PAGE 8A - THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 2025
Obituaries
1
Jimmy Carl Barrett
Jimmy Carl Barrett, 89, peacefully passed away, leav
ing behind a legacy of faith, devotion and service to his
family, community and country.
A man deeply rooted in
his love for God, Jimmy
lived with the confident
assurance that his name
is written in the Book of
Life.
Born with a strong sense
of duty and integrity, Jim
my had a deep love for
his country and lived each
day with gratitude for the
freedoms and opportuni
ties it provided. He carried
those values into a lifelong
career in real estate alongside his beloved wife, Mari
lyn Chatham Barrett. Married for 70 years, Jimmy and
Marilyn shared a remarkable journey — one marked by
both challenges and blessings, and most of all, endur
ing partnership. Together, they contributed significantly
to the development of Atlanta real estate, building not
only a business but a life of purpose and legacy.
In addition to his work and family, Jimmy found
great joy in his hobbies — flying his plane, boating and
working on his farm. These pursuits reflected his ad
venturous spirit and deep appreciation for the beauty of
creation. He saw God’s Hand in all he did.
Jimmy is survived by his devoted wife, Marilyn; his
children, Kathryn and John; his brother, Wayne Bar
rett; seven grandchildren, Amanda Webb, Holly Na
varre, Alex Umstead, Nick Umstead, Katelyn Umstead,
Kristy Pritchett and John Barrett Jr.; and 10 great-grand
children.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Marvin Bar
rett, with whom he shared a close bond.
Jimmy will be remembered for his steadfast faith,
quiet strength, and unwavering love for his family. He
was a man who honored God in both word and deed
and who finished his race with dignity and peace.
Funeral service: Monday, July 7, 2025, at 12 p.m. at
Evans Funeral Home Chapel in Jefferson. Burial will
follow at Evans Memory Gardens.
Family to receive friends: Monday, July 7, 2025, from
10 a.m. until 12 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 30-JuIy 6
Susan B. Behrle
COMMERCE — Susan B. Behrle, 77, Commerce,
passed away Sunday, June 29, 2025.
She was preceded in death by a son, Jason Casey; and
her parents, Robert and Roxie McWaters.
Survivors include daughters, Shuree ( Donald) Toney
and Cassandra McElroy.; son, Michael ( Stacy) Ca
sey; grandchildren, Amanda ( Eduardo), Casey, Jake,
Reghan and Aidan; along with two great-grandchildren,
Olivia and Ezra.
Funeral service: Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at 2 p.m.
from the chapel of Ivie Funeral Home with burial in
Grey Hill Cemetery.
Ivie Funeral Home, Commerce, is in charge of ar
rangements.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
Betty Jo Bishop Beusse
HULL — Betty Jo Bishop Beusse, 69, Hull, passed
away peacefully on Saturday, June 21, 2025.
Born in Greensboro,
North Carolina, she was
the daughter of the late
Herman Bishop and Pearl
Haley. In her free time, she
enjoyed listening to coun
try music, dancing and
loving on her fur baby lab
mix, Chop; but nothing
was more important than
spending time with her
beautiful family.
Along with her par
ents, Betty Jo is preceded
in death by her sisters, Judy Bishop, Ruby Nell Car
ter, Margaret McDonald, Evelyn Holland and Shirley
Fowler.
Survivors include her husband, Ronald Beusse;
daughter, Rhonda Thompson (Scott); son, Chris Beusse
(Jordan); four grandchildren, Caleb Beusse, Sarah Bryn
Beusse, Aiden Thompson and Collin Thompson; as
well as her brother, Wayne Bishop.
Funeral service: Tuesday, June 24, 2025, at 1 p.m. at
Lord and Stephens East. Burial to follow at Hull Baptist
Church Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Adam Bishop,
Kaleb Bishop, Raymond Fowler, Walter Fowler, Randy
Fowler and Justin Fowler.
Family to receive friends: Tuesday, June 24, 2025,
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the funeral home.B
Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, East, Athens, Ga.,
is in charge of arrangements, www.lordandstephens.
com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
JoAnn Worley Bond
ROYSTON — JoAnn Worley Bond, 76, Royston,
passed away on Monday, June 23, 2025, at Piedmont
Athens Regional Medical Center.
Mrs. Bond was bom on March 20, 1949, in Com
merce, daughter of the late George Worley and the late
Frances Bagwell Worley. She was a bookkeeper having
worked at Weyerheuser and was a member of Zidon
Baptist Church.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death
by several brothers and sisters.
Survivors include her husband, Charles Bond; sons
and daughters-in-law, Andy and Cindy Bond, Royston,
and Michael and Stacey Bond, Royston; sisters, Shir
ley Martin, Commerce, and Susan Manley, Commerce;
grandchildren, Selina Bohannon, Caleb Bond, Dylan
Bond, Drake Bond, Trevor Bond and Alec Bond; and
great-grandchildren, Zoey Bohannon, Owen Bohan
non, Charli Bond, Sadie Bond, Tripp Bond, Jett Bond
and Ruthie Bond.
Funeral service: Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 11 a.m.
at Zidon Baptist Church with the Revs. Andy Bond and
Caleb Bond officiating. Interment will follow in the
church cemetery.
Family to receive friends: Thursday, June 26, 2025,
from 10 until 11 a.m. at Zidon Baptist Church. During
other times the family will be at the home.
Flowers are optional, memorials may be made to Zi
don Baptist Church Bible Fund.
Pruitt Funeral Home in Royston, Ga., is in charge of
arrangements. Online condolences may be made by
visiting www.pruittfhroyston.com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
Evelyn Boyd
Evelyn Boyd, 96, passed away on Monday, June 23,
2025.
She was greatly loved
and will be missed by her
family who called her “E”,
and by her church family
and many friends. Eve
lyn was born on March 3,
1929, in Barrow County
and raised in Bethlehem,
Campton and Bonaire.
She was the daughter of
the late Dessus and Launa
Doster Barber.
Evelyn was also preced
ed in death by her loving
7
husband of more than 75 years, J.P. Boyd, who passed
away January 16, 2025; by her great-granddaughter,
Arden; and by her closest friends, Helen House, Betty
Smith Kelley and Jane Smith Odum.
Evelyn was a 1945 graduate of Winder High School.
After graduation she began work in her Aunt Floy’s fab
ric business in Atlanta where she developed the lifelong
love of shopping downtown at least two Saturdays per
quarter from Rich’s to Davison’s and all shops in be
tween. After a couple of years she moved back home.
Evelyn was employed for 50 years with Empire Man
ufacturing Company, Winder, as the bookkeeper, and
served as their corporate secretary until she retired in
1997. Evelyn was a talented alto singer and even got to
sing and meet Minnie Pearl at Walker Park School near
Monroe. Their father would drive Evelyn and Frances to
an Athens radio station on weekends where they would
sing Christian songs on a local radio show.
During her youth at Bethlehem Methodist Church
she was active in Choir, Sunday School, and Method
ist Youth Fellowship (MYF). She joined the Church
in 1943 and became a dedicated and active member of
Bethlehem First United Methodist Church for the next
80 years. Over the years, Evelyn directed a children’s
choir, youth choir and the adult Chancel Choir from
1994-1998. She taught the junior Sunday School class
for several years, was a member of the United Method
ist Women (formerly known as WSCS), co-taught in the
Pre-School, and was an active member of the STARS
senior group having monthly fellowship and lunches
or day trips, as well as staging shows and skits where
Evelyn often portrayed Minnie Pearl. Evelyn and JP
served as treasurers for Bethlehem First United Meth
odist Church for 35 years (1971-2006) with absolute
trustworthiness and dependability.
Evelyn loved her family and taught her children and
grands to love Jesus and to develop a strong commit
ment to learning and working to lift higher each gener
ation. She kept up with all birthdays and other activities
for family members long before social media. She en
joyed gifting music boxes and annual ornaments to the
grands at Christmas.
Evelyn was known for her baking skills at family and
church gatherings especially pound cakes, layer cakes,
pies and biscuits. She was still baking each member’s
favorite into her nineties. Evelyn loved to travel but her
“internal rubber band” would pull her back to Beth
lehem in about 10 days at most. She loved numerous
mountain and beach trips in Georgia and the south. She
has traveled to Washington, D.C., Texas, New York
City, Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons national parks,
Hawaii, Canada and Mexico.
Evelyn is survived by her son, Phil Boyd (Laurilyn);
her daughter, Vickie Washington (Bob); her six grand
children, Jillian Armistead (Doug), Rebekah Simmons
(Brian), Allison Van Kirk (Ryan), Bo Washington, Jon
Philip Boyd (Ursula) and Mary Elizabeth Boylan (Bob);
her 19 great-grandchildren, Presley, Joshua, Madeline,
Avery, Kane, Malachi, Koa, Brynn, Conner, Judd, Eden,
Genevieve, Abel, Roxy, Corban, Harley, Cort, Veda and
Jack; her sister, Frances Wood (Henry); and a host of
nieces, nephews and other extended family.
Funeral service: Saturday, June 28,2025, 2 p.m. at
Bethlehem First United Methodist Church, 709 Christ
mas Ave., Bethlehem. The graveside service will be
held at 3 p.m. at the Bethlehem Methodist Cemetery,
1079 Bethlehem Church Rd., Bethlehem.
Family to receive friends: Saturday, June 28, 2029,
from 12:30 until 2 p.m. in the Narthex.
In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to
Bethlehem Church Cemetery Fund at Bethlehem First
United Methodist Church, 709 Christmas Ave., Bethle
hem, Ga. 30620.
Smith Funeral Home, Winder, is in charge of arrange
ments.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
Emma Esther Flury Johnson
COMMERCE — Emma Esther Flury Johnson, 79,
Commerce, formerly of Jefferson, entered rest Tuesday,
June 24, 2025.
Mrs. Johnson was born
December 1, 1945, in
Sparta, a daughter of the
late Joseph Albert and Ma
bel Batchelor Flury. Mrs.
Johnson was a homemak
er and had worked as a
volunteer at Central State
Hospital, the V.A. Hospi
tal in Augusta and Easter
Seals of Augusta.
Mrs. Johnson enjoyed
bird watching, reading,
cross stitch and writing
poetry. Mrs. Johnson was an avid fan of the Georgia
Bulldogs, Atlanta Braves and golf, especially the Mas
ters. Mrs. Johnson enjoyed spending time with her fam
ily most of all. She was of the Methodist faith.
Survivors include her husband of 50 years, James
“Jimmy” Lawrence Johnson, Commerce; daughter and
son-in-law, Leslie Johnson Martin and Jason, Com
merce; three grandchildren, Carly Holden, Kinley Hold
en, Commerce, and Destiny Martin, Alto; sister, Nancy
Arlene Leonard, Augusta; sisters-in-law, Carol Gold
man and her husband Gerald, Lincolnton, and Emily
May, Thomson; brother-in-law, David Johnson and his
wife Patricia, Thomson; and several nieces and nephews
also survive.
Funeral service: Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 2 p.m. in
the chapel of Evans Funeral home with the Reverend
Jerry O’Neal officiating. Burial will follow in Evans
Memory Gardens.
Family to receive friends: Friday, June 27, 2025, from
6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Evans Funeral Home, Inc., 1350 Winder Highway,
Jefferson, Georgia. Online condolences at www.evans-
funeralhomeinc.com.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
Judy Grace Dixon Lampp
STATHAM — Judy Grace Dixon Lampp, 83, Statham,
passed away on Monday, June 23, 2025.
She was the daughter of
the late James Linton Dix
on and Annie Grace Tipton
Dixon and was born and
raised in Dublin. Judy was
a member of 1025 Church
in Statham.
In addition to her par
ents, Judy was preceded
in death by her husband,
Jerry D. Lampp; and her
brothers, Jimmy Dixon
and Alonzo Dixon.
She is survived by her
sons, David (Kim Casper) Lampp and Ken (Shannon
Park) Lampp, both of Winder, and Jeffery (Ginger
Akins) Lampp and Jason (Kim McDougald) Lampp,
both of Statham; grandchildren, Chase, Duke, Zeb, Sar
ah, Emily and Chandler; seven great-grandchildren; and
her sister, Madelyn Mimbs.
Graveside service: Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at
11 a.m. at Barrow Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations
in memory of Judy be made to 1025 Church in Statham.
Smith Funeral Home, Winder, is in charge of arrange
ments.
Published by MainStreet Newspapers, Inc.
Week of June 30-JuIy 6
Carolyn Shirley Merk
COMMERCE — Carolyn Shirley Merk, 88, Com
merce, died Tuesday, June 24, 2025.
Mrs. Merk was born in Commerce to the late Leo and
Lauree Park Shirley. She was a member of the Baptist
faith and retired from the Jefferson City Schools.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Merk was preceded in
death by her husband, George Emory Merk; grandchil
dren, Chris Merk and Jessica Martin; great-grandson,
Boyd Archer Merk; and several brothers and sisters.
Mrs. Merk is survived by her sons, Mike Merk (Joni)
and Phillip Merk (Ah), both of Commerce; daughter,
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