Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 24. 2020 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 9A
Frances
Carmichael
Frances “Fran” Irene
Carmichael, 86, passed Tues
day, December 1, 2020 at
The Retreat at Jasper, Geor
gia.
Mrs. Carmichael, a native
of Orlando, Florida, was bom
February 11, 1934, the
daughter of the late Vera
Marguerite and Donald
Carter Helms.
Educated at Florida State
University with AB and MA
degrees and with a Master’s
work also from Wellesley in
Massachusetts, Mrs.
Carmichael became a dean of
women at the University of
Tulsa in Oklahoma, Juniata
College in Huntington, Penn
sylvania, and at the Univer
sity of Georgia, Athens. In
Athens, she was active in the
University Women’s Club,
Bobbin Mill Garden Club,
the Red Cross, Rotary, First
Presbyterian Church, and
even helped coordinate
churches and civic assistance
for a home for teenage girls.
She was instrumental in co
ordinating the Keep America
Beautiful with Georgia’s pro
gram to eliminate littering
and to coordinate garden
clubs throughout the state.
Mrs. Carmichael was a life
long member of Zeta Tau
Alpha sorority.
She was predeceased by
husband, Joseph Pledger
Carmichael; sister, Varian
Faye Rowlett (and husband
Robert Lee Rowlett);
nephew, David Mark
Rowlett; and brother-in-law
John Heywood Brown.
Fran Carmichael is sur
vived by her sister, Beth Jo-
lene Brown of Orlando, niece
Marcia Lynn Jasperse (Rick)
of Jasper, nephews Roger
Christopher Rowlett (Kinza)
of Rentz, Randall Steven
Brown (Pam) of Orlando,
and Terry Michael Brown
(Karen) of Grass Valley, Cal
ifornia. She also leaves four
great-nieces and one great-
nephew.
With a decades’-long
wish, (and her characteristic
emphasis of education and
service), Mrs. Carmichael
donated her body to science,
to Emory University.
Due to pandemic virus
health restrictions, a service
or gathering will not be held.
In lieu of flowers, donations
can be made to The Preg
nancy Center or to ACES
Youth Home (Appalachian
Children’s Emergency Shel
ter), both of Jasper, Georgia.
Fran Carmichael’s family
would like to express special
appreciation to The Retreat at
Jasper/ Windsor Lodge for
their outstanding and loving
care and to Compassus Hos
pice for their professional
and compassionate service.
Vestel Davis
Obituaries
Vestel Monroe Davis, 68,
of Jasper, Ga passed away
Wednesday, December 16,
2020 at Piedmont Mountain
side Hospital. Vestel was
bom April 11, 1952 inEllijay,
Georgia to Morris and Vira
Davis.
He is survived by wife,
Pamela Davis of Jasper; chil
dren, Nicole and Jason Ray
of Jasper; grandchildren,
Hunter Weldy, of Washing
ton, Sara Beth Hall of Jasper,
Andrew and Alyssa Ray of
Jasper, Kyle Ray of Jasper;
great-grandchild, Annistyn
Ray of Jasper; brothers and
sisters, Ruel and Virginia
Davis, Violet Waldrop, Jack
Davis, Glenda and Albert
Darby, Velda and Ricky
Wheeler, Shirley and Jack
Perrin, Bobby and Lanie
Davis. Several nieces,
nephews and other relatives
also survive.
A private family memorial
service will be held at a later
date.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home & Crematory
in Jasper, Georgia.
Online condolences can
be made at www.roperfuner-
alhome.com
Laura Baker
Ms. Laura Lynn Baker,
49, of Talking Rock, passed
away Thursday, December
17, 2020 at Piedmont Moun
tainside Hospital.
Ms. Baker is survived by
her mother, Linda Abrams
Baker of Talking Rock; fa
ther, Terry Ray & Beverly
Baker of Jackson, GA; sister
and brother-in-law, Miriam
& Jonathan Pearson of Sugar
Hill, GA; nephews, William
Prince and Ian Prince; nieces,
Amelia Prince and Suzanne
Pearson.
Funeral services were
held at noon Monday, De
cember 21, 2020 at the
Chapel of Cagle Funeral
Home.
Interment was at 3 p.m.
Monday, December 21, 2020
at Crest Lawn Memorial Park
in Atlanta, GA.
The family will accept
flowers but prefer donations
to Cagle Funeral Home to
help with funeral expenses.
Cagle Funeral Home is
honored to serve the Baker
family.
Mickey Howard
Mr. Mickey Howard, 53,
of Jasper, passed away
Wednesday, December 16,
2020 at his residence.
Mr. Howard is survived
by his wife, Rachel Howard
of Jasper; sons and daughter-
in-law, Phoenix Allen of
Jasper and Nicholas &
Nicole Howard of
Cartersville; daughter,
Tammy Bradley of Jasper;
brothers and sisters-in-law,
Johnny Homer & Karen
Howard of Acworth, Ken
neth Howard of Jasper, and
Teddy & Terena Howard of
Gilmer County; sister and
special friend, Carolyn
Hazelwood & Frank Belk
nap; sister and brother-in-
law, Deborah Lynn & Harold
Tidwell of Adairsville; 12
grandchildren; several nieces
and nephews.
Funeral services were
held at noon Sunday, Decem
ber 20, 2020 in the chapel of
Cagle Funeral Home, with
Rev. James Thompson and
Rev. Charles Howard offici
ating.
Interment followed at
Lake Forest Memorial Park,
following the funeral service.
Pallbearers: Nicholas
Howard, Harold Tidwell,
Timothy Tidwell, Anthony
Allen, Michael Allen and
David Allen.
The family accepted flow
ers or donations can be made
to Cagle Funeral Home to
help with funeral expenses.
Cagle Funeral Home is
honored to serve the Howard
family.
Brenda Price
Brenda Price, 70, of Hin
ton, passed away Monday,
December 21, 2020 at her
home. She was bom May 4,
1950 to Waymon and Tennie
Lee Long in Jasper, Georgia.
Brenda is survived by her
husband, Jerry Price of Hin
ton; son, Scotty Moss of Hin
ton; son and daughter-in-law,
Kevin and Kelly Moss of
Hinton; daughter-in-law,
Kristie Moss of Hinton; step
sons and daughters-in-law,
John and Rola Price of
Jasper, Jesse Price of Hinton;
grandchildren, Jacey and Ben
Weatherby of Hinton, Owen
Moss of Hinton, Jackson
Moss of Hinton; step-grand-
daughter, Ashley Price of
Hinton; step-grandsons, Zak
Price of Jasper, Adam Price
of Jasper, Faris Price of
Jasper, Laith Price of Jasper;
step-granddaughter, Christy
Lynn Price of California;
brother and sister-in-law,
Clyde and Monica Cody of
Jasper; sister and brother-in-
law, Donna and Ricky Poore
of Dahlonega; and special
friend, Brenda Evans of Hin
ton.
She was preceded in death
by her parents, Waymon
Long and Tennie Lee Foster
Long; and step-mother Wyl-
lene Cody.
Funeral services will be
held at 2 p.m., Wednesday,
December 30, 2020 at the
chapel of Roper Funeral
Home with Brother Seth
Bunch officiating. Interment
will be Thursday, December
31, 2020 at Georgia National
Cemetery in Canton, Geor
gia.
The family will be receiv
ing friends at Roper Funeral
Home, Wednesday, Decem
ber 30, 2020 from 10 a.m.
until 1:45 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memo
rial contributions may be
made to Cloverleaf Mission
ary Baptist Church.
Arrangements are en
trusted to the staff of Roper
Funeral Home and Crema
tory.
Online condolences may
be made at www.roperfuner-
alhome.com.
O’Star of
Wonder
Photo/Blake Moss
As Jupiter and Saturn ap
peared to line up at dusk
Monday night, so did many
Pickens County stargazers
who went to different open
spaces to see the Great Con
junction of 2020. Along the
overlook areas of Burnt
Mountain Road, vehicles
lined both sides of the road
and crowded into the parking
areas with people scanning
the skies with all manner of
binocular, telescopes and the
naked eye.
While conjunctions occur
fairly often, this one was spe
cial as the positions of Saturn
and Jupiter made them espe
cially visible from Earth,
something that last occurred
800 years ago. This conjunc
tion also had the benefit of
timing with Christmas ap
proaching, as the same Sat
urn and Jupiter pairing,
where they are so close that
they actually look like one
bigger and brighter star and is
called the Bethlehem Star by
many. It is believed to have
been observed near the time
of the birth of Christ and is
the star referenced in the
Bible.
And it was the winter sol
stice as well.
Comments among the
crowd at the lookout ranged
from excited to be seeing
something rare, especially
with the Christmas connec
tion, to some that expressed a
little disappointment expect
ing a little more of a visual
show.
There were also quite a
few people verifying with
others that the star, low in the
sky and brighter than the rest
by a little, but not over
whelming magnitude, was re
ally the one everyone was
there to see.
After dark, a couple of
people expressed some won
der at just how many stars,
aside from the Bethlehem
Star, were visible from our
Burnt Mountain vantage
point.
One person commented
that it was nice to be out with
fellow residents for a holiday
gathering, even one arranged
by celestial bodies more than
550 million miles away, in
this year of pandemic.
Family Matters: Acts of kindness benefit everyone
By Mary Migliaro
Parent Mentor
With the resurgence of the
pandemic right as the holi
days start, it is easy to be
come disheartened by the
staggering number of
COVID-19 virus cases and
related deaths.
News outlets report them
every hour of every day. Few
highlight the acts of kindness
happening and most are un
able to help us figure out
something we might do to
make a positive difference.
Most people do not realize
that performing acts of kind
ness benefit the giver perhaps
even more than the recipient
of that act of kindness. In per
forming acts of kindness, we
can mitigate some of the de
pressing issues bombarding
us every day.
Studies have shown that
putting the well-being of oth
ers before our own without
expecting anything in return,
or what is called being altru
istic, stimulates the reward
centers of the brain. Those
feel-good chemicals flood
our system, producing a sort
of “helper’s high.” Volunteer
ing, for example, has been
shown to minimize stress and
improve depression.
The same activity can also
reduce the risk for cognitive
impairment and even help us
live longer.
Giving donations to others
has been shown to reduce
blood pressure and improve
heart health. One study asked
a group of hypertensive peo
ple to spend $40 on them
selves, while another group
of people with high blood
pressure were told to spend
the money on others. They
found that those who spent
money on others had lower
blood pressure at the end of
the six-week study. In fact,
the benefits were as large as
those from healthy diet and
exercise.
Even with social distanc
ing, there are things we can
do for others while under a
stay-at-home order. Send
someone you know who
might be struggling a motiva
tional text or simply call to
check up on them. Even if
they do not answer your call,
leave a positive, uplifting
message and let them know
they can call you back when
ever they feel like it.
Arrange to watch a video
at the same time with a friend
and have a video call to talk
about it.
Ask a friend to lunch then
you both can go through a
drive-through restaurant,
pick up your food, then park
about six feet away from
each other and enjoy eating
and chatting.
Everyone knows about the
closing of businesses and fur
loughs or layoffs of workers,
but few realize the impact the
pandemic has had on non
profit organizations responsi
ble for helping those in need
regardless of a pandemic.
Many are being asked to do
more with less and in differ
ent ways than before the
virus.
For those stuck at home
feeling helpless, doing some
thing for nonprofit organiza
tions can help improve those
feelings. Some organizations
need donations but can also
use help from volunteers.
Here are some things to
consider:
• Donate to nonprofits
helping to respond to
COVID-19 and to those pro
viding assistance for those in
need such as health care
providers, first responders,
etc.
• Reach out to local chari
ties and ask how you can best
support them with your time,
keeping safety in mind. For
example, many Meals on
Wheels programs are still de
livering meals using volun
teers practicing social
distancing. Some volunteers
can help without leaving
home by making calls or put
ting care packages together.
• Donate blood to the Red
Cross. Call your local Red
Cross to find out where and
when you can donate. The
process is safe.
Performing random acts
of kindness can involve the
whole family. Gather the
family together and discuss
the pandemic and how it im
pacts individuals and non
profit organizations.
Talk about how the family
might help, then engage in
something that not only will
help others, but the entire
family as well. Not only will
everyone feel good about it,
but you will also be instilling
the idea of random acts of
kindness in your children.
When the pandemic is over,
keep those acts of kindness
going and the world will be a
better place.