Joshua Lee Sapp
Jesup—Joshua Lee Sapp (Bloodsaw), the adopted son of Betty J. Sapp, died on Dec. 10, 2023.
Born to a teenage mother, he was adopted by Sapp at the age of 4, and he lived most of his young life in New Orleans, Louisiana.
He attended and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. While in high school, he was a member of the JROTC program and a member of the marching band, serving as a color guard member.
Survivors include his mother, Betty Sapp; a brother, Jacob Smith; an aunt, Dr. Juanita Smith; two uncles, Harry (Joyce) Webb and Lewis (Gloria) Webb; a great-aunt, Miss Ethel Wilson; and many cousins.
Funeral services will take place today, Thursday, at 11 a.m. at Bennett Union Missionary Baptist Church in Jesup. Bishop Eddie T. Ball will officiate.
The family is asking that people continue to pray for their loss.
Royal Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Christopher Michael Carter
Jesup—Christopher Michael Carter, 46, died suddenly on Dec. 15, 2023, at home.
A native and lifelong resident of Jesup, he was born on Dec. 29, 1976. He was a boilermaker by trade who loved fishing, hunting, and hanging out with his family and friends in his spare time.
Survivors include his two sons, Jacob Rinehart and Jaden Steen of Jesup; one daughter, Kenna Rinehart of Jesup; one grandson, Kayvin Collins of Jesup; his father, Mickey L. Carter of Jesup; his mother, Paula J. (Franklin) Huffman of Jesup; five sisters, Terri (Michael) Harvey of Odum, Micki Brooker, Brandi Morris, Ashli Carter and Lindsay Carter, all of Jesup; and 13 nieces, nephews and a host of other extended- family members.
A memorial service was held Dec. 20 at Howard & Jones Funeral Home in Jesup.
Family and friends may sign the guestbook online at www.jesupfuneralhome.com.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Janet L. Beverly
Jesup—Janet L. Beverly, 75, of Jesup and formerly of Bruns-wick, died Dec. 11, 2023, under the care of Hospice of South Georgia and surrounded by her loving family.
The South Carolina native was of the Baptist faith and was a helpmate for her husband in his business, Beverly Construction Company. She was selfless, and giving was her “love language,” her family said. She served others through her cooking, sewing and gardening. Some of her favorite hobbies were solving puzzles and crocheting.
She was preceded in death by her two stepsons, Gurtis and Eddie Beverly, and an infant son, Charles E. Beverly Jr.
Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Charles E. Beverly Sr. of Jesup; a daughter, Charlene (Thomas) Blount of Brunswick; two sons, Donnie R. Phillips of Brunswick and Ronnie D. (Saundra) Phillips of Brunswick; a stepdaughter, Linda (George) Wilson of Townsend; 15 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren; and three brothers, Wade Furtick of Swansea, South Carolina, David Furtick of West Columbia, South Carolina, and Mike (Deborah) Furtick of Pelion, South Carolina.
Funeral services were held Dec. 15 at Rinehart Chapel with the Rev. Mike Landrum officiating. Interment followed in Red Hill Cemetery. Active pallbearers were family and friends.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Frances Ann Duhon Bland
Jesup—Frances Ann Duhon Bland, 83, of Jesup died Dec. 17, 2023, under the care of Hospice of South Georgia surrounded by her loving family.
She was born on Dec. 29, 1939, to Francis “Frenchie” and Anna B. Duhon in Elizabeth, Louisiana. After moving with her family from Louisiana to Jesup in 1953, she met and married the love of her life, Gene Bland, in 1957.
She was a member of First Baptist Church and former member of the Wayne County Arts Council and the Odum Garden Club. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother.
She loved sewing, reading and gardening, but painting was her passion. For her, every canvas was a journey.
Her parents, Frenchie and Anna Duhon, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Gene Bland of Jesup; three daughters, Angie (Will) Bacon of St. Simons Island, Shawn (Mark) Gerbino of Wilmington Island and Deanne (David) Ogden of Odum; a sister, Faye Waters of Jesup; a brother, Ray (Sue) Duhon of Jesup; five grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held Dec. 20 at Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home Chapel with Will Bacon and Pastor Brooks Haddock officiating. A private family burial followed at Lake Cemetery in Metter.
In lieu of flower, family requests memorials to Hospice of South Georgia, 1625 Sunset Blvd., Jesup, GA 31545.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Michele Creswell
Jesup—Michele Creswell, 62, of Jesup died Dec. 11, 2023.
The Indiana native had lived in Wayne County for the past 15 years and was a homemaker. She loved flowers and animals and prided herself on tidiness and cleanliness.
She was predeceased by her parents, Warren and June Newton.
Survivors include her husband of 35 years, Ed Creswell of Jesup; a daughter, Amber Lord of Jesup; two sons, Jeremy Newton of Odum and Siron Creswell of Bridgeport, Illinois; one brother, David Wallace of Evansville, Indiana; two sisters, Becky Shell and Debra Seaton both of Evansville; eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Private memorial services will be held by the family at a later date.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home of Jesup was in charge of arrangements.
William D. “Billy” Riggs Jr.
Jesup—William D. “Billy” Riggs Jr., 95, of Jesup died Dec. 15, 2023.
The Statesboro native had lived in Wayne County the past 40 years and was a retired Georgia Department of Transportation materials engineer.
He was a member of First Freewill Baptist Church and loved refinishing furniture and collecting antiques.
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Evone Blanton Riggs of Jesup; a daughter, Nancy (Pickney) Crosby of Bluffton, South Carolina; a son, William D. (GinaAnn) Riggs III, of Woodstock; stepdaughter, Teresa Sharpe of Odum; grandchildren, Grayson and Chandler Riggs and Whitney Brown; three great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held Dec. 18 from Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home Chapel with Pastor Terry Henneke and the Rev. Dickie Waters officiating. Interment followed in New Hope Cemetery. Active pallbearers were family. Honorary pallbearers were employees of Hospice of South Georgia.
Memorials may be made to First Free Will Baptist Church, 795 S. 1st Street, Jesup, GA 31545.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Jeanine Thornton Graham
Jesup—Jeanine Thornton Graham, 72, of Jesup died Dec. 18, 2023, after a brief illness and under the care of Hospice of South Georgia.
The Wayne County native was a Baptist and a retired road inventory specialist with the Georgia Department of Transportation.
She loved to hunt and fish in her spare time. Her dog, Purdy, and her parrot, Arthur, were spoiled pets.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Wayne Graham; the father of her children, Bobby Crews; a son, Don Crews; her parents, Rudolph “Doc” and Nancy Thornton; and several siblings.
Survivors include her two daughters, Tonya (Bud) Yeomans and Milisa Stoner, all of Jesup; a son, Robbie (Kenette) Crews of Jesup; 15 grandchildren, Jessica Carlson, Terri (David) Colvin, Ashley (Chris) Loftis, David (Leeann) Wilkes, Robert Lee Crews, Jr., Joshua (Mary) Crews, Charles “Lil Robbie” (Kristi) Crews, Jenna Lewis, James (Kayla) Riendeau, Michael (Kayla) Baker, Trevor Baker, Evan Holland, Chelsea (Adam) Lake, Faith (Adam) Rodes and Taylor Drawdy; 31 great-grandchildren; and a special niece and bonus daughter, Rebekah Jenkins.
Funeral services will be held today (Thursday) at 11 a.m. at Rinehart Chapel with the Rev. Wayne Manning Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Jesup City Cemetery. Active pallbearers will be her grandsons.
Visitation will be held an hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
James Grayson Johnson
Flagler Beach, Florida—James Grayson (Jimmy) Johnson, 79, of Flagler Beach, Florida, died peacefully Dec. 13, 2023, sitting in his recliner after a long battle with heart disease.
He was educated in the public schools of Wayne County and a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force Security Service. While on active duty, he earned a certificate in Russian from the Department of Slavic Languages, Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana). Post-military, he earned academic degrees, including a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University, master’s and doctorate degrees from Emory University, and a juris doctor degree from the University of Georgia School of Law.
He practiced law in Southeast Georgia for several decades with a moderate degree of success, according to his family. Following medical retirement, he found diversion on a higher moral plane than law in collecting garbage and cleaning restrooms in a series of RV campgrounds in Georgia, Wyoming and North Carolina.
A lifetime of keen observation and study of history led to a profound antipathy toward organized religion. This was especially so regarding the patriarchal Abrahamic religions, which he regarded as mere wellsprings of bigotry, xenophobia and misogyny. In keeping with these beliefs, he instructed that “no religious gibberish” denote his passing.
His two greatest loves were his family and University of Georgia football, loves he passed on to the rest of his family. He was particularly proud of the historic success the ‘Dawgs’ had these last three seasons, a success he had been waiting for since the Glory, Glory Days of the 1980s. “Go Dawgs! Sic ’em! Woof, woof, woof!”
He was pre-deceased by two brothers-in-law, David M. Harper of Jesup and Charles R. Baird of McCaysville.
He is survived by his wife of a half-century, Connie Harper Johnson; sons, William R. (Selena) Johnson and B. Harper (Christy) Johnson; a granddaughter, Sydney Herrin; grandsons, William Luke Johnson and James Edwin (Jed) Johnson, and their mother, Leslie Bishop; a sister, Ruth J. Baird of McCaysville; a nephew, Matthew R. Baird (Stacy Thalken) of Decatur; a niece, Dr. M. Kathleen Baird of Dublin, Ireland; a sister-in-law, Carol Harper of Jesup; a nephew, D. Adam Harper (Sarah Browne) of Savannah, and his mother, Chris Robertson, of Savannah; and several cousins, great-nieces and great-neph-ews.
His cremated remains will be disposed of as his widow and family may deem fit.
Remembrances should be sent to the University of North Georgia general scholarship fund in honor of that institution’s disproportionately high number of alumni killed or injured during the Vietnam War.
Reba G. Leggett
Valdosta—Reba G. Leggett, 90, died peacefully in the early morning of Dec. 18, 2023.
She was born on Feb. 12, 1933. She was a beloved mother, sister, aunt and friend.
She was a proud and patriotic Air Force wife, having moved her family around the country as her husband’s career progressed. Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta was their last assignment.
Greenwood Baptist Church became her center for more than 45 years after moving there. Her church family and friends were especially important to her.
She worked in banking for most of her professional career, greatly enjoying her role in making student loans and helping young people succeed at their educational goals.
She was very proud to have obtained her own associate’s degree while in her 60s from Georgia Military College. She enjoyed being part of the Red Hat Society and American Legion Auxiliary. She faithfully led Women on Mission at Greenwood Baptist for several years.
She had just completed her goal for the year of reading her Bible from Genesis to Revelation. She loved to sit on her back porch, watching the birds in her fruit trees as well as visiting with her family and friends. Her ultimate joy in life was seeing the faces of her grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by both her husbands, Thomas K. Leggett Sr. and Charles B. Willis; her parents, Bonnie Murray and Lawrence Griffis of Wayne County; and her siblings Clinton Griffis, Mary McBee, Earlene Poole, Dorothy Aspinwall and Glenn Griffis.
Survivors include her children, Thomas K. (Carol) Leggett Jr., Kathy Leggett (Timothy) Eldridge and Susan Leggett (Russell) Lucas; her grandchildren, Thomas K. Leggett III, Rachel (Hal) Leggett-Clement, Spencer T. Lucas, Quinna L. Eldridge, Russell K. Lucas, Moraya K. Eldridge and Anna K. Lucas; her youngest brother, Larry (Betty) Griffis; and many nieces, nephews, grand- and great-grandnieces and nephews and cousins.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, Dec. 23, at 2 p.m. at Greenwood Baptist Church, 1645 E Park Ave., Valdosta. Pastor Mike Nelligan will officiate. The family will receive friends immediately following the funeral service at the church. Private interment will be in McLane Riverview Memorial Gardens, in Valdosta.
The family requests that no flowers be sent. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Greenwood Baptist Church at www.greenwoodvaldosta.com/giving.html or memorial Bibles may be purchased through Gideon International at www.gideons.org/donate.
Guests may sign the online register at www.clarkfuneral.com.