Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 3. 2020 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Ret. Col. William Lyles
Holder, Sr., 90, ofEllijay, GA
previously of Marietta, GA
passed on Tuesday, Novem
ber 17, 2020 at home with his
family.
‘■‘Bill” was born October
5, 1930 in Nashville, Ten
nessee to his late parents Dr.
Harry Alfonso and Margaret
(Pierce) Holder. Bill gradu
ated from Fletcher High
School, Jacksonville, FL in
1949. He attended the Uni
versity of Florida and joined
the FL Air National Guard
while in college. Two years
after attending the university
he was called to active duty
to the Korean War. He was
stationed in California for
some time where he was able
to attend the University of
New Mexico and graduate
with a degree in weather
forecasting. For Bill’s ex
traordinary achievement and
outstanding airmanship he
was awarded the highly cov
eted Distinguished Flying
Cross. He was awarded the
Air Medal and the First and
Second Oak Leaf clusters to
the Air Medal also. Bill had
flown 50 missions at this
time. After his enlistment of
four years he joined the GA
Air National Guard, Dobbins
AFB, Marietta, GA. He re
tired with 40 years military
service and as Commander of
the 116th Resource Manage
ment Squadron.
He was a member of the
Cartecay United Methodist
Church. Bill was active in the
choir as he was blessed with
a beautiful tenor voice.
Bill is preceded in death
by his daughter Janet Lynne
Holder, sister Anne Pierce
Holder, brothers James P.
Holder, Harry Holder. Sur
vivors include his loving wife
of 66 years Nancy Virginia
“Ginger” (Bell) Holder ofEl
lijay, GA, daughters Eliza
beth Anne and Rev. Mark
McLendon of Rome, GA,
Jennifer Rasmussen of Can
ton, OH, son William Lyles,
Jr, and Maria Holder, of
Ocala, FL, four grandchil
dren and four great-grand
children, nephew and niece
also survive.
Funeral services were
held Tuesday, November 24,
2020 at 1 p.m. at the Logan
Funeral Home Chapel with
Rev. Mark McLendon offici
ating and Alan Davenport
providing music.
In lieu of flowers dona
tions can be made to Com-
passus Hospice & Palliative
Care of Ellijay, GA, due to
the compassionate and caring
ministry we received from
them. Online condolences
may be sent to the family at
www.loganftmeralhome.com
. Logan Funeral Home &
Chapel in charge of arrange
ments.
Betty Prather
Betty Sue Prather, 79, of
Jasper, GA passed away Fri
day, November 27, 2020 at
her home. Betty was bom
March 10, 1941 in East
Prairie, Missouri to the late
John and Essie Kirby.
She is survived by her
husband, T.J. Prather of
Jasper; son and daughter-in-
law, Tim and Shirley Prather
of Jasper; daughter and son-
in-law, Debbie and Mike
Aiken of Jasper; sisters, Sue
Poteet of Chatsworth, Brenda
O’Shields of Jasper, Peggy
Serrit of Calhoun; 14 grand
children; 14 great-grandchil
dren; and 3
great-great-grandchildren.
Several nieces, nephews and
other family members also
survive. She was preceded in
death by son, Willie Prather
and sister, Virginia Merrell.
Funeral services were
held at 2 p.m., Monday, No
vember 30, 2020 in the Roper
Funeral Home Chapel with
Rev. Tony Boyd and Rev.
Harold Cantrell officiating.
Interment followed in Sun
rise Memorial Gardens.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory in Jasper.
Online condolences can
be made at www.roperfuner-
alhome.com
Sandy Bagwell
Sandy Lynn Bagwell, 49,
of Jasper, Georgia, passed
away Wednesday, November
25, 2020 at Northside Hospi
tal Cherokee. She was born
April 18, 1971 to Jackie and
Shirley Mitchell in Rome,
Georgia.
Sandy is survived by her
husband, Jason Bagwell of
Jasper; parents, Jackie and
Shirley Mitchell of Jasper;
sister and brother-in-law,
Robin and Keith Cunning
ham of Fairmount; sister,
Renee Cantrell of Fairmount;
niece and nephews, Dusty
Cunningham of Fairmount,
Austin "Ace" Cunningham of
Fairmount, Cody Cantrell of
Fairmount, Brandi Cantrell
of Fairmount; sisters-in-law,
Betty Hollifield of Ball
Ground, Jenny McVee of
Canton; brother-in-law, Billy
Bagwell of Marble Hill; spe
cial aunts and uncles, Ann
and Jack Stone of Jasper,
Becky Bass ofEllijay, Ron
nie and Johnny Mitchell of
Canton. A host of aunts, un
cles, and other relatives also
survive.
She was preceded in death
by grandparents, Clara and
E.C. Bams and Florence and
Eugene Mitchell.
A graveside service was
held at 11 a.m., Saturday, No
vember 28, 2020 at Jasper
City Cemetery with Austin
Stone officiating. Pallbear
ers were Austin Stone, Shane
Stone, Keith Cunningham,
Dusty Cunningham, Ace
Cunningham, and Cody
Cantrell.
In lieu of flowers, memo
rial donations may be made
to Pickens Animal Rescue at
401 Old Whitestone Road W;
Jasper, GA 30143.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Online condolences may
be made at www.roperfuner-
alhome.com.
Burt Merrell
Claude Burton "Burt"
Merrell, 80, of Jasper, Geor
gia, passed away Friday, No
vember 27, 2020. He was
Obituaries
born December 31, 1939 to
Lester and Mae Merrell in
Fannin County, Georgia.
Burt is survived by his
daughters and sons-in-law,
Tammy and Jason Turner of
Jasper, Cathy and Lannie
Holcomb of Jasper, Sandra
Bennefield of Canton, Patri
cia and Jerome Dale of Can
ton; sons and
daughters-in-law, Keith and
Felicia Merrell of Marble
Hill, David Merrell and Julia
Jordan of Jasper, Jeff and Ju
dith Carver of Jasper, Ricky
Merrell of Jasper, Allen and
Sonya Merrell of Jasper; sis
ter, Thelma McElhannon of
Royston. Numerous grand
children, great-grandchil
dren, nieces, nephews, and
other relatives also survive.
He was preceded in death
by his wife, Virginia Kirby
Merrell; parents, Lester and
Mae Merrell; son, Stephen
Merrell; grandchildren, An
thony Chastain and Sarah
Merrell.
Funeral services were
held at 2 p.m., Sunday, No
vember 29, 2020 at Bethesda
Baptist Church with Rev
erend Steven Chapman offi
ciating. Interment followed
in the church cemetery.
The family accepted flow
ers or memorial donations
may be made to Roper Fu
neral Home and Crematory.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the Staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Online condolences may
be made at www.roperfuner-
alhome.com.
Shirley Hancock
Mrs. Shirley Ann Han
cock, 78, of Fairmount,
Georgia, departed this life
Sunday, November 29, 2020,
at the Adventhealth Gordon
Hospital in Calhoun, Geor
gia. Shirley was bom January
17, 1942 in Ellijay, Georgia,
the daughter of the late Lind
sey and Faye Mandy Foun
tain Hancock. She was also
preceded in death by a
daughter, Sheila Jane Postell
and her brothers, Rayford
Lee Hancock and Richard
Lee Hancock.
She is survived by her
daughter, Derhonda Lynn
Colter; sons, Timmy Eric
Hancock and Tommy Ed
ward Hancock all of Fair-
mount, GA; grandchildren,
Jessica Phillips, Tabitha
Postell, Christy Cruz,
Jonathan Mulkey, Misty Hol
land and Christopher Hol
land; great-grandchildren,
Faith Postell, Hope Postell,
Tyler Brandon, William Hol
land, Breanna Clayton and
Adam Wear; great-great-
grandchildren, Destiny
Phillips, Ryson Thompson
and Jace Cornett; aunts, Min
nie Hancock, Bonnie Burton,
Nancy Young and Ella Foun
tain all of Pickens County,
GA; several cousins.
Services to celebrate the
life of Ms. Shirley Ann Han
cock will be held Saturday,
December 5, 2020 at 1 p.m.
at the Ponders Fairmount
Chapel, 2566 Hwy. 411, Fair-
mount, GA, with Reverend
Bobby Timms officiating.
She will be laid to rest with
her family at Friendship Bap
tist Church Cemetery in
Ludville, Georgia. Her fam
ily and close friends will
serve as pallbearers. The
family will receive friends at
Ponders Fairmount Chapel
from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. Fri
day and after 11 a.m. Satur
day until the service hour.
Due to the National health
crisis and the Covid-19 virus,
masks must be worn properly
at all times and social dis
tancing must be observed
when visiting the funeral
home.
Condolences may be ex
pressed to the family at
www.pondersftmeralhome.co
m.
Arrangements will be an
nounced by, Ponders Fair-
mount Chapel 2566 Hwy 411
Fairmount, GA 30139, 706-
337-3784
www.selectedindependentfu-
neralhomes.org and
www.ogr.org
Sara Sperin
Sara Elaine Sperin, 83, of
Ball Ground, Georgia, passed
away Sunday, November 29,
2020 at The Retreat in Jasper.
She was born March 31,
1937 to Clarence Edward and
Edna Belle Eubanks in Pick
ens County, Georgia.
Sara is survived by daugh
ter and son-in-law, Susan and
Jim Allen of Martinez, Geor
gia; daughter, Sheri E. Sperin
of Hiram; sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Phillip and Rosa
Linda Sperin of Tate, William
R. and Debbie Sperin of
Clarksville; 14 grandchil
dren; and 8 great-grandchil
dren. Several nieces and
nephews also survive.
She was preceded in death
by Troy Jack Sperin and
daughter, Jackie Lyn Sperin.
Services will be held at 2
p.m., Wednesday, December
2, 2020 at Cool Springs Bap
tist Church with Reverend
Steve Wigington and son-in-
law, Jim Allen officiating.
Interment will follow in the
Cool Springs Baptist Church
Cemetery.
The family requests in lieu
of flowers, memorial dona
tions be made to Cool
Springs Baptist Church
Cemetery Fund in Sara's
honor.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the Staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Online condolences may
be made at www.roperfimer-
alhome.com.
Myrtle Bohanan
Myrtle Pinyan Bohanan,
93, of Tate, Georgia, passed
away Wednesday, November
25, 2020 at her home. She
was bom May 7, 1927 to
David and Stella Edwards in
Calhoun, Georgia.
Mrs. Bohanan is survived
by her daughter, Martha Mer
rell of Tate; son, Tom Blalock
of North Carolina; grandchil
dren, Tim Merrell of White,
Lloyd Blalock of Virginia,
Brittany Blalock of North
Carolina, Keri Beal of North
Carolina; and sister, Carol
McFarland of Canton.
A graveside service was
held at 2 p.m., Saturday, No
vember 28,2020 at Cherokee
Memorial Park with Rev
erend Steve Wigington offi
ciating.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Online condolences may
be made at www.roperfimer-
alhome.com.
JOHN T. TRAMMELL
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE
Friday, Dec. 11, 2020
at 2:00 p.m.
There will be an unveil
ing memorial tribute to
John at the Pickens
County Veterans Me
morial Park in Jasper,
Ga. (Across from Pick
ens County Chamber
of Commerce on Veter
ans Memorial Blvd.)
No RSVP is necessary.
Progress Obituary Archive
www.pickensprogress.com
Sharon Emig
Sharon (Shook) Emig of
Jasper, Georgia passed away
very peacefully on Novem
ber 23, 2020, at home with
family by her side. Sharon
suffered several years of
Alzheimer's disease and now
she is at peace with God.
Sharon was born in
Wheeling, West Virginia on
May 25, 1939, the daughter
of Leonard and Ada Mae
Shook. Sharon graduated
from Wellsburg High School
in 1957. She later attended
classes at West Virginia Uni
versity and West Liberty Col
lege. Sharon was manager of
Wellsburg Red Cross until it
closed. She then served as the
Executive Secretary of the
law firm, Rogers and Mielke,
until she moved to Jasper,
Georgia, where she worked
as Secretary to the Director
of North West Home Health.
She was voted Secretary of
the Year in Pickens County in
1996. She was a volunteer for
ten years at Piedmont Moun
tainside Hospital.
She will be remembered
for her gracious smile, and
loving and caring ways. She
never met a stranger; she
loved everybody. Her family
will always remember her as
the marvelous pie maker. She
looked forward to girl's day
out with her daughters and
granddaughter.
Surviving is her loving
husband of 61 years, Gene
Emig, whom she married on
May 23, 1959. They had
three children: Shauna Davis
(Marty), an Interior Designer
in Macon, Georgia; Valerie
Hasty (Bob), retired Hospice
Nurse, Hoover, Alabama; and
Leonard Emig, Advertising
Executive, Atlanta, Georgia.
In addition, they had three
grandchildren: Christian (fi
ance Jamie), Tyler (Katie),
and Megan.
There will be no services
at this time, due to Covid-19.
Memorial contributions can
be made to Georgia Moun
tain Hospice; 70 Caring Way;
Jasper, GA 30143. Condo
lences may be left for the
family online at www.roper-
funeralhome.com.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Wet weather can cause
abundance of fungus
Photo/UGA
Growth offairy ring fungi begin in the center of a ring
and expand outward in a uniform, circular pattern over
time. Mushrooms might only be visible during periods of
wet weather, particularly in the fall.
By Paul Pugliese
CAES News
Many residents have no
ticed mushrooms popping up
in lawns and landscapes this
season. When the “fungus
among us” forms a circle or
arc pattern, it’s commonly
known as a fairy ring. Ac
cording to medieval folklore,
they were thought to appear
after a band of fairies had
danced in a circle. In some
cases, fairy ring mushrooms
can cause turfgrass discol
oration or abnormal growth
in lawns.
More than 50 different
mushroom species can cause
fairy rings. Fairy ring mush
rooms are decomposers that
grow in soil with high levels
of organic matter and in areas
where trees were recently re
moved. Old tree stumps, logs
and roots that are buried in
the soil begin to decay and
are colonized by various
mushrooms.
Growths of fairy ring
fungi begin in the center of a
ring (e.g., near a tree stump)
and expand outward in a uni
form, circular pattern over
time. Mushrooms might only
be visible during periods of
wet weather, particularly in
the fall.
Fairy rings can grow as
large as 15 feet in diameter
and cause the grass to have a
different color or texture than
the grass outside the ring.
Half arcs or semicircular ring
patterns can also occur. De
pending on the conditions,
grass with fairy rings can be
denser, greener and faster
growing, or browner and
drier than surrounding grass.
The good news is that
fairy ring mushrooms do not
typically cause the grass to
die in home lawns. These
mushrooms are mainly
viewed as a nuisance and will
often disappear as weather
conditions change. Waiting
for them to disappear natu
rally is usually the best ap
proach. However, they may
reappear during the next
rainy season or return for
many years, depending on
how much wood or organic
debris is buried in the soil.
If you want to try to man
age fairy ring mushrooms,
spraying a fungicide is typi
cally not effective. Consider
routine core aeration of your
lawn, which can improve
drainage and reduce thatch
buildup that harbor fungi.
Fall is an excellent time to
aerate tall fescue lawns.
In some cases, fairy rings
cause the lawn to form a
dense, green ring of grass due
to the decay of organic mat
ter. In this situation, adding
nitrogen to the surrounding
lawn can help green up your
grass and mask symptoms of
the problem.
Mushrooms can be con
cerning if you have small
children or pets that might
accidentally eat them. Dis
courage children and pets
from eating mushrooms, as
they may be poisonous.
I taught my son at a young
age that mushrooms are fun
and interesting to look at, but
we should never touch or eat
them unless they come from
a grocery store. The majority
of mushrooms might not be
lethal, but they could cause
severe gastrointestinal dis
tress.
If mushrooms are prob
lematic, consider raking or
hand removing the mush
rooms with gloves and dis
posing them in the garbage.
For more information, see
University of Georgia Coop
erative Extension Bulletin
1233, "Turfgrass Diseases in
Georgia: Identification and
Control."
[Paul Pugliese is the Agri
culture and Natural Re
sources agent for the
University of Georgia Exten
sion office in Bartow
County.]