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THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL THURSDAY. JUNE 8. 2023 - PAGE 3B
Obituaries
Sandra K. Adams
COMMERCE — Sandra K. Adams, 75, Commerce,
died Friday, May 26, 2023 at Bountiful Hills.
Mrs. Adams was bom
in England, Arkansas,
to the late James C. and
Nell Oakley Cates. She
was a member of the Bap
tist faith and retired from
Southeast Toyota and Bak
er & Taylor.
In addition to her par
ents, Mrs. Adams was pre
ceded in death by her son,
Erick Adams.
Mrs. Adams is survived
by her husband, William
Barry Adams, Commerce; son, Brent Adams (Susan),
Elberton; brothers, Jimmy Cates (Rose), Amarillo,
Texas, and Randy Cates (Janena), Austin, Texas; sister,
Rhonda Higgs (Stan), Saddler, Texas; step-grandson,
Michael Snover (Hannah); and step-great-grandson,
Wyatt Snover.
Funeral service: Tuesday, May 30, 2023, at 11 a.m.
at Rogers Baptist Church with the Revs. Barry Bray
and Danny Hill officiating. Interment will follow in the
church cemeteiy.
Family to receive friends: Tuesday, May 30, 2023,
from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rogers
Baptist Church, 1318 Aderhold Road, Commerce, a.
30530.
Little-Ward Funeral Home, Commerce, is in charge
of arrangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of May 28-June 3
Betty Jean Watkins Beck
“Jean Hales Beck”
org, 706-654-0966.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 4-10
John Robert Cross
JEFFERSON — John Robert Cross, 44, Jefferson,
entered rest Friday May 26,2023.
Mr. Cross was born in
Athens, the son of Brenda
Hacked Cross and the late
James Donald Cross.
Mr. Cross worked for
Raining Wood Inc. and
was attending New Bigin-
nings Pentecostal Church.
Mr. Cross was a dedicat
ed sportsman who loved
to fish and hunt with his
friends and family and
also loved listening to his
music.
Survivors include his mother, Brenda H. Cross, Jeffer
son; daughter, Annie Jane Cross, Winder; sister, Aman
da Lynn Cross, Maysville; brother, James Donald Cross
II (Nina), Lexington, N.C.; four Nephews, Brent Wilkes,
Maysville, Kyle Wilkes, Maysville, James Cross, North
Carolina, and Bradley Cross, North Carolina; one un
cle; two aunts; and many other relatives also survive.
Funeral service: Friday June 2,2023, at 3 p.m. at Ev
ans Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend Wayne
Norris officiating with burial of cremains to follow in
Jackson Memorial Gardens.
Family to receive friends: Friday, June 2, 2023, from
1-3 p.m. at Evans Funeral Home.
Evans Funeral Home, Inc., 1350 Winder Highway,
Jefferson, Georgia, 706-367-5467. Online condolences
at www.evansfuneralhomeinc.com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 4-10
HOSCHTON — Betty Jean Watkins Beck “Jean
Hales Beck”, 77, of Hoschton, passed away Sunday,
May 21, 2023, at home surrounded by her loving fam
ily after a brief illness.
Jean was bom on May
10, 1946 to the late Rob
ert Lee “Bill” and Annie
Ruth (Johnson) Watkins,
of Bill Watkins Road,
Hoschton. Jean grew up
in Hoschton with a sister
and brother, working on
the family farm, “Indi
an River Farm”, located
within the Sells commu
nity.
She graduated from
Braselton High School, where she developed lifelong
friendships. Jean was a lifelong member of The Center
Church and enjoyed sharing stories of she and sister
Robbie riding to church on a horse. She had a passion
for growing flowers in her yard and often shared clip
pings with others.
Jean held several successful career paths over the
years, most notably as a real estate agent with several
real estate brokers in the area: Success Realty, Keller
Williams, Bulldog Brokers and Berkshire Hathaway,
where she and her son Bill joined together as the
“Hales Team”. She received numerous achievement
awards, including the “Million Dollar Club” award
while serving at Berkshire Hathaway. She was voted
#1 Realtor in Jackson County in 2013.
Jean’s two sons from her marriage to William M.
“Bill” Hales III, brought her much joy. She was so
very proud of their dedication to serve in the military
and often spoke of their successes each time they were
promoted to a higher rank. Her oldest son, Sgt. Wil
liam M. “Bill” Hales IV, served four years active duty
in the USMC and six years in the reserves. Her young
est son, Lt. Col. Kenneth L. “Ken” Hales is retired
from the U.S. Army.
Jean later remarried in 2002 to the late Larry Beck
of Braselton and was married until his passing in 2022.
She was the proud mother, step-mother, and grand
mother of nine grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by husband of 20+ years,
Larry Lee Beck; her son, William M. Hales IV;
step-daughter, Kimberly Millen Dabboussi; mother
and father, Robert L. “Bill” and Annie Ruth Watkins;
sister, Robbie Mauldin; and brother, Mike Watkins.
Jean is survived by her son, Lt. Col. Kenneth L. Hales
(Amy Lee), Hoschton; grandchildren, Ann Brooks,
Caroline Lee, Robert Dean and William Russell Hales,
Denver, Colorado, Hunter, Dodge and Cannon Beck,
Braselton, and Caitlin and Palmer Beck, Athens;
daughter-in-law, Terri Hales Moss (Gary), Hoschton;
and several other relatives.
Funeral service: Thursday, June 1, 2023, at 2 p.m.
at The Center Church, 7641 Jackson Trail Road,
Hoschton, Ga. 30548. Interment to follow at The
Center Church Cemetery. Officiating will be the Rev.
Blane Spence.
Family to receive friends: Wednesday, May 31,
2023, from 5-8 p.m. at Lawson Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The
Center Church.
Arrangements by Lawson Funeral Home, 4532
Hwy. 53, Hoschton, Ga. 30548, Lawsonfuneralhome.
Marion Juanita Dalton
COLBERT — Marion Juanita Dalton, 75, Colbert,
passed away on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
She was the daugh
ter of the late Grady and
Lola Barrett. She was
also preceded in death by
her daughter, Tammy R.
Dalton; brothers, Morgan
Barrett and J.C. Barrett;
and sisters, Joyce Akins
and Geraldine Williams.
Survivors include hus
band, Earl Dalton; sons,
Timothy Dalton and Wil
liam Dalton; daughter,
Jessica Dalton; sister and
brothers, Bonnie (Dennis) Huth, Junior Barrett and
Billy Barrett; grandchildren, Latasha Dalton, Heather
(River) Harper, Alexis Griffin, Dalton Giles and Miran
da Dalton; and great-grandchildren, Biyson Bundrick
and Kynsley Dalton.
Family to receive friends: Wednesday, May 31,2023,
from 6 to 8 p.m.
Lord & Stephens Funeral Homes, Danielsville, Dan-
ielsville, Ga., is in charge of arrangements, www.lor-
dandstephens.com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 4-10
Chad Gary
Chad Gary, a loving husband, father, son, brother
and uncle, passed away at the age of 41 years young
on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
Chad was bom in Ath
ens, and was raised in
Commerce. He worked
for the local sheriff’s
department of Jackson
County for eight years
before enlisting in the
Army where he served his country in the military po
lice stationed in Stuttgart Germany. He served with the
Army until he was medically retired.
Chad was known for his goofy, quirky, funny per
sonality and his love for his Georgia Bulldawgs. He
always made those around him laugh. He had the big
gest heart and loved big. If he wasn’t making someone
laugh, he was hugging their neck. He made sure to tell
his family that he loved them at any chance that he got.
Chad leaves behind a loving family that will continue
to carry him in their hearts.
He is survived by his wife, Shawna Igo Gary; his
sons, Ethan, Trent and Seth Grindle; his daughter,
Kaitlyn Elizabeth Gary; his parents, Aubrey and Pat
Gary; his sisters, Stacy Gary and Lacy Gary Roussel;
his brother-in-law, Derek Roussel; and nephew, Lucca
Roussel.
He is predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Har
old Lee and Josie Gary; and maternal grandparents,
James and Claudine Kesler.
Funeral service: Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 11 a.m.
at River of Life Worship Center with the Revs. Bobby
Ivester and Marty Smith and Pastor Jonathan English
officiating. Interment will follow in the Howington
Cemetery.
Family to receive friends: Saturday, May 20, 2023,
from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church.
Little-Ward Funeral Home, Commerce, is in charge
of arrangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 4-10
Charles Leonard Harrison
ALTO — Charles Leonard Harrison, 75, Alto, went
home to be with the Lord on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Born at “The Chaim
House” in Clarkesville
on November 06, 1947,
he was a son of the late
Charles H. “Spider” and
Lois Margaret Murray
Harrison. Charles served
his countiy proudly in the
United States Army. He
served in law enforcement
for over 15 years, was a
former Cornelia Chief of
Police, and also worked
for Tallulah Falls School
where he served as a bus driver as well as a security
officer before retirement.
In his spare time, Charles enjoyed camping, fishing,
hunting, going on dips to the ocean, daveling and tell
ing tall tales. He was a member of Alto Congregational
Holiness Church.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by
his son, Todd Harrison.
Survivors include his loving wife, Suzanne Holland
Harrison, Alto; son and daughter-in-law, Len and Kristie
Harrison, Baldwin; daughters and sons-in-law, Sharea
and John Long, Cornelia, MaKesha and Paul Murphy,
Southport, N.C., and MaKayla Holcombe, Alto; broth
er, Johnnie Harrison, Ken.; sister and brother-in-law,
Cathy and Howard Yearwood, Demorest; grandchil
dren, Charles Harrison, Alto, Shanda Harrison, Carnes-
ville, Stuart Harrison, Cornelia, Krista Harrison, Bald
win, Kaveri Holcombe, Daylen Holcombe and Jaeyli
Holcombe, all of Alto, and Zeke Murphy and Winter
Murphy, both of Southport, N.C.; 12 great-grandchil
dren; special friends, Carson Crocker, Alto, Bernard
Storey, Ipswitch, U.K., and J.C. Kimbrell, Demorest;
other relatives; and a host of friends.
Funeral service: Friday, June 2, 2023, at 3 p.m. in the
Hillside Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Scott Ledbetter
officiating. Full military honors will be provided by the
Grant Reeves Honor Guard. A private family interment
will follow at a later date.
Family to receive friends: Thursday, June 1, 2023,
from 4 until 8 p.m. and Friday, June 2, 2023, from 12
until 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
Flowers are accepted or donations may be made in
memory of Charles Harrison to Hillside Memorial
Chapel, PO. Box 305, Clarkesville, Georgia 30523, to
help with funeral expenses.
Arrangements are in the care and professional di
rection of Hillside Memorial Chapel & Gardens of
Clarkesville, Georgia, 706-754-6256. An online guest
registry is available for the Harrison family at www.
HillsideMemorialChapel.com
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 4-10
Sue Brooks Holliman
PENDERGRASS — Sue Brooks Holliman, 89, a
lifelong resident of Pendergrass. Mrs. Holliman re
mained very active prior to dying unexpectedly at her
residence on Friday, June 2, 2023, while battling a se
vere short-term respiratory infection.
Mrs. Hol
liman was
born in Pen-
dergrass,
a daughter
of the late
John B. and
Essie Irene
Brooks.
She attend
ed primary
school in Pendergrass, graduated from Jefferson High
School and attended North Georgia College for two
years. Mrs. Holliman graduated from The University
of Georgia with a degree in Home Economics and was
retired from the Jackson County Board of Education.
After a successful and influential career in teaching,
she remained a lifetime member of the Jackson County
Retired Educators Association and her love of teaching
and learning remained a large part of her everyday life.
Mrs. Holliman had a lifelong love of animals, espe
cially peacocks, horses and her beloved pets. When her
children were growing up, the family traveled exten
sively showing American Saddlebred Horses where she
developed many lasting friendships. She was an avid
fan of The University of Georgia sports and Atlanta
Braves baseball.
In her later year's, she developed a passion for ge
nealogy and local history. She became very active in
Daughters of the American Revolution and had just re
cently received her 20-year certificate. Above all else,
Mrs. Holliman treasured her family no matter how
close or how distant.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Holliman is preced
ed by her husband, M.L. Holliman; son; “J” Holliman;
brothers, John Robert Brooks and Larry Alfred Ro