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Thursday, March 18, 2021
The Upson Beacon
24-Hour Obituary Line
Oatt anytime - day or night
706-648-1111
Coggins Funeral Home
321 Hannah's Mill Rd. -Thomaston - 706-647-9681
www.cogginsfuneralhome.com
FLETCHER-DAY
(^funeral QtfCome
Since 1893
Obituary Line
(706) 648-0008
or go to www.fletcherdayfuneralhome.com for up-to-date information
Crystal Hill Monument Co.
Let us help you create a fitting
tribute to a loved one.
706-647-9685
A division of Coggins Funeral Home
Call Ryan Fulghum or Kenny Coggins
BARNESVILLE
Marble & Granite Company
Serving Middle Georgia for 112 Years
Designers
& Manufacturers of
Marble, Granite
and Bronze
Memorials
Since 1908
Owned and Operated by
George and Janice Moore
770.358.1470
124 Railroad Street • Barnesville
The Upson Beacon (ISSN or USPS 25625)
March 18,2021 - Volume 14, Number 11
Published Weekly by Upson Newspapers, Inc.
108 East Gordon Street, Thomaston, GA 30286
P: 706-646-2382
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Jean Render
Office Manager & Human Resources
The Upson Beacon is proudly published for the citizens of Upson County by
Upson Newspapers, Inc., locally owned and operated by Debbie McClain and Bridge
Turner. Our goal is to produce quality, community-oriented publications of which our
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ication to printing the truth in an accurate, fair, balanced, and objective manner.
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edit all submitted materials.
Funeral Notices
Mr. Tom Martin Jr.
Mr. Tom Martin, Jr., age
6o, of Barnesville Street in
Thomaston, passed away
Saturday, March 6, 2021 at
Upson Regional Medical
Center.
Public viewing for Mr.
Martin was held Thursday,
March 11 at the chapel of
Bentley’s & Sons Funeral
Home, located at 518 North
Hightower Street in Thom
aston. Virtual services were
held via Zoom Saturday,
March 13. Bentley’s & Sons
Funeral Home was in
charge of all professional
services.
Mr. Martin leaves to
cherish his memories, his
wife, Mrs. Mary Lee Hutch
erson Martin of Thomaston;
two children, Valarie Smith
(Mark) of Jackson and
Tommy Carlton (Pauline) of
Thomaston; five grandchil
dren, Michael Martin of
Jackson, Brandon Jordan
(Aajah), Tommy Martin Jr.,
Quienyetta Martin and
Ethan Martin, all of Thom
aston; one great-grandchild,
Ayden Jordan of Thomas
ton; 10 siblings, Tommy Lee
Martin and Wilson Martin
(Dianne), all of Thomaston,
Marjorie Hayes of Los An
geles, Calif., Helen Ellison,
Betty Brown, Brenda Boclor
(Bob), Gwendolyn Horton,
and Robert Martin, all of
Cleveland, Ohio, and Walter
Keith Martin and Kathy
Johnson (Jeffery) of Utah;
and a host of nieces,
nephews, cousins and
friends that will miss him
dearly.
Mr. Milton Raines
Mr. Milton Raines, age
60, of Main Street in Thom
aston, passed away on Wed
nesday, March 3, 2021 at
Providence Nursing Home.
Luneral services were
held Wednesday, March 10
at Bentley’s & Sons Luneral
Home, located at 518 North
Hightower Street in Thom
aston. Interment followed in
the Salem Baptist Church
Cemetery. Rev. Ricky
Wright was the eulogist.
Bentley’s & Sons Luneral
Home was in charge of all
professional services.
He leaves to cherish his
memories, one daughter,
Chrystal Sullivan (Bruce);
two grandchildren, Amo-
desty Lerguson and Zicyrion
Ferguson; one sister, Ru-
thell Alsobrooks of Thomas
ton; aunts and uncles, Fan
nie Mae Raines, Catherine
Ivey, and Wilson Raines Jr.
(Mildred) of Salem Com
munity, Hattie Lee Dawson
(Alton) of Thomaston, Elea
nor Daniely (Murphy) of
Macon, George Raines
(Elinda) of Kalamazoo,
Mich.; and niece, nephews,
cousins, and friends that
will miss him dearly.
Maria Lynn Van Riper
(Del Monte)
Maria Lynn Van Riper
(Del Monte) passed into
Heaven March 14, 2021, at
her home in Newnan. Her
final moments here were
spent enjoying a beautiful
Sunday afternoon, visiting
with family.
Maria was born Sept. 23,
1963, in Van Nuys, Calif.,
the youngest of six children,
to James and Helen Del
Monte. Most of her youth
was spent in Simi Valley and
Ventura.
Maria was a dedicated
worker at Piedmont New
nan Hospital, where she was
loved and respected. Her
warm, loving demeanor en
deared her to anyone who
met or worked with her.
Maria was a born-again
Christian of strong faith and
attended Unity Baptist
Church. Family, particularly
her grandchildren, were the
most significant source of
joy for Maria. She and Jim
were also blessed to have
many memories of travels to
beautiful destinations.
Maria also enjoyed watch
ing NASCAR and Atlanta
Braves baseball.
Maria was predeceased
by her parents.
Maria leaves beautiful
memories to her husband
James Edward Van Riper I;
children, Joshua (Deanna)
Smith, Kimberly (Spencer)
Harp, Jacob (Wendy)
Smith, William Van Riper,
James Van Riper II (Han
nah), and Jennifer Van
Riper; grandchildren Noah,
Camden, Eli, Emma, Bar
rett, and Langston; and
mother-in-law Geraldine
Van Riper.
Maria is survived by
brothers, James (Diane) Del
Monte, Joseph (Susan) Del
Monte, Robert (Ute) Del
Monte, Laurie (Brian)
Croker, and Michael
(Shawna) Del Monte.
A celebration of her life
service will be Saturday,
March 20, at 11 a.m. in the
chapel of McKoon Funeral
Home, located at 38 Jack-
son Street in Newnan, with
Rev. James E. Wiggins offi
ciating. Interment will fol
low at Forest Lawn
Memorial Park in Newnan.
The family will receive
friends Friday, March 19,
from 5-7 p.m. at McKoon
Funeral Home.
Family encourages those
who wish to present a me
morial gift in honor of
Maria, to do so at
https ://cholangiocarci-
noma.org/donate/in-liew-
of-flowers/. Condolences
may be expressed to the
family at www.mckoon.com
McKoon Funeral Home &
Crematory.
Mr. Narvin
Russaw Jr.
Mr. Narvin Russaw, Jr.
of Adams Street passed
Monday, March 8, 2021 at
Upson Regional Medical
Center.
Graveside services were
held Saturday, March 13 at
Antioch Baptist Church
Cemetery in Taylor County.
Pastor Alfred Bunidey offici
ated, assisted by Evangelist
Sandra T. Trice.
Mr. Russaw was edu
cated in the public schools
of Taylor County. He was a
member of Antioch Baptist
Church in Taylor County,
and was formerly employed
by Georgia Pacific Paper
Company.
He was survived by four
children, Mr. Andomariuam
(Giselle) Wilder of Rex, Mr.
Narvin (Laurie) Russaw, III
of Chatsworth, Calif., Mr.
Justin Russaw of Tempe,
Ariz., and Ms. Rashonna
Russaw of Antioch, Tenn.;
two grandchildren, Denari
Russaw and Ava Wilder;
one sister, Ms. Mary Russaw
of Thomaston; two
brothers, Mr. Joe Lewis
Daniel of Orlando, Fla. and
Mr. Robert Russaw of the
Salem Community; and sev
eral nieces, nephews, cous
ins, and other relatives and
friends.
Trice Funeral Home was
in charge of all professional
arrangements.
Mrs. Katie Ruth
Coefield Flanagan
Mrs. Katie Ruth Coefield
Flanagan, age 87, late of
Brightmoor Hospice, Grif
fin, died Friday, March 12,
2021.
Mrs. Flanagan was born
Sept. 19, 1933, to William
Coefield and Cora Ham
monds Coefield in Heflin,
Ala. Born a Baptist, she
married a Methodist minis
ter, Rev. Hubert L. Flana
gan, Jr., Jan. 14,1956. Katie
began her 47-year journey
as a Methodist preacher's
wife, helping to start St.
James United Methodist
Church in Athens, and sub
sequently serving Georgia
Methodist churches in Hart
well, Winder, Thomaston,
Rome, Augusta, and Griffin.
She worked tirelessly for
the churches, doing all the
good she could for all the
people she could in all the
ways she could for as long as
she could. Among "Miss
Katie's" favorite ministries
were the Heifer Inter
national, the Methodist
Children's Homes, United
Methodist Women, Samari
tan's Purse, Meals on
Wheels, and serving as a
guide for the Georgia Gov
ernor's Mansion, but her fa
vorite pastime was cooking.
She was one of the best with
recipes in five cookbooks.
Christmas was her fa
vorite time of the year, and
whether using her seam
stress talents to make Chris-
mon Trees, handmade
needlepoint prayer cushions
for the altar, Advent
wreaths, or costumes for the
Manger scene, she always
made the season more spe
cial.
Through the years,
Katie's home decorations
celebrated every season. She
filled the spring with six
weeks of flowers, St. Pat
rick’s, The Masters, and
Easter. Summer was water
melons, homemade
churned coffee ice cream,
making it always seem like a
picnic. The fall brought out
her wardrobe of red and
black and tailgating in
Athens with the Bulldogs.
Somehow “Grammy" and
"PaPa" always made it back
in time for church on Sun
day.
Katie's life was centered
in the church and was a
blessing to all who knew
her. Whether she was
called, MaMa, MoM, Katie
or Grammy, her "love you
bunches" answers always
made you feel good.
Katie was preceded in
death by her parents and
husband. She is survived by
three sons, Randall L.
(Sarah) Flanagan of Thom
aston, Reid W. Flanagan of
Griffin, W. Patrick (Lauren)
Flanagan of Griffin; two
grandsons, Zachariah L.
Flanagan and Wesley R.
Flanagan; Six grand-daugh
ters, Katie F. Hashmi, Mary
Bay Flanagan, Molly Reid
Flanagan, Margaret L. Fla
nagan, Maia Price, and
Maddi Price; and three great
grand-daughters, Camilla
Taylor, Alice Scott Amerson,
and Hannah Noor Hashmi.
In lieu of flowers, con
tributions should be made
to The Altar Guild at Griffin
First United Methodist
Church. Haisten McCul
lough Funeral Home was
entrusted with all arrange
ments.
Funeral services were
held Monday, March 15, at
Griffin First United Meth
odist Church, Rev. Bill Britt
officiating. The family held a
private internment service
Tuesday, March 16 at
Oconee Hill Cemetery,
Athens, overlooking San
ford Stadium.
Thank you!
„ Thank You for voting
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219 H. Church St. - Thomaston - 706-648-6644
Open: Mon., Tues., Thurs. & Fri. 8 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. • Wed. & Sat. 8 a.m. - noon.
U-Haul Rental
Marcus South Named to Upper Flint
Regional Water Planning Council
Marcus South of Upson County was
among 84 appointments made to the Re
gional Water Planning Councils recently
by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp.
Joining South as appointees to the
Upper Flint Regional Water Planning
Council are Kenneth Murphy of Meri
wether County, and Steve Fry and Rodney
Hilley, both of Pike County. Gene Brun
son of Taylor County was re-appointed to
the Upper Flint Council.
The 11 Regional Water Planning
Councils represent 68 counties in Geor
gia. The councils’ decisions determine
preferred water management practices
for each region’s water resource needs.
WILDFLOWER WALK
SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2 0 2 1
10:00 AM
Registration is required. Limited capacity
^ Please wear a mask during program.
5 PER PERSON & $5 PER VEHICLE
Please call (706) 601-6711 for more
information and to register