Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Page 8A
Funeral Notices,
Continued from 2A
Rozena Furlow
Hickmon
Funeral services for
Rozena Furlow Hickmon
were held on Dec. n, 2021 at
the Donald Trimble Mortuary
Chapel in Decatur.
Rozena F. Hickmon,
daughter of the late Shed and
Dora M. Furlow, was born
Dec. 31,1932 in Thomaston,
and transitioned to her eter
nal home Dec. 8, 2021.
She was educated in the
Upson County School Sys
tem. On April 21, r95i, she
married the love of her life,
Lawrence Hickmon, and to
this union, three sons were
bom: James, Bobby, and
Danny. At an early age, she
joined Pine Chapel Baptist
Church in Thomaston. She
later became a member of
The Travelers Rest Mission
ary Baptist Church, under the
leadership of Rev. T.W.
Hobbs.
Mrs. Hickmon was pre
ceded in death by her siblings,
Shed Robert Furlow, Mary
Frances Washington,
Leander Furlow, Calvin Fur
low, Harvey Furlow, Mamie
L. Patterson, and Geraldine
Chaney.
Rozena leaves loving
memories to be cherished by
her sons, James Richard
(Jannis) Hickmon, Bobby
Lawrence Hickmon, and
Danny Ray (Faye) Hickman;
ro granddaughters, Erica,
MeShanda, Shawnte, Alysia,
Natalie, Marguerite, Erin,
Daphne, Brittany, and Taylor;
21 great grandchildren; one
great-great grandchild; two
devoted daughters-in-law,
Janice Hickmon and Carmen
Hickmon; siblings, Harrison
Furlow of Thomaston and
Doris Bolden of Stone Moun
tain; sister-in-law, Annie Lee
Furlow of Sarasota, Fla.; and
a host of nieces, nephews,
other relatives, and friends.
Donald Trimble Mortuary
of Decatur was in charge of all
professional arrangements.
Mr. Linnie
"Dale" Jackson
Mr. Linnie "Dale" Jack-
son, age 68, of Thomaston,
died Tuesday Dec. 14, 2021 at
Brightmoor Hospice.
Mr. Jackson was born
Nov. 1, r953 in Decatur, Ala.,
to the late Luther Daniel
Jackson and the late Lois
Pierce Jackson. He owned
and operated a constmction
company and was a member
of Northside Baptist Church.
In addition to his parents,
he was preceded in death by
his daughter, Alisha Knight;
and sister, Anita Partee.
Survivors include his wife,
Teresa Loper Jackson of
Thomaston; sons, Jeff (Kim)
upson m
Jm
Jackson of Murfeesboro,
Tenn., Randy (Valerie) Jack-
son of McDonough, Kevin
(Tracy) Jackson of Locust
Grove, Robert (Kim) Murray
of Seguin, Texas., and Tim
Murray of Thomaston;
grandchildren, Brett Jackson,
Katelyn Peters, Deidra Jack-
son, Kolbie Jackson, Austin
Jackson, Jordan Jackson,
Tatum Jackson, Hunter Jack-
son, Destiny Reeves, Dustin
Reeves, Samantha Murray,
Jacob Murray, Dylan Murray,
Raven Murray, Keith Shu
mate, Hunter Knight, and
Holden Knight; and nine
great-grandchildren.
Memorial services were
held Friday, Dec. 17, from
Northside Baptist Church.
The family received friends
Thursday, Dec. 16, at 525
Honeysuckle Drive in Thom
aston.
You may sign the online
guest book and share your
own special thoughts with
Mr. Jackson’s family by visit
ing 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. John James
Murphy “Jack”
Mr. John James Murphy
“Jack,” age 73, of East
County Road, passed away
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. The
BEACON
family will receive friends at
the home of his wife, Mrs.
Mattie Murphy, at 203
Upson Avenue, Thomaston.
Public viewing for Mr.
Murphy was Monday, Dec.
20, at the chapel of Bentley’s
Funeral Home. Funeral serv
ices were held Tuesday, Dec.
21 at the chapel of Bentley’s
Funeral Home in Thomas
ton. Interment followed in
South view Cemetery, located
at 942 S. Church Street,
Thomaston. Rev. Thomas
Willis was the eulogist. Bent
ley’s Funeral Home of Thom
aston is in charge of all
professional services.
Mr. Murphy leaves to
cherish his memories, a de
voted wife, Mrs. Mattie Flor
ence Murphy of Thomaston;
four children, Mr. Myron
Murphy (Susan) of Char
lotte, N.C.; Ms. LaTonya Y.
Character and Captain Step
hanie Murphy, both of Jo
nesboro, and Mrs. Monica
McDowell Coleman (Alvin)
of Kennesaw; four grandchil
dren, Ms. Tiyanna A. Lock
hart of Macon, Mr. Anthony
T. Lockhart of Fort Valley,
Master Aiden Coleman and
Master Justin Coleman of
Kennesaw; sisters and
brothers-in-law, Mrs. Ernes
tine Murphy of New York,
N.Y., Ms. Mary Brown, Mrs.
Minnie Redmond
(Sylvester), and Mrs. Murrie
Harper (Paul), all of Thom
aston, Mr. Jimmy Stevenson
of Jacksonville, Fla.; a de
voted friend for over 60
years, Mr. Emmett (Artis)
Lary of Thomaston; and a
host of nieces, nephews,
cousins, and friends that will
miss him very dearly.
In accordance with CDC
guidelines to help prevent
the spread of COVID-19
virus, we are requiring that
you wear face masks and
please keep a minimum of
six feet between you and
others while visiting the fu
neral home. Please continue
to keep the family in your
thoughts and prayers.
Funeral arrangements
have been entrusted to Bent
ley's & Sons Funeral Home.
For additional information,
please contact us at 706-647-
9689. You may also express
your condolences by signing
the register book on our web
site at www.johnnieebentley-
andsons.com.
Mrs. Lavena
Benefield Sheppard
Mrs. Lavena Benefield
Sheppard, age 97, of Thom
aston, died Friday, Dec. 17,
2021, at her residence.
Mrs. Sheppard was born
Feb. 24, 1924, in Birming
ham, Ala., to the late Thomas
Benefield and the late La-
vada Cole Benefield. She was
a homemaker and a member
of Clarks Chapel Baptist
Church. Mrs. Lavena was a
loving wife, mother, and
grandmother.
In addition to her par
ents, she was preceded in
death by her husband, Can
dler Sheppard; daughter,
Brenda Gail Sheppard; sons,
James Larry Sheppard, Sr.
and Henry Thomas "Tom"
Sheppard, Sr.; and brother,
Kermit Benefield.
Survivors include her
daughters, Janice (Edward)
Boggs of Thomaston and
Cathy (Kevin) Corley of
Thomaston; son, Ronny
Sheppard of Thomaston; nu
merous grandchildren;
great-grandchildren; and
great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were
held Sunday, Dec. 19, from
the chapel of Coggins Fu
neral Home. Burial followed
at Southview Cemetery. The
family received friends Sat
urday, Dec. 18, 2021, at Cog
gins Funeral Home.
You may sign the online
guest book and share your
own special thoughts with
Mrs. Sheppard’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.
The
Upson
Beacon
Yearly
Subscriptions
Mailed to You
for Only:
$29 in Upson
$39 in Georgia
$49 Nationwide
706-646-2382
upsonbeacon.com
Residents Raise $10k-Plus for Kentucky Tornado Relief
Additional Donations Will Be Accepted Through Friday
Luke Haney
Lifestyles Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
In just one week,
members of Upson County
and surrounding areas
have given more than
$10,000 in monetary do
nations, along with pallets
and boxes filled with relief
items, for those affected by
the recent tornado in Ken
tucky.
On Dec. 10, a violent,
long-tracked tornado
moved across western
Kentucky, producing se
vere to catastrophic dam
age in numerous towns,
including Mayfield, Ben
ton, Dawson Springs, and
Bremen. Jinger and Scott
Roberts of Jinger’s Show
case, along with several
others, began collecting
donations following the
news of the tornado, and
have since received an
abundance of support.
While Roberts says she
does not personally know
anyone in Kentucky, she
wanted to make a differ
ence for others during the
Christmas season, after
losing her mother two
years ago and almost los
ing her father last Christ
mas, due to COVID.
“The past two Christ
mases have been hard,”
commented Roberts, “but
God made light through a
difficult time, and God has
led me to help others.”
“I’ve seen people hurt
ing and this has given them
a way to heal through giv
ing to others. I’ve shed
many tears and hear many
stories from people in our
community since I began
collecting donations.”
Last Sunday, Jinger,
her two sons Hayden and
Highland, Father James
Meeks, Brother Jim
Meeks, Danny and Julie
Bishop, along with
Hayden’s fraternity
brothers from Alpha
Gamma Rho at Abraham
Baldwin Agricultural Col
lege, made the journey to
Kentucky to deliver relief
items. The crew also made
stops along the way, meet
ing others who reached out
with additional donations,
including in Ringgold, Ga.
The crew also wrote cards
to give out in Kentucky,
along with Hershey’s
Kisses and monetary dona
tions.
An anonymous donor
out of Griffin provided
multiple pallets of socks,
towels, and other goods.
Additional donations
are being accepted at
Thomaston Windstream,
located at 1444 Highway 19
North, through Friday at 5
p.m. For more infor
mation, contact Mark
Compton at 706-647-2345.
While many are strug
gling to figure out how to
piece their lives back to
gether amid a tragic
winter, help is on the way.
Allie Parnell/Upson Beacon