Newspaper Page Text
12A
_MAY 14,1998 AUGUSTA FOCUS
Personal service is key
to success for Mount Olive
_By Christy Allen
afiUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
" AUGUSTA
.. For Gary Blythe, family services
. director of Mt. Olive Memorial
“Gardens, success in the burial
. business has the same attributes
“as any other business. The o'fca
“tor must provide detailed and per
!sonal service.
For five years he has been the
director and he enjoys his work.
_ “Ithasalwaysbeen thebusiness
-1 was interested in,” Mr. Blythe
.said. “It’s the closest business to
-'the ministry you can be in without
‘ being ordained.”
.~ Mr. Blythe hasbeen the director
at Mt. Olive for five years, but
things began to change less than a
_ year ago when a Texas-based cor
. poration — Memorial Operations
' — gained control of the once fam
_ily-owned cemetery.
' The new owners have planned a
"round of expansions, includingthe
“installation of a 95 crypt patio
mausoleum named in honor of the
"late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The mausoleum will contain some
200 niches for cremation entomb
ment.
“Thisis our way of showing com
mitment to the familiesin the com
munity who choose above ground
entombment,” Mr. Blythe said.
We Invite You To
BAPTIST CHURCH
Dr. Sam Davis, pastor
1434 POPLAR STREET
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA 30901
TELEPHONE: (706) 724-1086
Baptist Training Union (BTU) at 6:00 p.m. Sunday
Sunday School at 9:30 Sunday momning
Bible Study 7:00 p.m. Wednesdag,aand 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Prayer Service at 11:00 Saturday morning
85 Christian Ministries
All Services Are Bible-based and Holy Spirit-led
2nucuSTA'S BEST GO6PEL 0o -
A Sonshine 16 s
s ; ; *:;{:” a
= Love You Gan Listen To
| (706) 738-9191 Business
P.O. Box 1454 (706) 738-0044 Request
Augusta, Georgia 30903 (706) 733-0044 Request
N
e b
/ ;s;,\‘l : y
‘.“;:*: P ‘ i )
B R
’ - ¢ N g?
A g
o g :
by
. ’ * ’
4 :, ‘ 1 i
/ . o ‘ ]
s i w
& l' LY
g 4
Gary Blythe (seated) is joined by some members of his staff.
Also pictured (L-R) are Jason Brown, Melissa Dearman, and
Eddie Makin. Photo by Charles Jones
Giving the business a personal
touch is important, especially for
bereaved survivors, Mr. Blythe
believes. He has drawn on the ex
perience of having buried close
family members, including his
mother. That experience was an
unhappy one for him.
“You need to make sure who
ever is taking care of your family’s
funeral services, takesit seriously.
I make sure all of my employees
take this business as seriously as I
There is $l.B billion in Black
buying power in Augusta
Moy Selig Center for Economic Growth, 1997
Mpirit
do,” Mr. Blythe said. He wants his
staff to see that what they doisa
career and not just a job.
“People are not just a numberat
Mt. Olive. There aren’t too many
people who walk through the door
whose first name I don’t know,”
he added. That is not the case with
some of the larger businesses
whose employees rarely remem
ber a customer after the passage of
six months, he said.
Business continues to grow and
We are reaching out.
. Come and worship with us.
® ® ®
Antioch Missionary
®
Baptist Church
1454 Florence St. (706) 724-2809
Rev. Kenneth B. Martin, pastor
Sunday School—9:3o a.m.
Sunday Worship—ll:oo a.m.
Wednesday Worship—l2:oo noon
Wednesday Praise and Bible Study—7:oo p.m.
services continue to improve, Mr.
Blythe said.
“Unfortunately, the growth in
business has been due to violence,
car accidents, and AIDS, predomi
nantly in youth,” Mr. Blythe said.
The motivation for being in the
business, however is not economic,
Mr. Blythe said. “The money will
be there if you take care of the
people.”
Mr. Blythe is proud of the repu
tation he has earned — especially
in the African-American commu
nity, which forms the bulk of his
clientele.
“Peoplewho pick Mt. Olive, trust
us with their family’s remains and
with their heritage — that’s ever
lasting.”
Unfortunately, it is discrimina
tion among some others in the
business that often leads African
Americans to seek out Mt. Olive.
“If I tell you something will be
done, it will be done,” Mr. Blythe
said.
Mr. Blythe's staff consists of
three counselors, two maintenance
men, two sec‘retaries, and two
phone clerks.
Blythe and his staff look for
ward to a lasting relationship with
the community and — as always
—it will be kept on a personal
level.
IMMB:TMCIIM, 112 Walker St. of Augus- |
ta, will hold its spring revival May 18-21, beginning at 7 p.m. nightly. |
Guest pastor will be Rev. William B. Blount, pastor of Greater Young
Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Rev. Grady Wicker Jr. is pastor.
8 Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 1505 Essie Mclntyre Blvd. !
of Augusta, will hold its revival May 18-22, beginning at 6:30 p.m. ’1
nightly. Guest lecturer will be Rev. J.E. Hightower of Atlanta, Ga. |
Guest revivalist will be Dr. George Weaver of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. |
Rev. Clarence Moore is pastor. !
® Historic Springfield Baptist Church, 114 12th St. in down- !
town Augusta, will hold a Women’s Day Worship on Sunday, May 24, |
at 11:16 am. Guest speaker will be Sis. Sharon C. Caldwell, '
executive director of the Augusta Homeless Task Force. Rev. E.T.
Martin is pastor. ¢
® Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 1358 Laney-Walk- |
er Blvd. of Augusta, will host its Third Annual Gospel Fest on Sat., |
May 23, at the Jessye Norman Amphitheater at Riverwalk Augusta, :
from 1 to 9 p.m. All church choirs, soloists, ensembles, male choirs, °
musician and quartets are invited to be a part of this fellowship |
through song and praise. Dress will be very casual. For more !
information, contact Rev. Marion Williams at (706) 724-5850 or 869- |
4014 (pager.) &
fln”h MEMORIAL GARDENS
Getting acquainted special.
Bring this ad and receive
$150.00 off markers...
SIOO.OO off vaults,
and receive a FREE space with the
purchase of both.
For more information contact:
Gary Blythe
Mt. Olive Memorial Gardens
* (706) 793-9550
Offer good only through May 22, 1998
Financing available.
7 fié;fl'fll\ Williams Memorial
UK/} CM.E.Church
a 2
Rev. Alex R. King
1630 Fifteenth St. Augusta, Ga. 30901
(706) 733-9430
Sunday: Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service 11:00 a.m.
Ist Sunday Evening 6:30 p.m.
Wed: Praise Bible Study 7:00 p.m.
Thurs: Senior Services 10:00
Day Care Center:
6:45 a.m. - 5:30 p.m
fl n”h MEMORIAL GARDENS
The new owners of MT. Olive Memorial Gardens are proud
to announce their plans to build a 95 crypt patio mausoleum.
The new Martin Luther King Jr. mausoleum will also contain
200 niches for cremation entombment. The patio mausoleum
is our way of showing our commitment to the community as
well as the families we serve who choose above ground
entombment. Substantial discountsaretobehadduringthe
pre-construction phase for a limited time.
Our number one concern is to provide the very best service
possible to our families during one of life’s most difficult
times. Memorial Operations, the parent company of MT.
Olive Memorial Gardens have been very excited with the
way they have been accepted in the community. The new
mausoleum is just the beginning of many positive projects
scheduled for MT. Olive Memorial in the future.
For more information contact:
Gary Blythe at Mt. Olive Memorial Gardens
(706) 793-9550