The Forest-Blade • ummiEmamielCoimtyLive.com • Swainsboro, Georgia • March 3, 2021 5A
May Jones Hooks
slipped peacefully from
this troubled world to be
welcomed at Heaven's
Gate by her Savior, her
loving husband, and
family members who
had gone before on
Wednesday, February
24, 2021. Due to COVID
restrictions, a private
family memorial service
is planned for a later date.
Ms. Hooks was born at
home in Candler County
on July 22' 1926, the third
of four daughters to
Carson and Patriel May
Jones. The four girls grew
up on the family farm,
sharing one bedroom.
After graduation from
Metter High School in
1943, May attended
Georgia State College
for Women (Georgia
College), where she
enjoyed participating in
the College Choir Guild
and was chosen for the
school Acapella Choir
which toured all over
the country. The follow
ing year, she married her
handsome suitor, Vendie
H. Hooks Jr. of Texsy,
who at the time was
serving in the US Coast
Guard. In later years,
V.H. proclaimed that if
he had a daughter, she
would NEVER attend
Georgia State College for
Women, where although
they were married, he
and May could not leave
campus without a chap
erone! Shortly after her
graduation, V.H. complet
ed his military service,
and the couple moved
to Nashville, TN where
V.H. began his studies at
Gupton Jones School of
Mortuary Science. After
his graduation, May and
V.H. returned to Metter
and established Hooks
Mortuary after initial
ly purchasing Kingery
Funeral Home, and later
Johnson Funeral Home in
Metter.
After the arrival of
May Jones
their two sons—Vendie
in 1948 and Jones four
years later—May began
to realize that starting
a business and serv
ing the public would
require some sacrifices.
It was during this time
that May succeeded in
becoming one of the first
female licensed funer
al directors in the state.
Although a private per
son, May found herself in
a very public arena. She
worked hard to main
tain her home (above the
Funeral Home) as her pri
vate space, while keep
ing the business down
stairs. In her profession,
she found herself busy
in community leader
ship roles: the American
Region Auxiliary,
the Georgia Funeral
Directors Association
Auxiliary, and Advisor
for the Candy Stripers
Program at Candler
County Hospital, to name
a few. She was an active
member of First Baptist
Church.
Tong before magazine
articles were written
about achieving “bal
ance", May pursued
balance in her marriage,
in motherhood, and in
her profession. She was
a breast cancer survi
vor, but did suffer from
lymphedema in her arm
following her initial
treatment. Because of
her personal experience,
and through her own
research, she traveled to
Princeton, New Jersey
and learned of what,
at that time, was revo
lutionary treatment for
lymphedema. After her
return, she met with the
boards of University and
Saint Joseph's Hospitals
in Augusta, and was
responsible for both insti
tutions implementing
lymphedema treatment
programs.
May and V.H. faith
fully served friends and
Hooks, 94
neighbors "offering the
kind of service we would
desire" until 1991, when
they retired and moved
from the funeral home
to Willow Take Drive.
As "general contractor",
May lovingly attended to
each step of the design,
construction, furnish
ing, and landscaping of
their new home. She had
finally found her secret
garden and cherished her
privacy.
As unique an individ
ual as God ever creat
ed, folks familiar with
May would say she had
a few 'favorite things":
the color PINK, all things
Asian, gadgets—May
was an "early adopter",
shopping, landscap
ing, fashion and build
ing/design magazines,
sweets, AND of course,
her family—her adoring
husband, those special
sons, daughters-in-law
who became her daugh
ters, six grandchildren,
and eventually eleven
great-grands.
By her grandchildren,
Grandmommie will for
ever be remembered as a
fun-loving grandmother
who cackled uproarious
ly during a funny movie
(legend has it she was
more fun to watch than
the movie!), loved hav
ing her family all togeth
er under one roof, was a
wonderful cook, and also
to the great delight of her
grandchildren, was an
easy target for fun-spirit
ed practical jokes!
May will be remem
bered by all as kind-heart
ed and caring, a sweet
gentle spirit with a conta
gious laugh and smiling
eyes, always thinking of
others first.
Now you see through a
glass, darkly, but someday
you will see Me face to face.
Then you will know fully
how wide and long and high
and deep is My Love for
you. I Corinthians 13:12
David Stan Brown, Tr., 72
David Stan Brown,
Jr., 72, passed away
February 23, 2021.
Funeral services were
Sunday, February 28, at
1 p.m. in the Swainsboro
City Cemetery with
Rev. Charles Holloway
as Eulogist.
Mr. Brown, better
known as "Nan", was
born January 29, 949,
in Johnson County
to the late David
Brown, Sr. and Sarah
Washington Brown.
Early in life, David
joined the United States
Army where he proud
ly served his country
during the Vietnam
War. Following his
enlistment, David
moved to Alexandra,
VA where he worked
at the Headquarters
of Federal Bureau
of Investigation in
Washington, D.C.
David returned to
his hometown of
Swainsboro and start
ed working with GCI
in Reidsville for sever
al years. He also man
aged RACO and was
later employed by the
Sanitary Market. Mr.
Brown became ill and
lived at the Carl Vinson
VA Medical Center
BROWN
in Dublin for several
years. His wish was
granted to come back
and live at home. Mr.
Brown is preceded in
death by his parents
and brothers, Larry
Brown and Jimmy Lee
Brown.
Survivors include
sisters, Mary Brown,
Marion (Jerry)
Williams, and Katherine
(Charles) Jackson, all of
Swainsboro, Glenice
(Hosea) Wynn of
Savannah, and Eleanor
Taylor of Macon; two-
adopted sisters, Tammy
Johnson of Columbus
and Latosha Madison of
Vidalia; four step-chil
dren;, several close rel
atives; nieces, nephews,
and many friends.
Mosley's Funeral
Home was in charge of
arrangements.
It is always wise to think
before we talk and ask Good to
guide our words. And it is
important to look to the Lord
for insight before we leap into
the unknown. It is certainly
critical to pray before we
proceed with any plan. If we
ever fear we are failing it's time
to fall on our knees and ask
God to come to our rescue.
Looking to the Lord for His
directions will give us confi
dence that we are following His
will for our lives and can then
count on His presence. To make
the right choice we must listen
for God's voice.
Not only is God interested in
who we are but what we do. He
is no more interested in the mis
sionary than he is the mechanic.
He is no more concerned for a
preacher than He is a politician.
We read in His Word that "God
so loved the world" - and that
means everyone on it! That
assures us that He has a plan
for every life and will reveal
His plan to those who willingly
search for it and carefully
follow it.
But one plan does not fit all
any more than one size fits all.
He has a different plan for each
of us and various methods to
speak to us. For some it may be
a sermon, for others a passage
of Scripture. He may speak
quietly during a moment of
worship or bolaly during a time
of sickness.
We must always be alert for
His voice. He constantly speaks
to each of us and wants to lead
us on the path He has designed
for us. As He was with the Isra
elites then so He is with us now:
"He guided with a cloud by day
and light from a fire all night©
His presence is constant.
In daylight or darkness, He
waits to be our guide.
Visit us at: SowerMinistries.org
PS 181
yt)0insbos o
LINCOLN
A member of TE Redding
Enterprises, LLC - & Metter Ford
122 Kile Road, Swainsboro 237-7811
Toll Free 1-866-889-FORD
Judy Fagler, 70
HOOKS
Ms. Hooks is preceded
in death by her parents;
husband; and two sisters,
Katrina Jones Mills and
Madge Jones Trapnell.
She is survived by her
sons, Vendie Hudson
Hooks III, MD (Carolyn)
of Augusta and Carson
Jones Hooks (Stephanie)
of Jekyll Island; six grand
children, Vendie Hudson
Hooks IV (Lauren),
Susanna Hooks Sayer
(Jason), Carson J. Hooks
Jr. (Julia), David B. Hooks
(Clare), Christopher
Hooks (Elizabeth), and
Katherine W. Hooks ;
eleven great-grandchil
dren, Anna Logan Hooks,
Virginia Hooks, Riley
Sayer, Caroline Sayer,
Davis Hooks, Hudson
Hooks, Ella Marie Hooks,
Lucy Hooks, Margaux
Hooks, Brer Hooks, and
John Hudson Billings;
and a sister, Nancy Jones
Lanier.
The family wish
es to thank the staff of
Azalea Nursing and
Rehabilitation in Metter
and The Lodge at Bethany
in Statesboro for their
professional care and
concern for May during
her residencies there.
Memorial gifts may
be offered to: Metter
First Baptist Church, 50
S. Rountree St., Metter,
GA 30439 or to the
Foundation for Public
Education in Candler
County, P. O. Box 21
Metter, GA 30439.
Kennedy Funeral
Home Hooks Chapel is in
charge of arrangements.
Ms. Judy Fagler, 70, of
West Palm Beach, Flori
da, passed away Febru
ary 21, 2021. Memorial
service was held Friday,
February 26, at 6 p.m. at
the Chapel of Chapman
Funeral Home with
Pastor Nick Robertson
officiating. The family
received friends from 4
to 6 p.m. Friday, Feb
ruary 26, at Chapman
Funeral Home. In com
pliance with the guide
lines set by the CDC,
6-feet rule was enforced
during visitation and
service.
Ms. Fagler was born
September 29, 1950, in
Lake City, Florida, to
Walter and Dorothy
Fagler. She was a 1968
graduate of Swains
boro High School, went
to cosmetology school
in Atlanta, and was a
hairdresser for years in
Swainsboro and Met
ter. A change in career
choices led her to attend
Armstrong State Col
lege, where she grad
uated with a degree
in radiology. Over the
next thirty-eight years,
Judy worked in some
capacity of radiology
and retired after thirty
years as an MRI tech
nologist. Ms. Fagler
loved reading in her
free time, and would
read hundreds of books
yearly. She was also an
avid seashell collec-
FAGLER
tor. From her walks on
the beach, she would
find the best and most
unique shells to display
at her house. Judy loved
her daughters and her
grandchildren, and
would travel to visit
them for the holidays
and their birthdays. Ms.
Fagler is preceded in
death by her parents;
brother, Tony Fagler;
and sister, Patti Fagler.
Survivors include her
daughters, Holly Hall
and Heidi Hall; grand
children, Devin, Chris-
tabella, Portia, Valenti
no, Jaden, Halo, Tenli,
and Zeus; brother, Mike
(Hope) Fagler; sister-in-
law, Jana Fagler Nunn;
and companion, Rick
Bywater.
In lieu of flowers,
donations may be made
to American Lung Asso
ciation or PulmonaryFi-
brosis.org.
Chapman Funer
al Home of Swains
boro was in charge of
arrangements.
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