Clarke Co. GA - Obits from the Athens Daily News/Banner-Herald 26 Apr 1998 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/ *********************************************************************** Merry Black Athens On Thursday, April 23, 1998, Merry Black passed away after a long illness. Merry was a loving and beautiful person who gave and shared with so many people she knew or those she simply met. Merry came to Athens with Jessica (Cummins) and I, her husband Alan, so I could chase a dream. Within a few weeks we all became part of the greater Athens family. She became involved in several wellness efforts, D.A.R.E. and other reaching out causes in some of the schools and the community in general. In October of 1979 she began her partnership with her friend in love, Carleen Blum, counseling people with dieting and eating disorders. Over the 18 years, she too found a way to follow her dreams. She completed her doctorate in counseling psychology at UGA, passed the state psychological licensing exam and became a licensed psychologist so she could help even more. Merry not only completely supported my dream, she became part of it through involvement with the Creative Education Foundation in Buffalo, N.Y., and their annual Creative Problem Solving Institute where she became a regular member of the annual volunteer faculty. While working on her doctorate, she became fascinated with what became another joint love, storytelling and storylistening. In storytelling and listening she found love, enjoyment, knowledge and tools for herself and to help her clients. During the past 10 years we attended and were volunteers at storytelling festivals in Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. On the first day of spring, March 21, Merry celebrated Jessica and Jack's wedding in Rome with family and friends. Merry shared her love and compassion for all that lives. She tenderly cared for her plants. She helped injured or hurting animals. She gave all she could to so many clients and friends, always wanting to help, asking little to nothing in return. One of Merry's special gifts was being able to find 4-leaf clovers nearly everywhere she went that no one else could see. She said, "They wave at me." Thursday morning, while we were walking, she stopped, bent down, and picked a four-leaf clover and apologized to it for picking it. As we walked along we talked about one other day when she found many of them. "Yes, I found 32 that time." You can't open a phone book in our house without several of them falling out. Thursday morning, one more four-leaf clover waved at Merry and she gave it to me. Merry will be greatly missed. She is now at peace, with God, and with her mother, family and friends for eternity. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her memory and honor to the Merry Black Memorial Scholarship Fund to be used for the Creative Problem Solving Institute, c/o Creative Education Foundation, 1050 Union Road, Buffalo, N.Y., 14224, 1-800-447-2774, contact: Suzanne Chamberlain. The fund will help people attend the conference she so loved and learn to expand their own creativeness. Bless all of you who kept Merry in your hearts, thoughts and prayers these months. Love, Alan. Roger Bond Jefferson Roger Dale Bond, 44, of Danielsville Street died Friday, April 24, 1998. A native of Jackson County, Mr. Bond was a son of the late Lewis Harold Bond Sr. and Ruby Taylor Bond. He was of the Baptist faith. Graveside services will be at 4 p.m. today at Woodbine Cemetery with the Rev. William Whitfield officiating. Survivors include two sisters, Martha Landrum, Athens, and Cathy Roberts, Maysville; a brother, Lewis Harold Bond Jr., Conyers; and several nieces and nephews. Jackson Funeral Home, Jefferson, is in charge of arrangements. Sudie Caldwell Union Point Sudie Freeman Caldwell, 95, of 809 Dolvin Ave. died Thursday, April 23, 1998. A native of Franklin County, Mrs. Caldwell was a daughter of the late James A. Freeman and Martha Ella Turman Freeman and the widow of Ralph Caldwell. She was preceded in death by a son, E. Radford Caldwell. She was a housewife and a member of First Baptist Church of Union Point. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Greenlawn Cemetery, Union Point, with the Rev. David Key officiating. Survivors include a son, James R. (Bob) Caldwell, St. Louis, Mo.; and four nieces, a nephew, and two grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Richard Newsom, Ricky Newsom, Joe Newsom, Harold Finch, Gene Lindsey and Ed Dingler. The family will receive friends at Callaway Funeral Home, Union Point, from 7-9 p.m. today and at the residence at 10 a.m. Monday. Bertie Drake Danielsville Bertie Lee Garrett Drake, 85, of 8511 Wildcat Bridge Road died Saturday, April 25, 1998. A native of Madison County, Mrs. Drake was a daughter of the late Will and Pearl Parson Garrett and the widow of James Grady Drake. She was preceded in death by three brothers, Elbert Garrett, Marshall Garrett and Guy Rufus Garrett. She was a retired homemaker and a member of Bethel Baptist Church. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Monday at Pruitte Funeral Home, Royston, with the Revs. Robert Garrett and John A. McCoy officiating. Burial will be in the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery. Survivors include a son, James H. Drake, Decatur; three sisters, Odie King, N.C., and Revonda Drake and Orene Phillips, both of Danielsville; and a grandson, James Randall Drake, El Sentro, Calif. The body is at the funeral home, where the family will receive friends from 7-9 p.m. today. The family is at the residence. Frances Epps Winterville Frances Ernestine Epps, 75, of 165 W. Beaver Dam Road died Saturday, March 28, 1998. A native of Greene County, Mrs. Epps was a daughter of the late George E. and Nannie Morgan Sullivan. She was a homemaker and a member of Edwards Chapel Baptist Church. Graveside services were at 4 p.m. March 30 at Evergreen Memorial Park with the Rev. Jack Segars officiating. Survivors include her husband, Thomas J. Epps; a daughter, Linda Morgan, Colbert; two sons, Dwain Epps, Atlanta, and Dickie Epps, Greensboro; a sister, Jean Gardner, Tampa, Fla.; a brother, Guy R. Sullivan, Dalton; and six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Pallbearers were Kenny Kellum, Jerry Powell, Lee Morgan, Justin Epps, D.J. Day and Larry Fair. Bernstein Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. Milner Paschal Electra, Texas Milner Jackson Paschal, 87, formerly of Athens, died Wednesday, April 22, 1998. A native of Dawson, Mr. Paschal was formerly a sales manager with Dixie Capp Rubber. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Electra. Memorial services were at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 25, at First United Methodist Church. Survivors include his wife, Alice Bishop; three daughters, Nancy Roddy, Electra, Texas, Pat Lamar, Austin, Texas, and Jacqueline Bowen, New Millford, Conn.; and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Memorials may be made to Electra Home Health, 1205 South Bailey, Electra, Texas, 76360. James Shook Pendergrass James John Shook, 68, of Oak Crest Lane died Friday, April 24, 1998. A native of Towns County, Mr. Shook was a son of the late Mac Shook and Mary Ferguson Shook. He was a retired greens keeper and golf course maintenance worker. Mr. Shook was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a P.O.W. He was a member of Cave Springs Baptist Church, Pendergrass. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. today at Cave Springs Baptist Church with the Revs. Marvin Luttrell, Winfred Page and Don Blalock officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Survivors include his wife, Myrtle N. Shook; three daughters, Virginia Shuler, Franklin, N.C., and Ruthan Proctor and Mary Watts, both of Pendergrass; two sons, James Shook, Pendergrass, and John Wesley Shook, Hoschton; a sister, Virginia Woods, Maysville; and 19 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Jackson Funeral Home, Jefferson, is in charge of arrangements. Phyllis Thompson Anderson, S.C. Phyllis Ann Thompson, 54, of 2316 Poplar Lane died Friday, April 24, 1998. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mrs. Thompson was a daughter of the late William J. (Jack) Spurlock and Emma Mae McCalla Spurlock. She was a homemaker. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at McDougald Funeral Home, Anderson, S.C., with the Rev. Randy E. Blank officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Survivors include her husband, Bernie Thompson; a daughter, Debbie Thompson, Anderson, S.C.; a son, Michael Thompson, Anderson, S.C.; a sister, Jackie Walden, Winder; a half-brother, James Spurlock, Napolean, Ohio; and three grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1088, Simpsonville, S.C., 29681-1086. The family is at the home of her daughter, Debbie Thompson, 1202 Concord Road, Anderson, S.C. George Fruster Toccoa George M. Fruster, 54, of 23 Owens St. died Friday, April 24, 1998. Moss-Stovall-Neal Funeral Home, Toccoa, will announce arrangements. ______ ______________________________ Athens Daily News/Banner Herald Šopyright 1998 Athens Newspapers Inc.