Rinehart & Sons
Carl Osten Ellis
Jesup—Carl Osten Ellis, 99, of Jesup died Sept. 1, 2022.
He was born in Horry County, South Carolina, to Benjamin Franklin Ellis and Lettie Oliver Thompson Ellis. His family moved to Wayne County in 1927. He was a member of Bethlehem Wesleyan Church and a U.S. Army veteran, serving in World War II in the 5th Ranger Battalion.
As a general contractor, he built commercial and residential buildings throughout the coastal Georgia region. He also owned and operated Allenhurst Tire and Brake as well as several other small businesses in Liberty County.
He was predeceased by his parents, 11 brothers and sisters, his wife Mary Alene Wiggins Ellis, his second wife Sue Rogers Bunn Ellis, and a daughter, Diane Ellis Dear.
Survivors include a daughter, Susan Gail Rentz of Atlanta; five grandchildren, Tina McKenzie, Ragen Marsh (Emily), Lenny Persinger (Brian), Erin Cusumano (Gabe), and Nikki Rentz; 7 great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Funeral services were held Sept. 7 at Bethlehem Wesleyan Church with the Rev. Sheldon Rowell officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery with military honors. Active pallbearers were family and friends.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Phillip Rodney Lewis
Jesup—Phillip Rodney Lewis, 36, died peacefully Sept. 4, 2022, owing to cardiac illness.
A Wayne County native, he was a member of Jesup First Baptist Church, graduated from Wayne County High School in 2004 and the University of Georgia in 2009 with a degree in agricultural biological science. He had the benefit of a career with the Veterans Healthcare Administration, the world’s largest healthcare system.
He was born in 1986 and participated in many sports through his youth. He was a charter member of one of Wayne County’s original travel soccer teams, The Eagles, alongside many of his friends that he maintained through life. In high school, he was known as the “throw-in guy” due to his ability to launch throw-ins deep into the field of play. He also enjoyed tennis as a member of the WCHS team, and disc golf later in life.
He loved working with rescue animals, helping take care of dogs awaiting foster homes, as well as two feral cats that he and his girlfriend, Melissa, adopted. He enjoyed hobbies such as books, comics, video games and movies, with an impressive mental catalog of trivia and quotes from almost every genre.
He also enjoyed cooking, sparing no expense or effort for crafting up sandwiches, regardless of the hour. His 10 p.m. paninis with au jus dip and five-cheese grilled sandwiches were favorites among his family. Another favorite, and personal must, was a trip to Pizza Inn when he and his brothers got together for weekends and holidays in Jesup.
He will be remembered by his family and loved ones for his genuine sweet demeanor and his love for helping, even if it brought a couple of grumbles or quips along the way. When it came to firing up the grill for dinner and a movie night in, there was no better companion than him.
He was preceded in death by his father, Gary Lewis; his maternal grandparents, Gene “Buzzy” and Shirley Jones; his paternal grandparents, Elmer and Janell Lewis; an aunt, Cheryl Deloach; an uncle, Rodney Jones; and a nephew, Owen Dorsey.
Survivors include his mother and her husband, Marissa Jones Wilcher and Lew Wilcher; his long-term girlfriend and love, Melissa Perez; his two brothers and sisters-in-law, Judson Lewis and Emily Barnett and Victor Lewis and Jeniann Yi; his niece, Clara Sohui Lewis, whom he adored; aunts, Trina Dorsey and Tina Broach; uncles, Gary Dorsey and Larry Broach; and several cousins.
A celebration-of-life service will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, at 11 a.m. at Rinehart and Sons Chapel with family receiving friends at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
To “suit” his dress code, attendees are asked to dress casual—maybe not in his favorite “gym shorts and T-shirts”—but informal. Honorary pallbearers will be his close dude friends and fellow Eagles team members.
As a memorial, friends and family are asked to consider donating to animal rescue—wags-rescue.org and peachstateanimalrescue.org.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Howard-Jones
Patricia Ann Johnson
Jesup—Patricia Ann Johnson, 59, died Sept. 3, 2022, at home after an extended illness.
A resident of Jesup for the past 16 years and former resident of Thomasville for most of her life, she was born on Jan. 27, 1963, in Brooks County to the late Eugene and Myrtle Spivey Barnes. She worked several different jobs throughout her life but her heart was at home with her family. She adored her children and later her grandchildren.
She loved giving gifts and often times did without or went into debt to be sure her family had plenty.
In her spare time, she enjoyed reading the Bible and watching her beloved University of Florida Gators on television.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Johnson; and her sister, Doris Marie Johnson.
Survivors include her son, Jesse Eugene (Ashley) Crews of Jesup; daughter, Jessica Lynn (John) Tanner of Jesup; longtime companion, Stanley Crane of Jesup; grandchildren, Devin and Caleb Crews, Justin, Joshua, Michael, Hannah, Destiny and John Tanner Jr. and Isabella and Logan Root; siblings, Tony Barnes of Moultrie, Clyde (Nadine) Barnes of Tallahassee, Florida, Tammy (Billy) Hogan of Panama City, Florida, Elizabeth Wood of Thomasville, Marti Spring and companion, Joe Pearson, of Jackson, Mississippi and Doyle (Ann) Barnes of Cairo; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and extended family members.
Funeral services were held Sept. 7 at Howard & Jones Funeral Home in Jesup with Pastor Michael Wilder officiating.
Interment will be private.
Family and friends may sign the guestbook online at www.jesupfuneralhome.com.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Out of Town
Marianne Elder Patton
Social Circle—Marianne Elder Patton, 91, died peacefully on Aug. 31, 2021, at Abbey Hospice in Social Circle.
A former resident of Jesup, she had recently been a resident at Park Place Nursing Facility in Monroe. Monroe was her hometown, and she had returned there in 2021 to reside at Park Place with her sister Sarah Elder Hicks.
The child of Hugh Shannon Elder and Annie Tate Elder, she was born on Nov. 6, 1930. She graduated from Walton County High School and attended nursing school at Crawford W. Long Hospital in Atlanta. While there she met Navy dental student Charles E. “Jack” Patton of Tifton. The two were married in 1955, were stationed at Pearl Harbor and Paris Island, and moved to Jesup in 1959 where Dr. Patton set up dental practice. She first helped “C.E.” in the office but then devoted most of her time to raising her four children.
Later, she went back to college to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology (1984) and master’s degree in education (1992) from Georgia Southern University. During this time and afterward, she worked for the Wayne County school system for 10 years in special education.
She was energetic and outgoing, being active at First Methodist Church, the Garden Club, traveling often, and playing bridge, golf and tennis. She was also very witty and creative, painting many beautiful and insightful works of art, frequently sketching or doodling, and always making plays on words. She loved her Labrador retriever Macintosh. A friend of the family says she was “an extraordinary lady, strong in her faith, loving and always with a smile and kind words.”
She was preceded in death by her parents and former husband; sisters, Sarah Hicks, Lucille (T.E.) Scott and Betty (Harold) White; and a brother, Hugh Elder Jr.
Survivors include her children, Tracy Elder, Jack (Janet) Patton, Steven (Amy) Patton and Robert (Anne) Patton; grandchildren, Ben (Rachel) Elder, Bryan (Meredith) Elder, Hope (Kyle) Pittman, Gage (Abby) Patton, Jordan (Liz) Patton, Justin (Brittany) Patton, Hannah Patton, Daniel Patton, David Patton and Elizabeth Patton; and many nieces, nephews and great-grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements were handled by Meadows Funeral Home of Monroe. Graveside service were held at Monroe City Cemetery on Sept. 3.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Jesup First Methodist Church.