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UPSON
BEACON
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Funeral Notices
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706-648-1111
Coggins Funeral Home
321 Hannah's Mill Rd. - Thomaston - 706-647-9681
www.cogginsfuneralhome.com
FLETCHER-DAY
(^funeral Q^€ome
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)
November 4, 2021 - Volume 14, Number 44
Published Weekly by Upson Newspapers, Inc.
219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, GA 30286
P: 706-646-2382
Subscription Price:
$29 Per Year in Upson County
$39 Per Year in State; $49 Per Year out of State
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Postmaster:
Please send address changes to
The Upson Beacon, 219 Thomas Street, Thomaston, Ga 30286
Debbie McClain
Publisher & Advertising Director • diord@upsonbeacon.com
Bridge Turner
General Manager & Managing Editor • bturner@upsonbeacon.com
Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor & Digital Media Coordinator• lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Allie Parnell
Marketing & Sales Manager • aparnell@upsonbeacon.com
Jacob Stewart
Sports Editor & Photographer • sports@upsonbeacon.com
Jean Render
Office Manager & Human Resources • jrender@upsonbeaoon.com
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 pub
lications of which our readers can be proud. We will attain that goal through
diligence, teamwork, and dedication to printing the truth in an accurate, fair,
balanced, and objective manner.
Policies: Signed letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged. We do
not edit for content, only grammar, spelling and punctuation when necessary,
as designated by Associated Press style guidelines. Unsigned, libelous, or
profane letters will not be published. Please limit letters to 400 words or less.
Liability for errors in advertising will not exceed the space occupied by the
error. We reserve the right to edit all submitted materials.
Rev. Joseph "Jabbo"
Lamar Allen
Rev. Joseph "Jabbo"
Lamar Allen, age 70, of Thom
aston, died Tuesday, Oct. 26,
2021, at Emory University
Hospital in Atlanta.
Funeral services for Rev.
Allen were held Friday, Oct.
29, at Silvertown Baptist
Church. Rev. Jim Pitts and
Rev. Travis Graham officiated.
Burial was in the Mt. Zion
Baptist Church Cemetery in
Danville, with Rev. Dwayne
Bedingfield officiating.
Rev. Allen was born to the
late Bernard Joseph Allen and
Zoe Clements Allen Feb. 10,
1951, in Macon, and grew up
in Gordon. He was a graduate
of Mercer University and
Southeastern Baptist Theolog
ical Seminary.
His first pastorate was Ya-
tesville Baptist Church (1975-
1977), and he also pastored
Rock Spring Baptist Church in
Louisburg, N.C. (1977-1982),
Silvertown Baptist Church in
Thomaston (1982-2003), and
retired as associational mis
sionary for the Centennial
Baptist Association (2003-
2011). He was currently a
member and retired worship
leader at Valley Grove Baptist
Church.
Joe’s legacy was developed
over his lifetime, and it really
manifested at Silvertown Bap
tist Church in Thomaston. He
helped create a church with
people at heart. He was born a
leader and answered God’s
calling to devote his life to
God’s work, and he wouldn't
take personal credit for any of
his accomplishments.
He found most outdoor
activities enjoyable, especially
entertaining family and
friends at Lake Sinclair. He
also loved to fish, but unless
his brother-in-law or friends
were with him, he did more
"fishing" than "catching."
Other than his faith in Christ,
family was his most prized
possession. He loved his-in-
laws like his own brothers and
sisters, and nieces and
nephews like sons and daugh
ters. He loved spending time
with his grandchildren,
whether splitting wood,
watching their sporting
events, or simply being in
their presence.
He was married for more
than 52 to years to his God-
loving, faithful wife, who ini
tially led him to Christ. Most
times, when you saw Jabbo,
Reba was near his side and al
ways on his mind and in his
heart.
Rev. Allen is survived by
his wife, Reba Allen of Thom
aston; three sons,
Joey Allen of Bishop, Jason
(Alisa) Allen of Franklin,
Tenn., and Ben Allen of
Thomaston; a sister, Mrs.
Rhonda (Tony) Allen of Dan
ville; and a brother, David
(Lisa) Allen of Gordon; eight
grandchildren also survive.
Those desiring may make
memorial contributions to
Valley Grove Baptist Church,
Christmas Magic Happening Here.
519 Center Street ©
Thomaston f
in front of Houston Clinic g
nutb-PettM/
Saturday, Nov. 6 from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 7 from 11a.
1372 Atwater Road, Thomas
ton, GA 30286, or to Silver-
town Baptist Church Soup
Kitchen, 300 W. Goodrich
Avenue, Thomaston, GA
30286.
Fletcher-Day Funeral
Home was in charge of all ar
rangements. Condolences and
remembrances may be ex
pressed at fletcherdayfimeral-
home.com.
Mr. Carl
Dexter Barnes
Mr. Carl Dexter Barnes,
age 64, who resided at 113
Avenue E in Thomaston,
passed away Monday, Oct. 25,
2021.
A public viewing was held
Friday, Oct. 29 at the chapel of
Bentley’s Funeral Home in
Thomaston. Graveside serv
ices were held Saturday, Oct.
30 at Friendship Missionary
Baptist Church Cemetery in
Woodland. Rev. Cedric Stan
ford is the pastor and Rev.
Niesha Davis was the eulogist.
His precious memories
will be cherished by his loving
and devoted wife, Patricia
Barnes of Thomaston; two
daughters, Chithalia and Chi-
quita of Boston, Mass.; two
step-children, Rhonda Colbert
of Thomaston and Tarius Stin
son of Woodland; nine grand
children, Ashanee, Anyah,
Kal’Leah, Destiny, Ava, Prince
Wynn, and Ivey of Boston,
Mass., Ikedrias and Ja’Rius of
Thomaston; one great-grand
child, Ivy; two siblings, Claude
(Bessie) Barnes, Jr. and Carol
Barnes; sisters-in-law, Chris
tine Reeves and Rosetta
Reeves; and a host of nieces,
nephews, cousins, relatives
and friends whom will miss
him dearly.
Bentley and Sons Funeral
Home of Thomaston was in
charge of the arrangements.
Paul E. Conley
Paul E. Conley, age 80, of
Griffin, passed away on Fri
day, Oct. 29, 2021.
Paul was born in Eastman,
Oct. 2, 1941. His parents,
James and Velma Jones Con
ley, and granddaughter, Brit
tany Jones, all preceded him
in death.
Paul retired from J.C. Pen
ney after 32 years of service,
loved woodworking and going
fishing, and was a member of
Griffin 1st Church of the Naza-
rene. Paul was the neighbor
hood handyman, always
willing to help anyone in need.
Survivors include his wife,
Barbara M. Conley; daughters
and sons-in-law, Sandy and
Wade Self, Athena and Tim
Richardson; grandchildren,
Brook Estrada, Lindsey Self,
Stephan Self, Daniel Self,
Amanda Cooper, Stephen
Cooper, Kaitlyn Dryden; 10
great-grandchildren; sisters,
Juanita Brannon and Sylvia
Helms; brother, James Con
ley; and several nieces and
nephews.
Visitation was Wednes
day, Nov. 3, from 6-8 p.m. at
Conner-Westbury Funeral
Home. A funeral service will
be Thursday, Nov. 4, at 11 a.m.
at Griffin 1st Church of the
Nazarene. Rev. John Strand
will officiate. Interment will be
at Griffin Memorial Gardens.
Conner-Westbury Funeral
Home of Griffin is in charge of
arrangements.
Please join the family and
friends in honoring the life of
Paul E. Conley by visiting
Conner-westburyfuneral-
home.com and posting your
tributes and memories.
Mrs. Sarah Jane
Cravey Flanagan
Mrs. Sarah Jane Cravey
Flanagan left this world a
better place Oct. 27, 2021, in
terrupting her 45th trip to
Jacksonville, Fla. for the UGA-
FLA football game.
As she was known to her
nieces and nephews, Sarah or
Say-Say came into this world
Aug. 8, 1956, to parents Rob
ert and Sassy Cravey in Thom
aston. Sarah blossomed into a
beautiful young lady, gradu
ating from R.E. Lee Institute
in 1974. She subsequently at
tended Young Harris College
with her future husband, stu
dying to become a teacher of
young children.
Upon graduating from
YHC with an associate degree,
she left for a six-week (study
abroad) program that
spanned Europe. She returned
to UGA and began classes
there, got engaged in October,
and married the love of her life
on July 9,1977. Sarah finished
her bachelor’s degree in edu
cation in 1978.
Sarah began her teaching
career at County Line Elemen
tary in Winder, and in 1983
won the Barrow County
Teacher of the Year Award.
She returned to UGA and
completed her master's degree
in early childhood education
in 1984. In 1986 she brought
her daughter Katherine
"Katie" Ruth (named for both
her grandmothers) into this
world in Athens.
Her new family returned
to Thomaston in 1988, where
she continued teaching at
Westwood Academy until
1992 when she bore a son, Za-
chariah Livingston (named for
both his grandfathers), and
became a stay-at-home mom.
Sarah’s father instilled the
desire to travel in her at a
young age, teaching her that
"travel feeds the soul." She
started planning trips with the
help of an old friend and his
tour service. She visited many
of Western Europe's capitals,
but her favorites were Nor
mandy, Bellagio, Monterosso
al Mare, and Chamonix. She
also made good on a wedding
day promise to take her hus
band to her favorite romantic
destination, Murren, Switzer
land.
Sarah was an educator and
teacher at heart. Former stu
dents of all walks of life re
membered her for her kind
ways and ability to get the best
out of them and often called to
see how she was doing and let
her know how they were fa
ring. She had no patience for
liars, cheaters, or quitters and
considered your word as your
bond. Later in life, Sarah
joined the mentoring program
at a local elementary school to
help disadvantaged students.
Sarah worked with the Boy
Scouts of America as a Den
Leader and she was blessed
with an Eagle Scout of her
own. The Altar Guild at FUMC
Thomaston was a favorite pas
sion readying the church
sanctuary for every Liturgical
season. When she was young,
working at Bible school was
always a pleasure. Her kind
ness and ability to cook south
ern and Italian dishes got her
on the Bereavement Commit
tee, where she served those in
times of loss.
Sarah’s favorite social
company was a group of 10
women who referred to them
selves as the Shooter Queens
and were often mistaken for a
ladies’ bowling team when
sporting their monogramed
matching “Q” T-shirts. The
Queens were a tight-knit
group of friends who traveled,
laughed, played, shared,
loved, and cried together
whether at the beach or the
mountains, but as their name
implies, B-52S were always on
the menu.
Nana, Sarah's maternal
grandmother, taught her and
the sisters canasta and bridge
before they were 12 years old
during their summer stays at
Atlantic Beach. Sarah was a
prolific bridge-playing
member of several bridge
clubs and she especially en
joyed playing bridge at the
Senior Center, where she was
the youngest member, bring
ing the average age down to
83-
The Red Cross was dear to
Sarah, and she taught their
Basic Aid Training and CPR
courses before volunteering at
URMC as a Pink Lady. Sarah
worked in the gift shop, help
ing others find gifts and
flowers for their loved ones.
Reading was a favorite pas
time which eventually led to
her service on the local library
board.
Her greatest joy was the
long-anticipated arrival of a
grandchild. On July 4, her
wish came true when daughter
Katie delivered a little girl to
her waiting arms as they
watched fireworks out the
hospital window that evening.
Sarah was a giver and believed
knowledge, character, hon
esty, and service were virtues
worth living. She was a proud
Bank of Upson volunteer. She
lived her life on her terms and
found peace and love in God
and family. Sarah was a bless
ing to all who knew and loved
her.
Sarah Jane Cravey Flana
gan was preceded in death by
her parents, Robert Pinkerton
Cravey and Frances Burpee
Cravey. She is survived by her
adoring and heartbroken hus
band of 44 years, Randall L.
Flanagan; a daughter, Kather
ine (Zubair) Hashmi and
granddaughter Hannah
Hashmi, all of Charleston S.C.;
and a son, Zachariah L. Flana
gan of Atlanta; she is also sur
vived by sisters, Mary (Danny)
Brinks of Greensboro and
Margaret (William) Moseley
of Birmingham, Ala.; and
many cousins, nieces, and
nephews.
In lieu of flowers, her
family would like any memo
rials to go to First United
Methodist Church of Thomas-
ton’s Altar Guild, Upson Re
gional Medical Center’s Pink
Lady, or to the American Red
Cross.
Funeral services were held
Friday Oct. 29, at FUMC
Thomaston sanctuary. Rev.
Bill Britt and Rev. Andy Cun
ningham officiated. The family
will have a private interment
at Oconee Hills Cemetery in
Athens at a later date.
You may sign the online
guest book and share your
own special thoughts with
Mrs. Flanagans’s family by
visiting the Coggins Funeral
Home website at cogginsfu-
neralhome.com. Coggins Fu
neral Home in Thomaston
had the privilege of being en
trusted with arrangements.
Mr. Timothy
Anthony Garland
Mr. Timothy Anthony Gar
land, age 61, of Hawk Eye
Court in McDonough, passed
away Friday, Oct. 22, 2021.
A public viewing was held
Thursday, Oct. 28 at the
chapel of Bentley’s Funeral
Home in Thomaston. Grave
side services were held Friday,
Oct. 29 at Southview Ceme
tery in Thomaston. Pastor
Jimmy Lyons was the eulogist.
Mr. Garland leaves to cherish
his memories, his wife, Deb
orah Foster Garland of McDo
nough; three children,
Charissa S Garland, Jessica
Lyons, and Jerrod Foster, all
of McDonough; his mother,
Lavern Flowers of Thomaston;
father, Johnny Garland of Co
lumbus, Ohio; one brother,
Glenn Garland of Pensacola,
Fla.; three sisters, Jeannie
Garland, Carol Draine, and
Cynthia Ellerbee, all of Thom
aston; aunts, Annie M. Furlow
of Cleveland, Ohio, Evelyn
(Lonnie) Wilder of Salem
Community, Cynthia (Robert)
Parker, Tommie L. Garland,
Minnie Ruth Garland, and a
very special and devoted aunt,
Mrs. Laurine F. Thornton;
uncles; Larry (Clementine)
Parker and Harry Parker, all of
Thomaston; great-uncle,
Frank (Vanessa) Holloway of
Atlanta; and a host of other
relatives and friends that will
miss him very dearly.
Elizabeth Juliette
Arnold Greivell
Nov. 1,1933 - Oct. 30, 2021
American painter
Juliette died peacefully at
Seasons Hospice in Cumming,
with family by her side.
Juliette (later nicknamed
Judy by her brother Hays) was
Funeral Notices, Page 6A