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Area Death Notices Commerce News
OCTOBER 15,2008 • PAGE 9A
Jesse Ballenger
Jesse Dewitt Ballenger,
58, of Homer, died Monday,
October 13, 2008, at his
residence following an
extended illness.
He was the son of Dorothy
Ballenger of Commerce.
Funeral services were held
Wednesday, October 15, in
the chapel of Ivie Funeral
Home with the Rev. George
Tubbs officiating.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Bonnie Baugh
Bonnie Sue Baugh, 71, of
Gillsville, died Wednesday,
October 8, 2008, at BJC
Medical Center, following a
brief illness.
Born in Banks County
on October 19, 1936, she
was the daughter of the late
James Russell and Margie
Nell Hopper Jackson.
Mrs. Baugh was the sister
of Jean Lewallen, Maysville;
aunt of David Russell
Marlow, Maysville; great-
aunt of Chelsea Leanne
Marlow, Maysville.
Funeral services were
held Saturday, October 11,
at the Hickory Flat United
Methodist Church with
Pastors Jerry Cameron and
Frankie Spivey officiating.
Burial was in the church
cemetery.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Rachel Coile
Rachel Kittle Coile, 78, of
Crawford, died Saturday,
October 11, 2008.
Born December 20,
1929, in Athens, she was
the daughter of the late
Roger Kittle Sr. and Mary
Lou Strickland Kittle.
Mrs. Coile was the
mother of Rick and Elaine
Coile of Nicholson;
grandmother of Heather
Coile, Nicholson, and
Wendy Lord, Commerce;
and great-grandmother
of Autumn Linger felt,
Commerce.
Funeral services were
held Wednesday, October
15 in the chapel of Lord &
Stephens Funeral Home,
East, Athens.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
John Cooper
John Clifton Cooper, 56,
of Homer, died Monday,
October 13, 2008, at his
residence following an
extended illness.
He was the son of the
late John E. Cooper and
Margaret Jamison.
Mr. Cooper was the father
of Deana and Seth Bolton of
Maysville. He is survived by
a son, John. C. Cooper Jr.
Funeral services will be
held Thursday, October
16, at 2 p.m„ at the Homer
Baptist Church with the Rev.
Charles Crabbe officiating.
Burial will be in the Banks
County Memorial Gardens.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Deloris Massey
Deloris Mae Miller
Massey, 88, of Commerce,
died Wednesday, October
8, 2008, at St. Mary’s
Hospital.
She was born in Cass
County, ND, the daughter of
the late William and Mable
Francis Norton Miller. She
was retired from Lockeed
as a secretary. Mrs. Massey
was preceded in death by
her husband, Wilton E.
Massey; and a daughter,
Laynette Fincher.
Survivors include a son,
William Massey, Commerce;
brothers, Donnie Miller,
Sunny Valle, CA, and Ralph
Miller, Seattle, WA; six
grandchildren; and 11 great
grandchildren.
Funeral services were
held Friday, October 10, in
the chapel of Little-Ward
Funeral Home with the Rev.
Mike Gilleland officiating.
Burial was in the Jackson
Memorial Gardens.
Little-Ward Funeral Home,
Commerce, was in charge
of arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
'Pete' Norris
William Lewis “Pete”
Norris, 77, of Jefferson, died
Wednesday,
October 8,
2008.
He was
born May
21, 1931,
in Jackson
County, the son of the
late Jessie Marshall Curtis
and Sara Cofield Norris.
He was retired from the
Georgia Department of
Transportation and was
a member of the Bethany
United Methodist Church.
Mr. Norris was preceded
in death by his wife, Mary
Alice “Tootsie” Norris.
Survivors include a son,
Dennis William Norris,
Pendergrass; stepsons,
Stanley Russell Gaddis,
Nicholson, Phillip Payne
Gaddis, Jefferson; step
daughters, Patricia Alice
Pulliam, Royston, and Rita
Wilson, Gainesville; grand
children, Erick Norris, Holly
Gaddis, Ashley and Phillip
Gaddis, Nina Teet, Jacob
and Molly Pulliam, Joseph
Wilson and Candace Third;
and five great-grandchil
dren.
Funeral services were held
Friday, October 10, in the
Bethany United Methodist
Church with the Rev. Johnny
Ray officiating. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Memorials contribu
tions may be made to the
Heartland Hospice, 325 N.
Milledge Ave., Athens, GA,
30601.
Evans Funeral Home,
Jefferson, was in charge of
arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Edward Poss
Edward W. Poss, 83, of
Winterville, died Thursday,
October 2, 2008.
A native of Sanford
Community, he was the son
of the late
William B.
and Martha
Fields Poss.
He served
in the United States Army
during World War II and
retired from the United
States Reserves, after
which he worked for the
EPA for 15 years and was a
member of the Winterville
United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife
of 59 years, Hilda Gilmer
Poss, Winterville; daugh
ters and sons-in-law, Elaine
and Charles McGarity,
Winterville, and Marsha
and Jeff Paul, Lexington;
grandchildren, Jay and
Melissa McGarity, Tim and
Ashley McGarity, Sarah
Paul and Andy Paul; and
three great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were
held Saturday, October 4,
in the chapel of Bernstein
Funeral Home with the
Rev. Tac Coley officiating.
Burial was at Evergreen
Memorial Park.
Memorial contribu
tions may be made to
the Winterville United
Methodist Church, 101
Parkview Rd„ Winterville,
Ga. 30683.
Bernstein Funeral Home,
Athens, was in charge of
arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Gladys Purcell
Gladys Pruitt Thomas
Purcell, 93, of Jefferson,
died Saturday, October
11, 2008, following an
extended illness.
She was a longtime resi
dent of Kannapolis, NC,
and was born in Banks
County, the daughter of
the late John Joe and
Nezzie Hagard Pruitt.
She was a member of
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day Saints and
was retired from the tex
tile industry. Mrs. Purcell
was preceded in death
by her husband, Leatus
Thomas; a brother, John
Dallas Pruitt; and sisters,
Lelia Wood, Bert Purcell
and Lucille Wages.
Survivors include a
daughter, Shirley Hewitt,
Jefferson; granddaughter,
Cindy Nelson, Arlington,
VA; sister, Mary Ruth
Hudson, Douglas; and
a number of nieces and
nephews.
Funeral services will be
held Saturday, October 18,
at 2 p.m. in the chapel of
Little-Ward Funeral Home
with the Bishop Gaultney
officiating. Burial will be
in Grey Hill Cemetery.
The family will receive
friends at the funeral
home Saturday, October
18, from 1 to 2 p.m.
Little-Ward Funeral Home,
Commerce, is in charge of
arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Rachel Reece
^ iG)
Rachel Glenn Reece, 19,
of Lula, died Wednesday,
October 8, 2008, from inju
ries received
in an auto
mobile acci
dent.
She was
the daugh
ter of Ron
and Tracy
Malone Reece of Lula.
Survivors in addition to
her parents, include grand
parents, Pat and Brenda
Malone, Woodstock,
Marie and Tommy Baggett,
Austell, and Wiley and
Shirley Reece, Douglasville;
four aunts and uncles; and
13 cousins.
Funeral services were
held Sunday, October 12,
in the chapel of Ivie Funeral
Home.
Memorial contributions
may be made to Safe Kids
or The Humane Society.
The Commerce News, October 16, 2008.
DeAlva Warren
DeAlva Brown Warren,
94, of Jefferson, died
Thursday, October 9, 2008,
at BJC Nursing Home in
Commerce.
The Emanuel County
native lived most of her
life in Metter before mov
ing to Jefferson in 1998
to be near her son. She
was a homemaker and
was retired from Metter
Manufacturing Company.
She was a member of
the Cedar Street Baptist
Church and the Order of
Eastern Star. She enjoyed
talking and being with
people, never meeting
a stranger, loved ones
stated. Mrs. Warren was
preceded in death by her
husband, Herbert Warren;
and a son, Brown Warren.
Survivors include two
sons and three daughters-
in-law, Herbert and Martha
Warren, Eatonton, Jim and
Linda Warren, Jefferson,
and Edna Warren,
Snellville; four grandchil
dren; and four great-grand
children.
Funeral services were
held Saturday, October 11,
in the Hooks Chapel of
Kennedy Funeral Homes.
Burial was in the Cool
Spring Cemetery.
Kennedy Funeral Home,
Metter, was in charge of
arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Eleanor
Whitfield
Eleanor Scales Whitfield,
88, of Commerce, died
Thursday, October 9, 2008,
at Athens Regional Medical
Center in Athens.
She was born in Banks
County, the daughter of
the late Paul and Callabelle
Loudermilk Scales. She was
a member of the First Baptist
Church of Commerce and
was a retired school teacher.
Mrs. Whitfield was preced
ed in death by her husband,
Boyd Whitfield.
Survivors include a son,
Mitch Whitfield, Homer;
three grandchildren; and
seven great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held
Saturday, October 11, at
the First Baptist Church in
Commerce with Dr. Carlton
Allen officiating. Burial was
in Grey Hill Cemetery.
Little-Ward Funeral Home,
Commerce, was in charge
of arrangements.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Alvin Wood
Alvin Kimsey Wood, 62, of
Danielsville, died Tuesday,
October 7, 2008, at Emory
Hospital.
Born in Madison County,
he was the son of the late
William Esco and Leila
Pruitt Wood.
Mr. Wood was the brother
of Gene Wood, Frank Wood,
Eleanor Faye Wilbanks,
Gladys Palmer and Mildred
Evans, all of Nicholson,
Chick Wood and Bill Wood,
both of Commerce, and
Patsy Wilbanks, Maysville.
Funeral services were
held Thursday, October 9,
at Galilee Pentecostal Fire
Baptized Holiness Church
with the Revs. Larry Dyer
and Marty Smith officiat
ing. Burial was in the church
cemetery.
The Commerce News, October 15, 2008.
Jackson County BOE Approves $90.8 Million Budget
By Kerri Testement
The Jackson County
Board of Education
approved a $90.8 million
2009 budget Monday —
leaving a reserve balance
higher than initially antic
ipated when the budget
process began last spring.
The district anticipates
general fund revenue to
reach $90.8 million, with
expenses topping $90.7
million. The end result is
an anticipated reserve bal
ance of $711,000.
In May, school officials
were expecting a deficit
of $1.9 million for the pro
posed 2009 budget.
Last month, the school
board opted to keep its
millage rates the same as
the previous year.
And despite Monday’s
vote, the budget process
will remain a key issue for
the school system.
“This is going to be a
really challenging budget
year and we are really
going to have watch our
expenditures carefully,”
Superintendent Shannon
Adams said Thursday
night.
The school system also
hasn’t received final word
on state funding of educa
tion. Depending on those
decisions from the state,
a deficit is still possible,
cautioned assistant super
intendent for finance and
information service Jeff
Elect
Archie D.
Chaney, Jr.
Ward 1 Council Seat
Experienced,
Proven
Leadership.
I will work for the benefit
of ALL residents of this community.
I appreciate your support and
your vote on Tuesday, November 4.
Paid for by the candidate.
Sanchez.
“I think it’s going to be
close,” he said Thursday. “I
think it’s going to be OK.
But there is always that
possibility, because I have
no way of knowing what
(the governor) is going to
apply to Jackson County.”
The board of education
could amend its budget
after it receives final reve
nue figures from the state,
Sanchez said.
And if additional bud
get cuts are necessary, the
school system may have
to consider staff members
that are not under con
tract, Sanchez said.
Board chairperson Kathy
Wilbanks said: “People and
programs is all we’ve got.”
Adams said: “We have
made some minor pro
gram cuts already.”
Wilbanks said the board
may need to cut expenses
now, since revenue prob
ably won’t improve over
the next few years.
“If we get notification
from the state and it’s a
lot worse than what we’re
anticipating, I’d rather go
ahead and take the hit now
and cut some things and
make it hard on us, than
two or three years down
the road and it take years
to recover,” she said.
NEWS DEADLINE
4:00 MONDAYS
Scrap Tires?
Don’t Dump Them
Recycle Them
Keep Jackson County Beautiful Jackson County Solid Waste sponsored
SCRAP TIRE COLLECTION
Is Saturday, October 18, 2008 from 8 a.m. -1 p.m.
Jackson County Complex County Farm Road
Gather your tires and bring them on this day ONLY we have been
notified there will be NO money for 2009 collection days.
There are rules from the state, we must stick to:
• No more than 5 tires from each household.
•We will need the person's name, address, phone number and email
address (if available)
• If a neighborhood or family would like to gather their tires on one vehicle,
at least one person from each of the households must check in. NO
TRACTOR TIRES.
For information, call
Keep Jackson County Beautiful
(706) 708-7198
More? Call Keep Jackson County Beautiful.