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The ADVANCE, January 17, 2024/Page 8A
aHie Ahuance
Obituaries
Mr. Coogan Williams
A true southern gentle
man and stranger to none,
Jack “Coogan” Williams,
73, passed away peacefully
in Rock Hill, South Caro
lina, on January 13, 2024.
Bom in Atlanta, Georgia,
on December 28, 1950, he
was the son of the late Jack
Warren (“Coogan”) and
Lluuana Thompson Wil
liams.
He moved with his
family at the age of five to
the South Thompson com
munity of ■
Lyons, Geor-
gia. Until he \ £ SEs.
graduated \
from Lyons \
High School
in 1969, his childhood was
spent mostly on his fam
ily’s farm. His former wife
of 41 years, Kathryn McAr
thur, was his high school
sweetheart whom he mar
ried soon after graduation.
He served in the army from
1971-1973 before return
ing to work at his father’s
business, Coogan’s Feed
Mill. In the early 80s, he
began working for Geor
gia Power. Shortly after his
retirement from there, he
moved to Charlotte, North
Carolina, to be near his
children.
He is survived by his
six children: Molly Chason
Williams, Sarah Kathryn
McMillan (John Mark),
John Coogan Williams
(Emily), Andrew McAr
thur Williams (Sarah), Ste
phen George Williams (Ev-
ane), and Abigail Louisa
Soentgerath (Chris).
He is also survived by
his eleven grandchildren:
Jude Williams, Moses
Dove, and Louisa Clover
McMillan; Reese Faire,
Abraham Coogan, and
Shepherd Milloy Williams;
Harlowe Zion and Roman
McArthur Williams; Hol
land Faye Williams; and
Lukas Jorg and Sadie Ryn
Soentgerath.
He is also survived by
the following: His former
wife, Kathryn McArthur
Williams; his sister, Nancy
Williams Stanley (James);
and his three brothers,
Dannie Williams (Gwen),
Tommie Williams (Stepha
nie), and Clint Williams
(Teri).
Coogan Williams was
a unique man truly loved
by all who knew him. He
instantly put you at ease
with his hospitality, play
ful humor and sincerity.
There was not a disingenu
ous bone in his body! One
of his longtime friends said
of him, “He taught me hu
manity by the way he ap
proached life and people.”
John, Coogan’s eldest
son, said that if he could
only choose one word to
describe his father it would
be “passionate.” Coogan
was passionate about Jesus
and raising his children to
know Him; he was passion
ate about music, garden
ing, and animals. Whether
he was leading you by the
hand to show you the new
blooms in his teeming gar
den or his latest yard sale
finds, he never missed the
opportunity to connect
with you. He made time
stand still in that way.
The Williams family
invites you to come cele
brate and honor the life of
Coogan at South Thomp
son Baptist Church (225
S. Thompson Rd., Vidalia,
GA) on Saturday, January
20 with a time of visitation
beginning at 1:00 p.m. and
the funeral service to fol
low at 2:30 p.m. Burial will
follow at the church’s cem
etery.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
Mr. Wayne Foskey
Mr. Wayne Foskey,
age 81, of Lyons, died on
Tuesday, January 9, 2024,
at Community Hospice
House of Vidalia after a
brief illness.
Mr. Foskey was a na
tive of Montgomery Coun
ty while living most of his
life in Toombs County. He
spent his career as a home
builder in the area and was
the founder of Wayne Fo
skey & Sons Construction
Company. He is preceded
in death by his parents,
Ezra and Monica Foskey;
his brothers, Troy, Roy, and
J.D. Foskey; and his sister,
Merle Roberts.
Survivors include his
wife, Kitty Foskey of Ly
ons; sons, Chuck and wife
Lisa Foskey of Lyons and
Joey Foskey and Emily Pit
tman of Lyons; daughters,
Denise and husband Phil
Cittadino of Duluth, GA,
and Amanda France and
Tony Powell of Lyons; his
brothers, Steve and wife
Brenda Foskey of Lyons,
Glen and wife Debbie Fo
skey of Uvalda, Dale and
wife Connie Foskey of
Milledgeville, Darwin “P-
nut” and wife Tammy Fos
key of Mt. Vernon; his sis
ters, Carolyn and husband
C.L. Palmer of Vidalia,
Debra and husband Randy
Ussery of Beechmont, KY,
and Joann and husband
Bobby Joe Ward of Mt.
Vernon; 9 grandchildren,
Kristen, Nick, Kayla, Jake,
Katie, Little Joey, Char-
leigh, Carson, Hannah; 14
great-grandchildren; and
several nieces, nephews,
and other relatives.
The funeral service
was Thursday, January 11,
at 4:00 p.m., in the chapel
of Ronald V. Hall Funeral
Home, with Rev. Billy Nee-
Smith officiating. Entomb
ment will follow at a later
date at the Foskey Family
Cemetery in Lyons.
Flowers are accepted,
or those desiring can make
a donation to the Commu
nity Hospice Foundation,
P.O. Box 2277, Vidalia GA
30475.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Coach Bill James
Coach Bill James, age
72, of Vidalia, died Fri
day, January 12, 2024, at
the Community Hospice
House in Vidalia after an
extended illness. He was
born in Vidalia, Georgia,
where he lived his entire
life. Bill was a member of
Vidalia First United Meth
odist Church. He was a
1969 graduate of Vidalia
High School. He gradu
ated with an Associate of
Arts degree from Brew-
ton-Parker Junior Col
lege and was a member
of the 1970-71 baseball
team. Bill was inducted
into the Brewton-Parker
College Hall of Fame in
2022. He would go on to
earn a Bachelor’s degree
in Education from Geor
gia Southern University.
Coach James started his
teaching career at Toombs
County, where he taught
for four years before mov
ing to J.R. Trippe Middle
School, where he would
teach for 34 years. He was
instrumental in starting
the J.R. Trippe Olympics,
which is still a tradition to
day. Bill was chosen as the
J.R. Trippe Teacher of the
Year in 1996-97. Coach
James worked at the Vi
dalia Recreation Depart
ment for 50 years, where
he won numerous State
Championships, but more
importantly, helped shape
the lives of countless boys
and girls throughout his
career. He especially took
pride in coaching the Mite
Boys All-Star team, where
he instilled great values
and morals into young
Amber
continued from page 7A
bicides then walk away to
let them wither for days to
their death. I prefer dig
ging them up (which is
quite a feat since the tap
root grows almost to Chi
na) because it just feels a
bit more humane to me. I
know that’s crazy, but it’s
just how I feel.
And I often pon
der why certain plants
are considered “weeds.”
Americans have labeled
the humble dandelion
with this rather cold-
hearted term, but in Italy
and France, the plant is
embraced because every
part of it is edible. Euro
peans harvest the leaves
of dandelions when they
are young and tender, be
fore they flower, and cook
them into delicacies. I’ve
eaten the leaves in salads,
and they are quite tasty,
but you can’t wish upon a
men. When he was not
teaching or coaching, Bill
was an athletic official
with the Georgia High
School Association for 40
years. He is preceded in
death by his parents, Bill,
Sr., and Louise Robinson
James.
He is survived by his
wife of 42 years, Phyl
lis Smith James; one son,
Hunter James and wife
Maggie; one daughter,
Wendi Cason and hus
band Miles; four grand
children, JoAlbie James,
Banks Cason, Barnes Ca
son and Ellisyn James, all
of Vidalia; two siblings,
Greg James and wife Mary,
and Patricia Clark and
husband Joey, all of Vida
lia; and several nieces and
nephews.
Coach James was
mostly known for his
unique coaching habits
and traditions. Although
you could often find him
on a ball field or at a gym,
his true pride and joy was
his family. His grandchil
dren were able to bring
him much joy during the
last few years of his life.
If we could tell you any
thing from Coach James,
it would be to always give
110%, there is no “I” in
TEAM, and always take
the first pitch.
The family received
friends at Vidalia Cor
nerstone Church Activity
Center on Monday after
noon, January 15, from
1:00 until just prior to the
memorial service which
was held at 3:00 with Pas
tor Brian Durden officiat
ing.
Flowers are accepted,
or memorial contributions
may be made to Commu
nity Hospice Foundation,
P.O. Box 2277, Vidalia,
GA 30475.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
leaf. You have to let it be to
get the fuzzy fun part.
Collectively, through
out time, how many
wishes have been made
on dandelions? A million?
A billion? More? What if
we could hear the echoes
of every single childhood
wish made upon their
fuzz?
So the next time you
encounter a field of dande
lions, don’t dismiss them
as mere weeds. Instead,
see them as storytellers
and conduits of wishes
waiting to be heard. Bend
down, make a wish, and
release it into the warm
Southern air. For in that
simple act, you become
part of the timeless dance
between dreams and the
dandelion’s delicate seeds.
You become part of a
communion between the
dreamer and these emis
saries of hope of the bo
tanical world. Most of all,
you become young again.
Mr. Jimmy Newton
Mr. James “Jimmy”
Edward Newton, age 72,
of Baxley, died Friday,
January 12, 2024, at Ba
con County Hospital af
ter a brief illness. He was
a native of Phenix City,
Alabama, but lived most
of his life in Baxley and
Vidalia. He was a 1969
graduate of Smith Station
High School and retired
from Southern Company
at Plant Hatch as a me
chanical engineer super
visor. He was a member
of Cornerstone Renewal
Church in Baxley, and he
enjoyed politics, building
birdhouses, and his dog,
Harley, but he especially
loved time spent with his
family and friends. Jimmy
is preceded in death by his
son, Mark Newton; par
ents, Roy and Polly New
ton; brother-in-law, Derek
Joiner; and nephew, Mi
chael LaMarca.
His family includes
his daughter, Amy Sikes
and husband Don of
Cobbtown; two sisters,
Star
continued from page 7A
“injustice,” that “we are
God’s children.”
He spoke about not
being afraid of death, that
“I just want to do God’s
will,” and then spoke those
famous words that he’d
been “to the mountain
top” and that he’d seen
“the promised land.”
“I’m not worried about
anything. I’m not fearing
any man. Mine eyes have
seen the glory of the com
ing of the Lord.”
Can anyone imagine a
leader of a major political
or social movement today
speaking this way?
Over these 60 years
since the Civil Rights Act
became law, courts took
the Bible and prayer out of
public schools, legalized
abortion and changed our
legal understanding of
what defines marriage.
The godless socialism
of DEI — diversity, equity,
inclusion — has replaced
good and evil as our per
spective on social justice.
As we have purged re
ligion and replaced it with
politics, we have lost the
core of a religious world
view. There is good and
evil, and the Creator gave
free choice and personal
responsibility to choose to
each individual.
Without this, the free
dom we allegedly care so
much about has little
meaning.
Government has be
come our new religion. In
1964, federal spending
Genith LaMarca and hus
band Kenny of Jonesboro
and Molly Joiner of Ath
ens; three grandchildren,
Shelby Sikes, Jackson
Newton and Ella Newton;
nieces and nephews, Tony
LaMarca and wife Joyce,
Scott Greer and wife Katy,
Kara LaMarca, Wiley
Greer, Hill Greer, Kendall
Ortiz and husband Mar
ty, and Makenna Ortiz;
former wife, Linda New
ton of Cobbtown; best
friends, Kenny Horowitz,
Gene Vickers, Joe Smith
and Tony Forehand; and
several other friends and
neighbors.
The family will receive
friends at Cornerstone
Renewal Church (330 1st
Street, Baxley, GA) on Sat
urday afternoon, January
20, from 12:00 noon until
just prior to the memorial
service at 2:00, with Pas
tor Tony Forehand offici
ating. Inurnment will fol
low at Sunlight Cemetery
in Cobbtown at a later
date.
Memorial contribu
tions maybe made to Cor
nerstone Renewal Church,
P.O. Box 1075, Baxley, GA
31515.
Ronald V. Hall
FUNERAL HOME
"Memories, of a Lifetime of Love"
Full Paid Obituary
took 17.3% of our GDP.
Today it takes 24.4%. In
1964, gross federal debt
equaled 46.2% of our
GDP. Today it equals
119.8%.
It is an unfortunate
quirk of history that the
Civil Rights Movement,
led by a Black Christian
pastor, reached its peak at
the moment when Ameri
cans decided to start ban
ishing the Bible from our
culture.
A movement informed
by good and evil and per
sonal responsibility has
been replaced by politics,
interest groups and victim-
hood.
The community most
hurt by the purge of per
sonal responsibility that
defines individual free
dom is the one that started
out the weakest and the
greatest victim of our
moral failures.
Without a new birth of
faith, we for sure will not
have a new birth of free
dom in America.
The whole nation and
our future are in danger.
And the weakest, those
whom the socialists claim
to care the most about,
will suffer the most.
Star Parker is president of
the Center for Urban Renewal
and Education and host of
the weekly television show
"Cure America with Star
Parker." Her recent book,
"What Is the CURE for
America?" is available now.
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.
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856 Lyons Center Road, Lyons, Georgia 30436
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email: clarkshawmonu@att.net