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Page 6 — Wednesday, March 30, 2022 The True Citizen
OBITUARIES
Porter Barrett Cohen
Roger Spires
William Blockett
Porter Barrett Cohen, beloved husband of Mildred Cheney
“Mimi” Cohen, died peacefully at Burke County Medical
Center in Waynesboro, Georgia,
on March 26, 2022. Mr. Cohen
was 92 years old. He was born
on August 16, 1929, in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana, to Mary Nell
and Russell Cohen and was one
of three children.
Mr. Cohen grew up in Waynes
boro, Georgia, and attended
Clemson University, where he
graduated with a BS in Agricul
ture. After college, he returned
to Waynesboro to raise peaches
and cattle on his family farm
while also working with the Agricultural Stabilization and
Conservation Service (ASCS). He retired January 1987 after
30 years of service with ASCS.
He curtailed his farming and soon discovered a passion for
golf and played regularly into his 90’s.
Mr. Cohen also became a rose gardener. He and his lov
ing wife Mimi provided many roses throughout the years for
weddings, funerals, and other events.
He was a life-long member of the Waynesboro First United
Methodist Church and a member of the Scrap Gresham Sun
day School Class where he taught for several years. He was
also a regular member of the Coffee Club where the events of
the day were discussed and much wisdom was shared.
Mr. Cohen was preceded in death by his wife Mimi and
his daughters Mildred Cohen Coleman and Katherine Cohen
Scardato. He is survived by his daughter Mary Cohen Wills
(John) of Thomson, Georgia, and his son James Barrett “Jim”
Cohen (Debbie) of Lawrenceville,Georgia; sister Sohe Cohen
Wills of Douglas, Georgia; and son in-laws Charles Ham
ilton Coleman, of Augusta, Georgia, and Michael Anthony
Scardato of Charleston, South Carolina. He is also survived
by his nine grandchildren: Mimi Coleman Grinalds (Allen),
Katherine Coleman Johnson (Brown), Mary Charles Coleman
Snoddy (Mark), and Sarah McMillan Coleman, all of Augusta,
Georgia; Adrienne Wills Pendley (Stuart) of Atlanta, Georgia;
Charles Wingfield Wills (Madeline) and Porter Barrett Wills
of Augusta, Georgia; Cheney Cohen Pridgen (John) of Car
rollton, Georgia; Henry Barrett “Hank” Cohen (Tanner) of
Roswell, Georgia; and 17 great-grandchildren.
Visitation was held on March 29,2022, from 11:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m. at the Waynesboro First United Methodist Church
social hall. The funeral was held at 12 p.m. following the
visitation with the Reverend Isaac Salgado officiating. Burial
followed at Burke Memorial Gardens.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be
made to the First United Methodist Church, 802 Liberty Street,
Waynesboro, Georgia 30830.
Arrangements are by Burke Me
morial Funeral Home, 842 North
Liberty Street, Waynesboro, GA
30830. (706) 551-5100.
Burke Memorial Funeral Home
Louis Willingham
Mr. Louis Willingham, age 71 of Augusta, Ga. entered into
eternal rest on Friday March 25, 2022. Graveside services
for Mr. Willingham will be held on Saturday April 2, 2022
1:00 p.m. at Watkinsville Baptist Church 1681 Hwy 24 West
Waynesboro, Ga.
Visitation will be held on Friday
April 1,2022 from 4:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Chavous B. Johnson Funeral Service
885 Waters St. Waynesboro, GA30830 0^ g,
(706)554-7843 Frank!
driver.
Roger Spires, 58, entered into rest Sunday, March 27,2022,
at his residence. He was a native and lifelong resident of
Burke County. He was a mem
ber of Bethel Baptist Church
and attended East Burke Baptist
Church. He was a former truck
Surviving are his parents, Jim
mie and Esther Spires of Sardis;
his son, Ryan Spires (Ivey) of
Waynesboro; a grandson Wes
Spires; his brothers, Vinson
Spires (Marsha) of Waynes
boro and Earl Spires (Grace) of
Waynesboro; his sister, Christine
Smith of Athens; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation was Tuesday, March 29 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at
DeLoach-McKerley-Prescott Funeral Home.
Funeral services were held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 29 in
the DeLoach-McKerley-Prescott Funeral Home Chapel with
the Reverend Matt Shryock officiating.
Remembrances may be to the
Bethel Baptist Cemetery Fund.
Please sign our online guest
book at www.deloachfuneral-
homes .com
_ *
DeLoach —,
McKerley-Prescott
FUNERAL HOME
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Harry Reedy, Jr.
Mr. Harry Reedy, Jr., age 72, of Sardis, Georgia, entered
into eternal rest on Tuesday,
March 22, 2022. Graveside Ser
vices will be held Saturday, April
2, 2022, 11:00 a.m. at Second
McCannan Baptist Church Cem
etery, Mills Pond Road, Sardis,
Georgia 30456.
Visitation for the immediate
family will be held Friday, April
1,2022 from4:00-5:00 p.m. and
the public visitation will be from
5:00-7:00 p.m. at Phinazee and
Son Funeral Home, 404 West
8th Street, Waynesboro, Georgia
30830.
His loving and devoted family will
cherish his memories.
Phinazee and Son Funeral Home is
in charge of the services for Mr. Harry
Reedy, Jr.
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Elliot Coleman, Sr.
Mr. Elliot Coleman, Sr., age 97, of Waynesboro, Georgia,
entered into eternal rest on Friday, March 25, 2022. Funeral
Services will be held Saturday,
April 2,2022, 2:00 p.m. at Mur
phy Ebenezer Baptist Church,
1966 Ebenezer Church Road,
Waynesboro, Georgia 30830.
Interment will be in the church
cemetery.
Mr. Coleman will he in state at
the church from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
prior to the service for viewing.
Visitation for the immediate
family will be held Friday, April
1,2022 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. and
the public visitation will be from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Phinazee
and Son Funeral Home, 404 West 8th Street, Waynesboro,
Georgia 30830.
His loving and devoted family will
cherish his memories.
Phinazee and Son Funeral Home is
in charge of the services for Mr. Elliot
Coleman, Sr.
miNAZRF. JtSON
Georgia House says 'no' to
COVID vaccine mandates
DAVE WILLIAMS
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
State agencies, local govern
ments and local schools could
not require Georgians to get
a COVID-19 vaccination to
receive government services
or access government facilities
under legislation that cleared
the state House of Representa
tives Tuesday.
The bill passed the Repub
lican-controlled House 99-67
along party lines.
Republicans argued Geor
gians have a right to make
their own health-care decisions
without government interfer
ence.
"Vaccination for COVID-19
is a personal decision to be
made by an individual," said
Rep. Bonnie Rich,R-Suwanee,
who chairs the House Repub
lican Caucus. "This is an issue
of liberty, of freedom to choose
one's own health care."
Democrats countered that
the right to choose not to
be vaccinated stops when it
threatens the health of others.
"If you contract the COVID
virus, your family, friends,
coworkers and classmates are
all placed in jeopardy," said
Rep. Billy Mitchell, D-Stone
Mountain, chairman of the
House Democratic Caucus.
Gov. Brian Kemp has op
posed government-imposed
vaccine mandates, including
going to court to challenge fed
eral mandates ordered by the
Biden administration. The U.S.
Supreme Court overturned a
federal mandate in January
requiring vaccinations for
employees of businesses with
at least 100 workers but left
intact a vaccination mandate
for health-care workers.
The bill the House passed
Tuesday would not apply to
health-care workers or to pri
vate businesses, Rich said.
Rep. Karla Drenner, D-
Avondale Estates, said the
legislation ignores the role vac
cines have played historically
in eradicating diseases includ
ing yellow fever, tuberculosis
and measles.
"As the memory of epidem
ics fades, individual rights
become more important than
collective responsibility," she
said.
Rep. Mark Newton, R-Au
gusta, said the bill's supporters
acknowledge the success of the
COVID-19 vaccine. In fact,
many Republican lawmakers
have received the shots, he
said.
"It's a fabulous vaccine, an
amazing step forward that has
changed the course of this ill
ness," Newton said, "[But] this
bill is about requiring an adult
to show papers ... before they
can access any government ser
vice .... You can be pro-vaccine
and pro-liberty."
The bill originated in the
state Senate, which passed it
early this month, also along
party lines. Because of changes
made by the House, the mea
sure must now return to the
Senate before gaining final
passage.
This story is available
through a news partnership
with Capitol Beat News Ser
vice, a project of the Georgia
Press Educational Foundation.
Mr. William Blockett, age 43,
of Sardis, Georgia, entered into
eternal rest on Monday, March
28, 2022. Funeral arrangements
will be announced at a later date.
Phinazee and Son Funeral
Home is in
charge of the
services for
Mr. William
Blockett.
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E’HIYJA/hE-. ft SON
George Anderson Staten Jr.
T ^
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Mr. George Anderson Staten Jr., age 54, of Warrenville,
South Carolina, entered into eternal rest on Saturday, March
26, 2022. Graveside Services
will be held Sunday, April 10,
2022, 2:00 p.m. at Bark Camp
Baptist Church Cemetery, 1327
McGruder Road, Mid ville, Geor
gia 30441.
Visitation for the immediate
family will be held Saturday,
April 9, 2022 from 12:30-1:30
p.m. and the public visitation will
be from 2:30-6:00 p.m. at Phin
azee and Son Funeral Home, 404
West 8th Street, Waynesboro,
Georgia 30830.
His loving and devoted family will
cherish his memories.
Phinazee and Son Funeral Home is in
charge of the services for Mr. George
Anderson Staten Jr.
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Reuben Chance * Phil Hydrick
Locally Owned & Operated
706.790.8567
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DeLoach
McKerley-Prescott
FUNERAL HOME
^ AND CREMATION SERVICE /
220 lost 6th Street ■ P,0, Bok 595
Waynesboro, GA 30830
706-554-3531
www.deloathfunerDlhomes.com
Vtil Preston, Stove Sirmuns, Jason McKerley
Burke Memorial Funeral Home
w ww.bu rkemem orial, com
Home of Dependable Serjjtf
842 Liberty Street, Waynesboro, GA
Family owned l operated
Jane and George DeLoach
706-833-9867 or 706-551-5100
'A Family Tradition
Since 19 ]9”
Phinazee and Sort
funeral Home
funeral Direciof'-tmlHlmer
KefccyM. Phinazee
Manager Crystal M. Preston
funeral Director' 1 EmWmer
Almari K. Phinazee
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404 W Rlh Si,
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