Newspaper Page Text
May 9, 2018
iReporter
Page 7A
Forsyth mourns Mrs. Doris, a friend to all
knew when he didn’t see her
at a Mary Persons football
game, he needed to check
on her.
Friends at St.
James,
By Diane Glidewell
news'-mymcr
Doris Ogletree touched
lives wherever she went; it
was evident that many lives
were the better for her touch
from those who were moved
to speak about her at the
visitation at St. James Baptist
Church on Friday evening
before her funeral Saturday
morning. Many prefaced
their remarks by saying
that they never make
remarks in such situa
tions but that ‘Ms. Doris’
or ‘Mama Doris’
was so special to
them that they
just had to pay
their respects
publicly.
What they
said over and
over was that
she cared
about ev
eryone she
met, and
she made
a point of
meeting
everyone,
regard
less of age,
status, race
or gender. She refused to put friends of her children,
up with a lack of effort or
misbehavior from anyone;
she told them so, but she did
it with love. They knew she
SHUMB
Doris Ogletree at her home in February 2017.
cared for the right reasons,
and they responded.
Dr. Raymond Bedgood,
her gastroenterologist, said
that he is in a field where
many of his patients pass
away. He doesn’t usually go
to the funerals, much less
speak at them, but Doris was
special. When she came to
him, because she couldn’t
swallow her collard greens,
he knew he needed to see
about her because she always
waited until the last minute
to come, not wanting to
mess up anybody’s schedule
or be a bother to anyone. He
nieces and nephews, co
workers at Monroe County
Middle School, co-workers
at Monroe County Sheriff’s
Office, tenants, fellow board
members at Community
Improvement Coalition
of Monroe County, and at
Monroe County Planning
& Zoning all talked about
how she encouraged them
and told them to “go for it”
when they shared an ambi
tion. In spite of many health
problems of her own over
the years, she always kept
going and doing for others
and for the Monroe County
community.
Annette Lucear talked of
working with Doris many
years ago at a local mill.
Doris told her to follow her
lead, and she almost doubled
her wages. Through over
two decades, they worked
together on the board of the
Community Improvement
Coalition, and Doris pushed
Lucear to complete applica
tions for grants and keep
advocating for programs
to help people in Monroe
County, with a strong
concern for children
and elderly.
Among several who
spoke of cherishing
Doris as a co-worker
at Monroe County
Middle School was
Elsie Daniel. She said that
Doris was one of the main
reasons she continued
to teach at the middle
school for several
years, and she spoke
of Doris’ ability to
bring order to a class
room. She told of how
Doris quickly became
a friend as well as a
co-worker.
Many said they
considered Doris
their second mother.
Some came home
with her daughter,
Margaret, while she
was in military service and
became part of the family.
One lady said Doris intro
duced her to collard greens
and grits when she was a
17-year-old private, and now
she is the one who cooks
collards and shares them in
her Florida neighborhood.
Others were friends of her
sons. One man remembered
when he got a ride home
from practice with Mama
Doris and quickly accepted
an invitation to stay for a
dinner of chicken, collards,
roll, other fixings and red
Kool aid.
Barbara Holmes said Doris
will be missed at the Forsyth
Walmart where she made
frequent trips for nails, paint,
hammers and all the items
Gary Bechtel knows we must provide our children
with a solid education based on strong academics.
50% of our state's budget goes to education. As a former
school board member and county commissioner, Gary Bechtel
knows best what our area needs. Gary is committed to:
y Ensuring the safety of our students and staff
y Providing equal access to all technology resources
y Protecting the HOPE Scholarship program
y Promoting parental involvement
I am committed to providing our students
with the best opportunities available. Our
future, including the economic prosperity of
Georgia, depends on how well we educate our
children! - Gary Bechtel
GARY BECHTEL
for State Representative
478-390-7719 • Gbechtel1@gmail.com • 667 Monticlair Drive, Macon, GA 31210
Paid for by Gary Bechtel for State Representative
needed to keep her rental
houses in shape.
Doris’ partner in every
thing was her husband,
Ralph, whom she married
a year before she gradu
ated from Hubbard High
School, 63 years ago. After
their marriage, she moved
her church membership to
St. James Baptist, where they
have been active ever since.
She mentored young wives
at St. James.
Doris was the third of 12
children and grew up in
the Blount Hill neighbor
hood of Forsyth. She and
Ralph bought their house
on Cabaniss Road/Highway
83 in about 1957, raised
two daughters and two sons
there and called it home for
over 60 years. They even had
the same phone number for
over 50 years. Doris told the
Reporter in a 2017 Valen
tine’s Day interview that the
key to their strong marriage
was putting God first, loving
and respecting one another
and supporting one another.
Homegoing services for
Mrs. Doris Powell Ogletree
were Saturday, May 5 at
St. James Baptist Church,
Forsyth with Pastor Anto
nio Proctor officiating and
Freeman Funeral Home
in charge of arrangements.
Burial was at Monroe Hills
Memorial Gardens, Forsyth.
Survivors in addition to
her husband, Ralph Ogletree
Sr., include children, Juanita
(Bobby) Davis, Margaret
Ogletree, Ralph (Gail) Ogle
tree, Jr. and Warron (Kim)
Ogletree; three grandchil
dren; four sisters, Mildred
Hunter, Hazel (James) Jones,
Linda (Melvin) Mebane,
Cozetta Pettway; two broth
ers, Marvin (Emma) Powell,
Rickey Powell and a host of
relatives and friends.
OFFERING DIGITAL MAMMOGRAPHY SERVICES
Monroe County Hospital
is offering digital
mammograms at a
reduced cost of $85
during the month of May.
Call 478-394-6289 in advance
to schedule your appointment.
Monroe County
Hospital
<jL> NavicentHealth Partner
A doctors order
is required.
No insurance will be filed with this specia
JANE PENNINGTON INSURANCE
Meeting All Your Insurance Needs
Auto • Home • Life • Business
Personal Umbrella Policies
Let us show you how much we can
save you on your insurance.
^ .Allstate
You're in good hands.
57 S. Lee St., Forsyth, GA
478-994-0850
JanePennington@allstate.com
Jane Pennington,
AgentlOwner
MOTHER’S DAY SALE
Thursday, May 10 thru Sat May 12
30% OFF
Spartina 449 Bags ^ MSb **
and Jewelry
With purchase of $100
or more, receive a y
FREE GIFT! &
ii Saturday
is “Sip and Shop Saturday”!
Thank Vbul
For Shopping Local!
Nancy McComb
& Ann Rose Bowcock
48 N. Jackson St
Forsyth, GA
Tue-Fri 11-5 • Sat 10-4
www.HighCottonUptown.com 478-993-7651 (j
HIGH
COTTON
ls UPTOWN ^
THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2018
HEAD ««»• POLLS
Ef VOTE for
GREG HEAD
BOE District 3
P/n of students
uMCMIEEiQD
let s prepare students to succeed in College,
Trade Schools, Military, and the work Force!
Lifetime Monroe County resident
1996 graduate from Mary Persons
CGTC graduate
Conservative
Married over 18 years with 5 children
Local business owner for 10 years
2016 Small Business of the Year recipient
2017 Businessman of the Year recipient
2016 Leadership Monroe Graduate
Development Authority Board Member
Active church member for 10 years
Active member of the Monroe County Chamber of Commerce
Kiwanis Club member
Supporter of Local Clubs and Organizations for our Youths
Volunteer: Baseball coach/assistant coach, Middle School Sunday School
Teacher, Choosing the Best, Boys and Girls Club, and Cat In The Hat
You can count on me to be an accountable, dependable,
and accessible board member.