,
Edmund E. Wrenn, Sr.; 1
son, Edmund E. Wrenn, Jr.;
her parents, Elbe Poole and
Tressie Mosley Gordy; and
1 brother, Herman Poole.
Her family includes 2
sons, Stephen M. Wrenn
and wife, Dorothy of Vi
dalia and Kenneth Wayne
Wrenn of Waycross; grand
children, Paula Wrenn,
Jeremy Wrenn, Michael
Wrenn, Rena Barwick,
Chad Carter and wife,
Debra and Sue Warren; 8
great-grandchildren; and
several nieces, nephews
and cousins.
The graveside funeral
service was Thursday, May
11, at 3:00 p.m., at Mt.
Zion Baptist Church Cem
etery.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Mr. Reginald Dix, Sr.
Mr. Reginald Leonard
Dix, Sr., age 54, died on
Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
Mr. Dix was born in
Vidalia and was a lifelong
resident of Starke, FL. He
was preceded in death by
1 brother, Jimmy L. Ed
wards, Jr.
Survivors include his
parents, Debra and Calvin
Hill of Georgia and Robert
Dix of Florida; 1 son, Regi
nald L. Dix, Jr., (Kenya)
of Florida; 2 granddaugh
ters, Kengie and Kaylani
Dix; 6 brothers, Thomas J.
(Mona) Dix, Calvin Dix,
and Chris (Tameka) Jones,
Jr., of Georgia, Roderick
(Wanda) Bowers, Terrance
(Nicole) Dix, and Lamont
Dix of Florida; 6 sisters,
Latasha R. (Mark) Burton,
Cynthia L. Edwards, and
Tonya Kitchesn of Geor
gia, Tunisia Dix-Tinson
and Santana (Laris) Paige,
and Tangula S. Brooks of
Florida; his girlfriend, Per-
tema Robinson; 1 godson,
Jeremiah Hernandez; and
many aunts, uncles, niec
es, nephews, cousins, and
friends.
Tlidalta
Shuteral idome
106 Pine St., Vidalia
537-8887
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