Clarke Co. GA - Obits from the Athens Daily News/Banner-Herald 30 Sep 1997 Thanks for permission from the Athens Daily News /Banner-Herald http://www.onlineathens.com/ ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Obituaries header ANET Options E.H. Cochran Mount Airy E.H. Cochran, 60, died Saturday, Sept. 27, 1997. A native of Banks County, Mr. Cochran was a son of the late Dallas and Retha Andrews Cochran. He was preceded in death by a son, Eddie Cochran. He was an Army veteran. Private graveside services and burial were Monday in Baldwin Cemetery with the Rev. Clarence Reynolds officiating. Survivors include three daughters, Pattie A. Elliott, McDonough, Pamela Kilgore, Hampton, and Tonya L. Bowen, Walhalla; two sons, Roy H. "Rusty" Cochran, Jackson, and Wayne Cochran, McDonough; four sisters, Lola M. Childers, Fayetteville, Virginia L. Rider, Douglasville, Evelyn Frady, Mount Airy and Oneta Phillips, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; two brothers, C.E. Cochran, Clarkesville, and Dewey Cochran, Cornelia; and several grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, c/o Jackie Ausburn, 252A Chase Road, Cornelia, Ga., 30531. Whitfield Funeral Home, Cornelia, was in charge of arrangements. William Daniel Elberton William Henry "Billy" Daniel, 59, of 3366 Hester Road died Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. A native of Morgan County, Mr. Daniel was a son of the late Annie Maude Prince and C.E. Daniel Jr. A Navy veteran, he was retired from Georgia Power Co. and a member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Bethlehem United Methodist Church with the Revs. John Heckman and W.T. Booth officiating. Survivors include his wife, Carol Gregory Daniel; three daughters, Jenny Green, Weaverville, N.C., and Ann O'Steen and Judy Cross, both of Statesboro; a sister, Charlene Carpenter, Lexington; and two grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Billy Ogle, Frank Seagraves, Ralph Bryant, Lecil Sorrow, William Farmer, Kenneth Reynolds, Terry Adair and Ross Copelan. The family is at the residence and will receive friends 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at Berry Funeral Home. Flowers are optional; memorials may be made to the Bethlehem United Methodist Church Expansion Fund, the American Cancer Society, Patient Services, or Joseph's Home for Boys, 115 Dodd Circle, Statesboro, Ga., 30458. Dr. Joshua Laerm Hull Dr. Joshua Laerm, 55, of Route 2, Box 852, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. A native of Waynesboro, Penn., Dr. Laerm was a son of the late Rolf and Idella Benchoff Laerm. He was a professor at the University of Georgia, where he was director of the Museum of Natural History. Services will be announced later. Survivors include an aunt, Mary Louise Strong, Windsor, Calif.; two uncles, Victor Larm, Long Island, N.Y., and Henry Larm, Woburn, Mass. Lord & Stephens Funeral Home, East, is in charge of arrangements. James Mathis Jefferson James Toy Mathis, 78, of 217 Airport Road died Monday, Sept. 29, 1997. A native of Jackson County, Mr. Mathis was a son of the late Daniel B. and Leona Whitehead Mathis. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Brenda Ann Ayers, and a son, Thomas Mathis. He was retired from Bellgrade and a member of Solid Rock Baptist Church. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Little-Ward Funeral Home, Commerce, with the Revs. Swayne Carlan and Grady Carpenter officiating. Burial will be in Oconee Baptist Church Cemetery. Survivors include his wife, Geraldine Fletcher Mathis; two daughters, Evelyn Clark, Jefferson, and Betty Fleeman, Commerce; a sister, Leader Paul Twitty, Bethlehem; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. today at the funeral home. John O. McCurley Sr. Hartwell John O. McCurley Sr., 72, of 626 McCurley Road died Monday, Sept. 29, 1997. A native of Hart County, Mr. McCurley was a son of the late William Oscar and Nancy Myrtice Skelton McCurley. He was an Army veteran of World War II and received a Purple Heart. He was the Hart County tax commissioner for 32 years, chairman of the Hart County Democratic Executive Committee for 30 years, and secretary of the Hart County Library Board for 30 years. He was a member of the Hartwell Golden K, Hartwell Optimist Club, Nancy Hart Masonic Lodge 690, Savannah Valley Shrine Club, Hart County Veterans of Foreign Wars, Hart County American Legion and the Disabled American Veterans. He was a Scottish Rite Mason and a member and elder of Cokesbury United Methodist Church, where he was a member of the D.O. Chapman Sunday school class, for which he was secretary and treasurer. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Cokesbury United Methodist Church with the Revs. Al Key and Terry Meeks officiating. Entombment will be in Nancy Hart Memorial Park. The body will be placed in the church at 2:30 p.m. Survivors include his wife, Faye Sanders McCurley; five sons, John O. McCurley Jr., Elberton, Jeff L. McCurley, Dalton, and Keith R. McCurley, W. Mark McCurley and David K. McCurley, all of Hartwell; four sisters, Winnefred Parrott, Fernandina Beach, Fla., Dorothy Moore, Belmont, N.C., Rachel Thornton, Elberton, and Myra Cook, Hartwell; two brothers, Roy McCurley and Tony McCurley, both of Hartwell; 15 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. The family is at the residence and will receive friends 7-9 p.m. today at Strickland Funeral Home. Flowers are optional; memorials may be made to Cokesbury United Methodist Church, Cokesbury Highway, Hartwell, Ga., 30643; Hospice of the Upstate, P.O. Box 207, Hartwell, Ga., 30643; or the American Cancer Society, c/o Ruth Skelton, 127 Holly St., Hartwell, Ga., 30643. Fred Minish Commerce Fred Alton Minish, 77, of 234 Spring St. died Monday, Sept. 29, 1997. A native of Calhoun Falls County, S.C., Mr. Minish was a son of the late Henry and Dora Lovin Minish. An Army veteran of World War II, he was retired from Harmony Grove Mill and a member of Ridgeway Baptist Church. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Ridgeway Baptist Church with the Revs. Bill Manus, David Harbin and Dennis Kesler officiating. Burial will be in Grey Hill Cemetery. The body will be placed in the church at 2:30 p.m. Survivors include his wife, Helen Wilson Minish; a daughter, Glenda Wood, Danielsville; four sons, Jimmy Minish, Maysville, Terry Minish and William Minish, both of Nicholson, and Benny Wilson, Danielsville; two sisters, Vera McCoy, Commerce, and Verna Mae Smallwood, Greenwood, S.C.; 14 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. The family is at the residence and will receive friends 7-9 p.m. today at Little-Ward Funeral Home. Bruce Newell Auburn Bruce Newell, 36, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. A native of Mercer County, Mr. Newell was a son of Esther McCloskey, Jamestown, Penn., and Robert E. Newell, Lakeland, Fla. He was a member of Hebron Baptist Church, Dacula. Memorial services will be at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Carter-Stewart Funeral Home, Winder, with Dr. Billy Britt officiating. Survivors, in addition to his parents, include his wife, Connie Newell; two sons, Joshua Newell and Keith Newell, both of Auburn; a stepmother, Linda Newell, Lakeland, Fla.; a stepfather, Richard McCloskey, Jamestown, Penn.; a sister, Elaine Uellendahl, Westchester, Ill.; three grandparents, Lester H. Newell, Seminole, Fla., Greta Smith, Jamestown, Penn., and Louise Weaver, Warren, Ohio; and a nephew. The family will receive friends 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Lillian Pitts Crawford Lillian Chastain Pitts, 94, died Monday, Sept. 29, 1997. A native of Madison County, Mrs. Pitts was a daughter of the late Agbert and Vaxie Campbell Chastain and the widow of Cary Pitts. She was a homemaker and a member of Palmetto Christian Church. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in Forest Hills Memorial Park, Elberton, with the Rev. Clifton Barrett officiating. Survivors include three daughters, Catherine Pitts Calloway, Rayle, and Doris Graham Calloway and Jeannie Pitts Fincher, both of Crawford; two sons, Bobby Pitts, Gainesville, and Melvin Pitts, Athens; two sisters, Janelle Parker, Savannah, and Ruth Epps, Dearing; two brothers, Hubert Chastain, Hull, and Lawrence Chastain, Macon; 16 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends 7-9 p.m. today at Lord & Stephens Oglethorpe Chapel. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the activity fund at Quiet Oaks Health Care, P.O. Box 613, Crawford, Ga., 30630, or to a favorite charity. John L. Sertain Toccoa John Lewis Sertain, 60, of 107 Fowlertown Road died Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. A native of Stephens County, Mr. Sertain was a son of the late Bert T. and Lola Belle Standridge Sertain and the widower of Geraldine Kinsey Sertain. He was an Army veteran and retired from Trogdon Furniture Co. and York Roofing Co. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Acree-Davis Funeral Home with the Rev. Jewell Gaines officiating. Burial will be in Toccoa City Cemetery. Survivors include three daughters, Teresa Turpin, Toccoa, Janice Conde, Commerce, and Annette Smith, Gainesville; a son, John W. Sertain, Toccoa; two sisters, Sue N. Bosley and Linda Ruth Jaspring, both of Florida; five brothers, James A. Sertain, Tampa, Fla., Robert A. Sertain and William D. Sertain, both of Toccoa, Arnold Sertain, Calhoun, and Harold T. Sertain, Oregon; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Nephews will serve as pallbearers. The family is at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Fred Turpin, 556 Hilltop Lane, and will receive friends 7-9 p.m. today at the funeral home. Howard Watkins Athens Howard Watkins, 84, died Friday, Sept. 26, 1997. A native of Oglethorpe County, Mr. Watkins was a son of the late Willie and Lula Haynes Watkins and the widower of Polly Ann Young Watkins. He was a member of Clarke Grove Baptist Church, Oglethorpe County. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. today at Clarke Grove Baptist Church. Survivors include four daughters, Paulette Smith, Gainesville, Katherine E. Gillespie and Dorothy L. Watkins, both of Center, and Essilene Watkins, Athens; seven sons, Howard Watkins Jr. and Johnny Watkins, both of Massachusetts, James W. Daniels, Commerce, Jimmy L. Gatheright, Connecticut, Eddie M. Gatheright and Champ E. Watkins, both of Center, and Lamar Watkins, Franklin County; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Mason Funeral Home, Commerce, is in charge of arrangements. Sara Wood Athens Sara Wood, 82, of Johnson Drive died Sunday, Sept. 28, 1997. A native of Oconee County, Mrs. Wood was a daughter of the late Asberry and Martha Mangleburg Cash and the widow of Sam Wood. She was a retired seamstress at Lyons Garment Co. and a member of Bogart United Methodist Church. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. today in Evergreen Memorial Park with the Revs. Albert Askew and Mark Northcutt officiating. Survivors include a sister, Hazel Barnett, Athens; two brothers, Gordon Cash and Louia Cash, both of Bogart; and nieces and nephews. Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. ______ ______________________________ Athens Daily News/Banner Herald Šopyright 1998 Athens Newspapers Inc.