CRAWFORD COUNTY, GA - OBITS Agnes Easler Mathis Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Kim Dunlap Gordon kimeye1@hotmail.com Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/crawford.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm The Georgia Post newspaper Tommy Short, 50, of Butler died Tuesday, June 19, 2001. He was employed with Barrow Automotive and had been Building Inspector for Taylor County for several years. He was preceded in death by his father, the late William Short, and by a son, the late Cory Short. Survivors include his wife, Sharon Short of Butler; a son, Brent Short of Fort Valley; his mother, Ilse Short of Butler; a brother, Billy Short of Chesapeake, West Virginia; a sister, Patty Mayfield of Marietta; a grandchild, Christopher Hobbs of Butler; and several nieces and nephews. Graveside services were held Friday, June 22, 12001 at Howard United Methodist Church Cemetery, with the Rev, Jay Frazier and Rev, Steve Miller officiating. Edwards Funeral Home of Butler had charge of arrangements. Edwin W. Hortman, 76, of Roberta died Wednesday, June 20, 2001 at his residence. He was a lifelong resident of Crawford County. He attended Roberta Baptist Church, where he was a member of the Loving Hearts. He was the former owner and operator of Hortman's Grocery and owned and operated Flint River Nursery, both in Roberta. Survivors include his wife, Ruth Bass Hortman of Roberta; children, Wanda H. Castleberry of Roberta, Martha Hortman of Palm City, Florida, Edwin W. Hortman Jr. of Tifton, and David L. Hortman of Beaufort, South Carolina; brother, Bennie Hortman of Roberta; sister, Peggy Thompson of Roberta; and 4 grandchildren. Services were held Friday, June 22, 2001 at the Roberta Baptist Church, with burial in Roberta City Cemetery. Rev. Clay Burdette and Elder Robert Torrance officiated. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Central Georgia, P.O. Box 6533, Macon, GA, 31208. Goddard Funeral Home of Roberta had charge of arrangements. Agnes Easler Mathis, 66, of Fort Valley died Friday, August 10, 2001. A native of Crawford County, she was a retired Southern Bell operator and a member of Pleasant Hill Congretional Christian Church. She was the widow of the late Nathan C. Mathis, Sr. She was the daughter of the late Guy and Mary Easter, and was also preceded in death by sister, Corine Merritt. Survivors include her children, Nathan C. Mathis, Jr. of Fort Valley and Cathy Lee Mathis of Gray; sister and brothers and spouses, Ora and Fred Thaxton of Roberta, Edward and Ruth Mathis of Fort Valley; four nieces, Jaime Bailey and Linda Scafer both of Fort Valley, Elaine Carter of Roberta, and Lynn Hartman of Macon; two nephews, Sammy Thaxton of Byron and Phil Mathis of Kathleen; several great-nieces and great-nephews; and a very special friend, Willie Mae Clark. Services were held Tuesday, August 14, 2001 at Pleasant Hill Congretional Christian Church in Roberta, with burial in the church cemetery. Rooks Funeral Home in Fort Valley had charge of arrangements. Rosa Marie Raines, 66, of Macon died Wednesday, September 5, 2001. She was born on June 21, 1935 in Crawford County. She was a member of Bethel Baptist Church. She later moved to Macon where she joined New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church and served on the Deaconess Board. She worked for many years in the health care field at the Medical Center of Central Georgia, Middle Georgia Hospital, and Elder Care. Survivors include her husband of 48 years, Willie Lewis Raines; two sons, Willie E. Raines of Macon and Verlyn Raines of Atlanta; five daughters, Shirley Cole, Wylene Jones, Gloria Burnette, Rebecca Williams, all of Macon, and Anita Morris of Virginia; two sisters, Dorothy Walker of New York, and Essie Mae Raines of Macon; one brother, John C. Tripp, Sr. of Macon; 15 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; four sisters-in-law; one daughter-in-law; and many nieces, nephews, and friends. Services were held Monday, September 10, 2001 at New Pilgrim Baptist Church in Macon, with interment in Salem Church Cemetery in Upson County. Pastor Curtis Raines officiated. Hicks and Sons Funeral Home had charge of arrangements. Beulah Woodard Wellons, 96, of Roberta died Sunday, June 17, 2001. She was the daughter of the late Alexander and Fannie Gibson and was the widow of Willie Wellons. She was a member of Macedonia Baptist Church. Survivors include her sisters, Lillie Maude Simmons of Roberta and Gladys Woodard of Thomaston; brother and sister-in-law, James ans Jessie Lee Woodard of Fort Valley; children she reared (and their spouses), Edgar (Geraldine) Johnson, Johnny Lee (Minnie) Wellons, Mamie Jean (Clinton) Willis, all of Roberta, Roosevelt (Alice) Wellons of Atlanta, Belinda Hart (Bobby) Grant and Shirlene Hart (Marvin) Green, all of Fort Valley. Services were held Sunday, June 24 at Macedonia Baptist Church, with burial in Webb Cemetery in Musella. Hicks and Sons Funeral Home of Roberta had charge of arrangements. Marjorie Hortman Whittington, 79, of Lawrenceville, formerly of Macon, died Tuesday, June 19, 2001 in Lawrenceville. Born in Roberta, she was the daughter of the late Robert Lee Hortman and the late Annie Hortman Rogers. She was the widow of the late B. F. Whittington. She was a classification specialist retired from the Internal Revenue Service and was one of Jehovah's Witnesses. She was the mother of the late Tony D. Whittington and sister of the late Tracy Hortman. Survisors include her daughter, Pamela W. Martin of Lawrenceville; brothers and sisters, Lila Spillers od Shreveport, Louisana, Jocquelyn Shunk, Sam Hortman, Tyne Gonzalez, Faith Manning, Gloria McAfee, and Sandra Land, all of Macon, and Patricia Warren of Augusta; six grandchildren, Mr. & Mrs. David B. Martin of Auburn, Jeffery A. Martin of Lawrenceville, Patti Whittington and Pamela Whittington of Bogalusa, Louisana, and Stephen Whittington of Pensacola, Florida. Services were held Saturday, June 23, 2001 at Snow's Memorial Chapel on Pio Nono Avenue, with interment in Macon Memorial Park, with Earl Land officiating. Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, Suite C-236, 5205 Paulsen Street, Savannah, Georgia, 31405. Snow's Memorial Chapel in Macon had charge of arrangements. Beulah Lee Bell, 93, of Crawford County died Thursday, September 6, 2001. She was the widow of Teddy Bell. She was born in Crawford County on February 2, 1908, the daughter of the late Willie and Matilda Harvey. She attended Crawford County Public Schools. She was a member of Mount Carmel Baptist Church from an early age, and later served many years as church secretary. She was also a member of Order of Eastern Star Chapter #467. Survivors include three sisters, Laudie Mae Ross of Butler, and Susie Mae Thomas and Ruby Brown, both of Roberta; a nephew and neice, Raymond and Cleonia Corbin of Roberta; several more nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends. Services were held Sunday, September 9, 2001 at Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Roberta, with burial in the church cemetery. Reverend J.W. Respress officiated. Hicks and Sons Funeral Home had charge of arrangements. Marianne Brown, 43, of Crawford County died Friday, September 7, 2001 at her residence. A native of Albany, she had lived there all her life until moving to Crawford County recently. She was a member of Christ United Methodist Church. Survivors include a daughter, Jaime Nesbit and her husband, Jason, of Smithville; a son, Lee Harper of Leesburg; a sister, Beverly Harris and her husband Wren, of Albany; her father, William Brown of Albany; and her fiance, Randall Byrd of Crawford County. Her mother, Carol Brown, preceded her in death. Services were held Monday, September 10, 2001 at Crown Hill Cemetery. Dr. Jay Harris officiated. Memorials made be made to the American Heart Association, Dougherty County Division, Memorial/Honorial Fund, Southwest Georgia Area Office, P.O. Box 1923, Albany, Georgia, 31702. Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Directors had charge of arrangements.