Newspaper Page Text
The ADVANCE, October 4, 2023/Page 16A
(Eift Aiiuancg
TCEA MEETING — At the September meeting of the
Toombs Country Retired Educators Association, Jenni
fer Jones, Branch Manager of the Dr, Mark and Tonya
Spivey Library, gave the retired educators a presenta
tion about the new library and the programs that are
now available there. L to R: TCREA President Lucy Claroni
and Jennifer Jones.
Business Expo
Welcomes Over
75 Vendors
By Makaylee Randolph
Staff Writer
mrandolphadvance@gmail.com
The annual Greater
Vidalia Business Expo will
welcome the public to pe
ruse a record number of
vendors on Thursday, Oc
tober 12.
The event will be held
from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the
Vidalia Community Cen
ter and will host 25 more
vendors than the typical
50 booths that are set up
each year. In past years,
the event has enabled
around 500 individuals to
connect with local busi
nesses in the area, allow
ing them to see and hear
about products and ser
vices in person. “No other
event gives you the oppor
tunity to meet with this
many potential customers
in one day,” Greater Vi
dalia Chamber President
Michele Johnson empha
sized.
Tickets are required
for all attendees, except for
children ages 5 and under.
Tickets purchased prior
to the event are $10 each,
while those purchased at
the door are $20 each. For
more information, or to
secure your tickets, call
(912) 537-4466.
In the Short Rows:
Sharing the Road
with Farm Vehicles
By Lauren Stanley
Montgomery Co. Agriculture
& Natural Resources/4-H
Youth Development Agent
I can’t begin to de
scribe the amount of effort
a producer puts into their
crops. From pre-plant de
cisions to monitoring rain,
constantly checking fields,
sometimes replanting,
and caring for the crop, a
lot happens between the
farm and your plate. Just
one of those processes is
harvesting the crop. To
do this, many producers
have to move their equip
ment from field to field,
which sometimes means
going from one end of
the county to the next, or
traveling to a neighboring
county. Here are a couple
of things to keep in mind
as we move into the har
vest season.
Always look for the
orange (or red) sign on the
back of farm equipment! A
triangular orange/red sign
indicates a slow-moving
vehicle. Be sure to slow
down! According to a
statistic shared by Ameri
can Farm Bureau, it only
takes approximately five
seconds for a car traveling
fifty-five miles per hour
to close the distance of a
football field on a tractor
or combine. Stay aware,
and slow down!
I’m sure we’ve all been
there- late to work, and
going a bit faster than we
should, when we come
up on a slow-moving ve
hicle... resist the urge to
pass farm equipment until
it is safe to do so. Never
pass on curves or hills, at
intersections, or railroad
crossings and bridges. If
you choose to pass, do so
at a safe speed. Some farm
vehicles are wider than tra
ditional lanes, so be sure
to take note of oversized
equipment. Move over if
possible and when safe to
do so.
Most of all, be pa
tient and be aware - look
for slow-moving vehicle
signs, flashing lights, flags
indicating wide loads,
and hand signals from
the driver. Allow room
between your vehicle and
theirs in the lane, as farm
equipment moves slower
and requires more time for
braking. And if you end up
behind a farm vehicle, be
sure to thank the producer
driving it - they’re work
ing hard to ensure our
country’s safe, secure food
supply!
Obituaries
[ " T
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Ms. Cathy Lewis
Ms. Cathy Collins
Lewis, 71, of Vidalia, died
on Tuesday, September 26,
2023, at Community Hos
pice House after a brave
battle with an extended ill
ness.
Ms. Lewis was a native
ofVidalia and a 1970 gradu
ate of Vidalia High School.
She was long employed by
the Georgia Department
of Corrections, serving as
Deputy Warden of Telfair
State Prison before retiring
in 2016. She was a member
of First Baptist Church of
Vidalia. She is preceded in
death by her father, John
F. Collins; and mother and
stepfather, Melvin Page
and Myrt Braswell Page.
Her family includes 2
sons, Collin McMichael
and wife Laura of Raleigh,
NC; and Curtis McMi
chael ofVidalia; 1 brother,
Charles Collins and wife
Debbie of Jekyll Island; 2
grandchildren, Taylor Mc
Michael and Susan McMi
chael; and several other
relatives.
A memorial service
will be held on Saturday,
October 21, at 2:00 in the
afternoon, in the chapel
of Ronald V. Hall Funeral
Home.
The family will receive
friends at the funeral home
on Saturday at 1:00 until
just prior to the service.
Flowers are appreci
ated, but Cathy also had
tremendous love for the
people of Community
Hospice House and the Al-
tama Museum of Arts and
History and any offering in
lieu of flowers would honor
her as well.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Ms. Maxine Wilbon
Ms. Maxine McCall
Wilbon age 58, died on
September 17, 2023, at
Memorial Health Universi
ty following a brief illness.
Ms. Wilbon was em
ployed with Oxley Park
Health and Rehab in Ly
ons. She was preceded in
death by her father, Percy
Lee McCall, Sr.; 2 brothers,
Bruce McCall and Broadus
McCall; and 1 sister, Debra
Robinson.
Survivors include 1
son, James A. Hunt III
(Paulette), Vidalia; 1
daughter, Bridget Hunt,
Vidalia; her mother, Geor
gia Era McCall; 1 brother,
Percy Lee McCall, Jr. (Glo
ria); her sisters, Christine
Gaffney (Willie Fred),
Justine Kent (James), and
Debbie Valentino; 4 grand
children; and many other
relatives and friends.
Tliiialta
iFuncral Home
106 Pine St., Vidalia
537-8887
Mr. William Cook, Sr.
Mr. William Ernest
“Bill” Cook, Sr., age 80, of
Thomaston, died Saturday,
September 30, 2023, at Up
son Regional Medical Cen
ter.
Funeral services for
Mr. Cook were held Mon
day, October 2, at 2:00
p.m., at Thomaston First
Baptist Church with Rev.
Bryan McPherson and Rev.
Ted Kandler officiating.
Graveside services were
held Tuesday, October 3,
at 2:00 p.m., at Sardis Bap
tist Church Cemetery in
Wheeler County, Georgia.
Mr. Cook was bom
on February 7, 1943, in
Dodge Coun
ty, Georgia,
a son of the
late Eugene
Cook and
the late Vera
Mae Kelly Cook. He was
a 1961 graduate of Telfair
County High School. He
served his country in the
U.S. Army Reserves. He
graduated from Georgia
Southern College with a
Specialist in Education and
he then began a successful
career in education. During
his thirty-three plus years in
education, he was principal
of Lumber City Elementary
School, superintendent of
Wheeler County Schools,
and finally assistant super
intendent of Thomaston-
Upson Schools, where he
retired. He enjoyed golfing,
fishing, reading, and wood
working. Bill, as he was af-
fectionally known, loved his
family dearly, especially his
grandchildren.
Mr. Cook was a deacon
and member of Sardis Bap
tist Church and most re
cently a member of Thom
aston First Baptist Church
where he served as a dea
con.
Mr. Cook is survived
by his loving wife of 59
years, Sue Winham Cook
of Thomaston; his children:
Bill Cook, Jr., of Thomas
ton, Lynn (Tony) Broyles of
Gainesville, and Paul (Mary
Beth) Cook of Vidalia;
his sisters, Patricia (Paul)
Batovsky of Georgetown,
Tennessee, and Veronica
(John) Jordan of Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina; his
grandchildren, Fisher (Bec-
ca) Cook, Macy (Chad)
Holt, Jordan (Caleb) Wat
son, Ryan (Tiffani) Hum
phrey, Hart Cook, and Jase
Cook; and his two great
grandchildren, Thor Holt
and Lucas Watson. Several
nieces and nephews also
survive.
In addition to his par
ents, Mr. Cook was pre
ceded in death by his sister,
Betty Hunter; his brother,
Wayne Cook; his son, Clin
ton Allen Cook; and his
grandson, Jared Bradley
Humphrey.
Those desiring may
make memorial contri
butions to the Thomas
ton First Baptist Church
Youth Ministry, 208 South
Church Street, Thomaston,
GA 30286.
Fletcher-Day Funeral
Home of Thomaston was in
charge of all arrangements.
Full Paid Obituary
Ms. Mary Smith
Ms. Mary Elizabeth
Thompson Smith, age 35,
died on September 30,
2023.
Ms. Smith was bom in
Beaufort, SC. She gradu
ated from Wofford College
in 2011, and went on to be
come the mother of 3 girls,
Elizabeth Charlotte Smith,
age 5, Penelope Jane Smith,
age 3, and Betty Caroline
Smith, age 1. She is sur
vived by her parents, Bob
by and Susan Thompson;
the father of her children,
Daniel Smith; 2 sisters,
Tara Thompson Williams
(Justin) and Polly Thomp
son Mangerson (Jake);
and many other family
members and friends.
The funeral service
was Tuesday afternoon
October 3, 2023, at 2:00,
at Tabernacle Baptist
Church, with Pastor Bob
by Thompson officiating.
Burial followed at Thomp
son Family Cemetery near
Mt. Vernon.
Pallbearers were Jeff
Hughes, Ben Hughes, Jeff
Thompson, Derek Wess-
inger, Cliff Phares, Bradley
Phares, Jake Mangerson,
and Justin Williams.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
t
Mr. Cary Clark
Mr. Cary Adam Clark,
age 45, of Alamo, died on
September 28, 2023.
Mr. Clark was bom
in Dublin and was a long
time resident of Wheeler
County. He was a gradu
ate of Wilcox County
High School and Georgia
Southern University, and
was a member of Alamo
Methodist Church. He
worked for the U.S. Forest
Service as a forester after
completing his Master’s
degree. He participated as
a valued team member in
several successful archeo
logical digs in the United
States and Mexico. He
was preceded in death by
his grandparents, Tollie B.
Wade, Willie Cranton, and
Billy and Elizabeth Clark.
Survivors include his
parents, Cary and Marion
Clark of Alamo; 1 sister,
Christy Wray (Tommy)
of Camilla; nieces, Loren
Wray and Taylor Wray; and
numerous aunts, uncles,
and cousins.
The funeral service was
held on Monday, October
2, 2023, at 11:00 a.m., at
Alamo Methodist Church.
Interment followed in the
Clark Family Cemetery.
ALAMO, GEORGIA
Ms. Renee Dupuis
Renee Jean Dupuis,
age 57, passed away Friday,
September 22, 2023, at
UF Health in Jacksonville,
Florida. She was born De
cember 19, 1965, in Mer
iden, CT, to John Frederick
and Margarette Dupuis.
She worked as a sales as
sociate at Walmart in Vida
lia, Georgia, for the past 9
years.
Renee was a gener
ous and kind person who
would do anything for oth
ers. She loved the beach,
spending time with her
family, and she cherished
her beloved dogs.
Renee is survived by
her children, Cheryl Os-
burne, Carol Ramos, and
Kevin Depuis; grand
children, Dulce Ramos,
Cristian Olan, and Emma
Dupuis; siblings, Dennis
Dupuis, Jeffery Dupuis,
and Christine Thanasides.
She is predeceased in death
by her parents and brother,
Randy Dupuis.
There was a celebra
tion of life in Deland, Flori
da, on Saturday, September
23, 2023, for famiy and
friends.
Full Paid Obituary
with City Manager Nick Overstreet
A 25 minute program about the City ofVidalia featuring
City Manager Nick Overstreet and special guests.
Tune in the second Tuesday
4
of each month at 8:05 AM.
WYUM