Decatur County GaArchives News.....Last Rites For County's Oldest Citizen Held At Prosperity Church Last Sunday April  1949
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandra Stallings countrycatsx4@aol.com July 8, 2003, 7:23 pm

Decatur County Neewspaper

1949 Newspaper:
LAST RITES FOR COUNTY'S OLDEST CITIZEN HELD AT PROSPERITY CHURCH LAST SUNDAY
James Richard Dean, 99, Laid to Rest Near Birthplace

Funeral services were held last Sunday morning at eleven o'clock at Prosperity 
Baptist Church for James Richard Dean. 99 years and 11 months, who passed away 
at his home in the Mt. Pleasant Community on Wednesday, March 30. Hundreds of 
friends and members of the Dean family were present to pay last respects to the 
oldest white citizen of Decatur County. The deceased was laid to rest in 
Prosperity Cemetery only a short distance from where he was born on April 28, 
1849. The Rev. Carl Childs, of Pelham conducted the services.
Grandfather Dean, as he was known to legions of friends, was active all his 
life. He was always solicitous of the welfare of his neighbors and was a 
devoted member of his church. The Prosperity Baptist Church is one of the 
oldest churches in this section. It was founded on March 18th,1843, and the 
first Pastor Elder M.P. Cooper, came to Decatur County from the Ochlocknee 
Association of Primitive Baptist Churches. Members of the Prosperity 
congregation had planned a special service and celebration in honor of the 
deceased on his 100th birthday and the 106th anniversary of the church for the 
latter part of April.
The deceased is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Mattie Brock of Jacksonville, 
Florida and Mrs. Bertha Lochridge of Tampa, Florida. and five sons, Riley Dean, 
R.W. Dean and Donnie Dean, all of Bainbridge, Georgia. Ben Dean of St. 
Petersburg,Florida and I.C. Dean of Tampa, Florida. Ninety grandchildren, 
ninety-eight great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren also survive 
him.
The following grandchildren served as pallbearers: Alton Dean, Lawrence Dean, 
J.W. Dean, Robert Dean, J.D. Chester, Alto Gause, Clinton Dollar and Ben Dean 
Jr.
Attending the funeral from out-of-town were: Mr. and Mrs. Alton Dean, Mr. and 
Mrs. Lloyd Dean, of Tallahassee, Florida; Mr. and Mrs. J.D. Chester and Mr. 
Archie Chester, Douglas, Georgia. Mr. Lonnie Dean, Mr. and Mrs. Alto Gause. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bill Brock and daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dean, Mrs. Bertha 
Pickett, of Jacksonville, Florida; Mr. I.C. Dean, Mr. Clifton Dollar, Miss 
Betty Jean Dollar, Mrs. D.D. Castleberry, Mrs. Bertha Lochridge, Tampa, 
Florida; Mr. and Mrs. Ben Dean, Mr. Ben Dean Jr., Jack Dean, Mrs. Lucile 
Rogers, Miss Joan Rogers, all of St. Petersburg, Florida; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth 
Welling, Jacksonville, Florida; Mr. and Mrs. Perry Crosson and Mr. George 
Farris, all of Albany, Georgia.
Player Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.



Additional Comments:
He was the son of James and Temperence Brock Dean, of Decatur County, Georgia. 
He married Sarah Maranda Horn {born: April 26,1854  Died: June 17,1935 buried 
at Prosperity Baptist Church} They were married on December 22nd, 1875. They 
had 12 children: Emma Dean, William Riley Dean, Millise Dean, Irvin Dean, 
Robert W. Dean, Leonard Ben Dean, Ivy Colbert Dean, Mattie Dean, Donnie David 
Dean, Mary Dean, Bertha Dean, Lonnie Dean.

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