Newspaper Page Text
Page 10A
The Braselton News
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Obituaries
Mark Kenton Hayes
HOSCHTON — Mark Kenton Hayes, 74,
Hoschton, passed from his earthly home Thursday,
July 13, 2023.
Mr. Hayes was bom
in Gainesville, a son
of the late Mark Henry
Hayes and the late Mar
ion “Peggy” Skinner
Hayes and lived much
of his life in Jackson
County, and later in Tal
lulah Falls, where he
was know as “Mountain
Man”.
Kenton was a member
of Walnut Fork Baptist
Church and later attended Camp Creek Baptist
Church, Tallulah Falls.
Kenton was a man of many talents who loved
the outdoors, horses, antiques, pottery and spend
ing time with his family and friends from all walks
of life.
He had a great love of genealogy and many times
came away from a visit having made a family con
nection. He loved Native American culture and
history, collecting antiques, making saddles and
other leather products. His storytelling was unpar
alleled and he was an avid reader. A stroke in 2010
took his mobility from him but his mind and love
of life remained.
He is survived by his sisters, Claire (Elton) Mad
dox and Rexine Howard; brothers, Jim Hayes, Le
muel (Cheryl) Hayes and Wendell (Patty) Hayes;
and by a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and
friends.
The family wishes to thank God and his care giv
ers at The Oaks in Baldwin, for their great care and
comfort for the last 12 years. We sincerely appreci
ate the personal touch of the staff.
Funeral service: Thursday, July 20, 2023, at
7 p.m. from the chapel of Evans Funeral Home
with the Reverend David Ash officiating.
Family to receive friends: Thursday, July 20,
2023, from 5-7 p.m. at Evans Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the
Cross Training Sports Camp, 4774 Clarks Bridge
Road, Gainesville, Georgia 30506, attention:
Claire Maddox or to www.ctsmission.org in mem
ory of Mr. Kenton Hayes.
Evans Funeral Home, Inc., 1350 Winder High
way, Jefferson, Georgia, 706-367-5467. Online
condolences at www.evansfuneralhomeinc.com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of July 16-22
Ruth Martin Whitfield Kepler
ALTO — Ruth Martin Whitfield Kepler, 93,
Alto, passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
Mrs. Kepler was bom
on May 3, 1930, in Ste
phens County, to the late
Otho H. Martin and Res-
sie Ayers Martin. In ad
dition to her parents, she
was preceded in death
by her first husband,
Otho Hardman Whit
field; second husband,
William W. Kepler;
step-son, Steve Kepler;
sisters, Katherine Mar
tin Dalton and Sue Martin Woodbury; brothers,
Earl Martin, Ed Martin, Hansel Martin, Jim Martin
and William Martin; and great-grandsons, Daniel
Tatum and Michael Wethington.
Ruth was a member of Enon Baptist Church
since August of 1957 and had retired as the owner
and operator on Ruth’s Beauty Shop with 30 years
of service.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law,
Janice and Buddy Cantrell, Alto; sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Rick and Carolyn Whitfield, Alto, and
Randy and Lori Whitfield, Buford; step-children,
Karen Sue Hill, Linda Warner, Margaret Cooley,
Walter Kepler and Richard M. Kepler, all of By
ron, Ohio; brother, Butch Martin, Cornelia; 10
grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; and 12
great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral service: Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at
11 a.m. at the Whitfield Funeral Home, South
Chapel with the Rev. Tim Beasley and Kevin Sar
gent officiating. Interment will follow in the Enon
Baptist Church Cemetery where she will be laid to
rest by her first husband, Otho Hardman Whitfield.
The following gentlemen will be honored to serve
as pallbearers, Levi Whitfield, Clay Whitfield,
Drew Cantrell, Heath Neal, Peyton Gilliland and
Jacob Evans.
Family to receive friends: Monday, July 17,2023,
from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in
Ruth’s Memory to Enon Baptist Church Cemetery
Fund, 7321 Old Cornelia Highway, Alto, Georgia
30510.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whit
field Funeral Home, South Chapel, 1370 Industri
al Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511, 706-778-
7123.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of July 16-22
Grady Lee
BRASELTON — Grady Lee, 75, Braselton,
passed away on Friday, July 14, 2023, surrounded
by his family, on the same piece of land that he was
born on.
Mr. Lee was an avid
outdoorsman that en
joyed fishing and hunt
ing. Grady retired as a
carpenter. He was a de
voted family man and
was of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Lee was a mem
ber of Trinity Baptist
Church in Auburn.
Mr. Lee was preceded
in death by his parents,
Wiley Lee and Martha
Carter Lee; and siblings, Lucille Hammond and
Lewella Elliott.
Mr. Lee is survived by his loving wife, affection
ately known as Grady’s “Chief and Sugga”, Ber
tha Baughcum Lee; son, Jimmy “BoBo” (Jennifer)
Lee; daughters, Tina Lee and Becky (Kathleen)
Lee; sibling, Lewnell Thomas; seven grandchil
dren, Mikayla (Tiffany) Lee, Jerricah Hancock,
Elizabeth (Ryan) Shirley, Meghan (Justin) Ste
vens, Ethan Lee, Christi (T.J.) Solsberry and Aaron
(Brittany) Samples; 12 great-grandchildren; and a
host of extended friends and family also survive.
Funeral service: Sunday, July 16, 2023, at 3 p.m.
in the chapel of Carter Funeral Home with the Rev.
Frankie Green officiating.
Family to receive friends: Sunday, July 16,2023,
from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Carter Funeral Home.
The family welcomes flowers or donations may
be made in his memory to Trinity Baptist Church,
1434 Cronic Town Rd., Auburn, Ga. 30011.
Carter Funeral Home, Winder, is entrusted with
the arrangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of July 16-22
Jimmy Lee Lomax
BETHLEHEM — Jimmy Lee Lomax, 79, bom
in Alto on April 12, 1944, passed away on July
10, 2023, at his home in Bethlehem, Georgia, sur
rounded by family and friends.
Jimmy was prede
ceased by his mother
and father, Dimie and
Elmer Lomax; brothers,
Bobby, Benny and Jip;
sisters, Ruby and Nora;
and niece, Angie.
Jimmy is survived by
his wife of 52 'C years,
Patsy; daughters, Tam
my and Robyn; son,
Shane; grandchildren,
Timothy, Gabrielle, Ty
ler and Abby; and great-grandson, Raymond.
Jimmy, with his family, settled in Bethlehem in
1971 after serving in the U.S. Army Military Po
lice with 3 '/2 tours of duty in Vietnam and a tour
in Turkey.
His civilian career started with the Barrow Coun
ty Sheriff’s Office as the only junior deputy at the
time. He later worked for the police departments
of Snellville and Stone Mountain, followed by ser
vice as a revenue agent for the State of Georgia.
He went on to join the Georgia Bureau of Investi
gation, during which time he obtained a bachelor’s
degree in Criminal Justice.
Jimmy also served in the Georgia Army Nation
al Guard, retiring in 1994. He later retired from
the GBI as Special Agent Principle in 1999. He
came out of retirement to serve as chief deputy for
Walton County and then chief deputy for Barrow
County. After 50 years in law enforcement, Jimmy
finally retired in 2015.
He was a member of the Freemasons and Shri-
ners. He donated to the local community, and he
and his wife Patsy were sponsors to St. Jude Chil
dren’s Research Hospital.
He was passionate about his family and his ca
reer. He spent many years enjoying his lake cabin,
taking fishing trips to the coast, and going on ocean
cruises with his family and friends.
He will be deeply missed by all who knew him as
husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend
and colleague.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“May You Rest in Peace Pop”.
Smith Funeral Home, Winder, is in charge of ar
rangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of July 16-22
Annette Richey
COMMERCE — Annette Richey, 105, Com
merce, died Thursday, July 13, 2023, at home.
A native of Jackson County, Mrs. Richey was a
daughter of the late T. Homer and Elizabeth Ben
ton.
Mrs. Richey was a homemaker and a longtime
member of Cabin Creek Baptist Church where
she taught the children’s Sunday School class for
many years. She enjoyed working outdoors tend
ing to her many flowers.
Mrs. Richey was preceded in death by her hus
band, R. Victor Richey Jr.; four sisters, Gladys
Standridge, Hortense Benton, Zelma Williams
and Allene Harris; and one granddaughter, Wen
dy Reynolds Timler.
Mrs. Richey is survived by sons and daugh-
ter-in-law, Sidney and Xylda Richey, Columbia,
Tenn., and Tom Richey, Douglasville; daughters
and sons-in-law, Janice Perdue, Commerce, Di
ane and Marlie Turner, Powder Springs, Helen
and David Reynolds, Commerce, and Pam and
Bob Smith, Braselton; six grandchildren; and 11
great-grandchildren.
Per the request of the family, a private burial
will take place at Cabin Creek Baptist Church
Cemetery in Commerce.
Family to receive friends: Saturday, July 15,
2023, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Little-Ward Funeral
Home.
Memorials may be made to Cabin Creek Bap
tist Church Cemetery Fund, Warren Fowler, PO.
Box 117, Commerce, Ga. 30529.
Little-Ward Funeral Home, Commerce, is in
charge of arrangements.
Curtis Daniel Stowe
COMMERCE — Curtis Daniel Stowe, 91, Com
merce, passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at
his residence.
Mr. Stowe was bom
in Camesville, to the
late Howard Dewitt and
Grace Lord Stowe. Mr.
Stowe retired from Sci
entific Atlanta, was an
aviation mechanic in the
U.S. Air Force and he
loved to garden.
In addition to his par
ents, Mr. Stowe was also
preceded in death by his
son, Jimmy Stowe.
Mr. Stowe is survived by his wife, Flora Hucthi-
son-Haldane Stowe, Commerce; daughter, Cindy
Brookshire (Dennis), Commerce; grandchildren,
Beth Hargita (Matt), Tori Anderson (Kyle), Andrew
Brookshire and Nicholas Stowe; five great-grand
children; and sister, Peedee Adams, Commerce.
Funeral service: Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at
11 a.m. from the chapel of Little-Ward Funeral
Home with the Revs. Kalvin Naef, Carl Nelson
and Sharon Wahlin officiating with the interment
following at Grey Hill Cemetery.
Family to receive friends: Monday, July 17,
2023, from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Little-Ward Funeral Home, Commerce, is in
charge of arrangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of July 16-22
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