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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. OCTOBER 15. 2009 — PAGE 5A
‘Southern gentleman’
Floyd remembered for quick wit, love of people
Howard Floyd
Photo courtesy of Melissa Tufts
By Margie Richards
margie@mainstreetnews.com
H oward Floyd was
a masterful and
humorous sto
ryteller, quick-witted, but
always the gentleman, who
could remember “everything,”
according to those who knew
and loved him - and that
appears to be most of the
county.
Floyd, 84, died at his home
Sunday.
A long-time Madison
County resident, historian,
poet, musician and lifelong
member of Mt. Flermon
Presbyterian Church, his fel
low parishioners knew some
thing must be wrong when
he didn’t show up for ser
vices that morning and went
to check on him, finding that
he had passed away.
Floyd was bom in Elbert
County, the son of Mark and
Myrtle Thompson Floyd. Fie
was married for 46 years to
the late Ernestine Floyd. He
was the father of two daugh
ters, Melanie Casatelli, of
Alpharetta and Betsy Booth,
of Allen, Texas, and the grand
father of four.
He was a veteran of the
United States Navy and a
retiree of the postal service
- he served as postmaster
in Danielsville from 1969
to 1980. Floyd received his
50-year certificate from the
American Legion and was
a member of the Masonic
Lodge since 1952. He also
was a member of the local
library board - working as
part of the building committee
in the mid-1980’s.
After his retirement, he
worked at Brown’s Funeral
Home and later at Lord and
Stephens Funeral Home in
Danielsville for many years,
bringing comfort to those who
lost their loved ones.
“Howard was a true Southern
gentleman,” long-time friend
Charlotte Bond said. “He was
careful with his words - he
was quick to make you laugh
and careful not to offend any
one if at all possible.”
“Being the historian he
was, he was in the process of
writing his memories about
Madison County, and though
the ‘pen ran dry’ before he
finished his goal, I hope we
will be allowed at some time
in the future to read about
the things he held so dear, his
view of Madison County his
tory,” Bond added.
Bond also knew Howard as
a “boss,” having worked for
him for as a mail carrier when
he was postmaster.
“I can honestly say that he
was the best person to work
for in my entire work life,” she
said of those days.
But her best memories of
him come from his joy in, and
love of, his family.
“He loved talking about his
beautiful wife and his precious
daughters,” she said. “The
(mail) carriers were privy to a
lot of home life tales - some
were true, some were conjec
ture and most invoked a roar of
laughter, but all were said with
a gleam in his eye that revealed
what his family meant to him -
everything.”
Fhs good friend and fellow
parishioner Pat Carithers also
remembers his humor, grace
and his love of people and the
church.
He was also “progressive” in
his views toward women for a
man of his day and age - some
thing Carithers came to know
when he asked her to serve as
an Elder at Mt. Hermon. “This
was the early eighties or late
seventies, back in the day when
women were just beginning to
fill those types of positions,”
Carithers remembers. “I was
surprised and I also felt unwor
thy to be asked.”
But Carithers said Floyd
assured her that their church,
as any other, was full of “less-
than-perfect” people and that
what mattered was that she
tried.
“I accepted and Fm sure that
the request (for my service)
came from the board at his
instigation,” she said.
Carithers also noted that
Floyd had strong views on a
church’s duty to the outside
world.
“He had a strong belief that
not only should individuals
tithe, but that a church should
also tithe,” Carithers said. “He
believed a church should not
spend all the money it had on
itself alone.”
“(He was) a good soul and
one of the funniest people on
the planet,” friend MelissaTufts
said, noting that he was still
serving on the session of Mt.
Hermon Presbyterian Church
at the time of his death.
In fact, as Carithers noted,
he was called back from retire
ment as an Elder because his
counsel was so highly valued
by all who knew him.
He lived on Floyd Road
(named after him) in the
Rogers Mill community and.
according to Tufts, enjoyed
and appreciated his neighbors,
no matter if they were old-
timers or newcomers to the
county.
“He was always very gener
ous and well-spoken,” Tufts
said. “We loved hearing his
stories, and his jokes always
cracked us up because he was
so good at delivering them.”
“He will be truly missed,”
Carithers said.
Floyd was interred
Wednesday in the cemetery
at Mt. Hermon Presbyterian
Church in Ha.
Heating assistance available
for those 65 and older
Heating assistance will be available beginning Nov. 2 for
households in which every member is 65 and older, or in
which every member of the house is unable to leave the
home due to health reasons.
The Georgia Department of Human Resources will help
pay heating costs for gas, electricity, wood, coal or kero
sene. One-time payments will be made by checks issued to
the home energy suppliers on behalf of eligible households.
Eligibility for the program is based on the income of every
one living in the home. All eligible households must be
responsible for their home heating bills.
When applying for assistance, persons will be required to
present verification of age for everyone in the home, verifi
cation of all household income received within the past 30
days (check stubs, public assistance checks, unemployment
checks, etc. ) They will need to provide verification of Social
Security numbers for everyone in the home and the most
recent home heating bill.
Depending on the availability of the funds, the regular
program will open to the general public Dec. 1.
All interested applicants are asked to contact the Ninth
District Opportunity Inc. after 8:30 a.m. by telephone
(1-800-822-0179) on the date of the program they qualify
for. “No walkins, please,” organizers said. Additional infor
mation will be made available online at www.ndo.org.
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City of Colbert
ACCEPTING BIDS
The City of Colbert is accepting bids for drive
way grading and applying four inches of
crusher run gravel plus packing with a roller
on approximately 450 x 12 ft. of driveway in
the Colbert Cemetery. Details can be obtained
at the Colbert City Hall. Deadline for bids is
Friday, October 23 at 1:00 p.m. $1,000,000 of
liability insurance is required.
Mayor and Council
City of Colbert
Industrial authority
to meet Monday
The Madison County Industrial Development and Building
Authority will meet at 6 p.m., Monday, in the historic old
counhouse in the center of Danielsville.
Agenda items include:
•Adopt 2010 budget and set 2009 millage rate.
•Financial report.
•Water request: Neese Diamond Hill Road - Brewer
Phillips Road.
•Utility director report: a. billing report; 2008 water system
expansion update; and Harrison water system update.
•Other IDA-related issues: Hull-Sanford sewer project
update; water supply agreement with Franklin County;
Engineering - Armentrout, Roebuck & Matheny.
Madison County Relay
meeting set for Oct. 26
A planning meeting for the 2010 Madison County Relay
for Life will be held Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. at Union
Baptist Church on Hwy. 106.
“Calling all Madison County community members — are
you a leader, a go-getter?” organizers asked. “Are you look
ing to promote your business, make a name for yourself, get
ahead or just make a difference? If so, the Relay For Life
of Madison County is currently recruiting volunteer leaders
with all types of skill sets.”
Relay planners said “that anyone and everyone” is wel
come to come and learn more at an information and planning
meeting Oct. 26.
Those with questions can contact Katie Cullinan, American
Cancer Society staff partner at katie.cullinan@caner.org or
(706) 549-4893.
“We look forward to seeing you there,” Relay leaders
said.
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