Ida Mae Curry
Jesup--Ida Mae Curry, 81, died Feb. 6, 2020, at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
She born Jan. 6, 1939, to the late Burnies and Annie Mae Durden in Doctortown. She and the love of her life, Bernard Curry, were married for 63 wonderful years, her family said.
She was a laborer and chose to retire to be a full-time grandmother and aunt to her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She always had the heart of a caretaker, from children in the neighborhood to strangers and friends, according to her family, who said she left everyone feeling loved and respected.
Cooking was her passion, and anyone who came into contact with her or heard about it on “Spacebook” knew exactly whom to call when they were hungry.
“She loved flowers because they brought about a sense of peace. She lived her life to serve people, and she never wanted to see anyone have a bad day or without the necessities of life. She always made a way to give, even if it was her last,” her family said.
She loved all of her children, biological and non-biological. If you ever met her, she automatically adopted you into the family. Her favorite statement was, “I’m a lil’ piece of leather, but I’m well put together.” Meaning, you didn’t want to mess with her because she would handle any situation and represented short people proudly.
She loved her church. She also loved making peach cobbler and collard greens for her church family. There were a host of churches in Jesup that she visited from time to time to spread her love and the love of Christ.
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Burnies and Annie Mae Durden, and her brother, Burnies Durden Jr.
Survivors include her children, Sheila (James) Bunch, Mickle (Vera) Curry, Patricia Tillman, Sandra (Anthony) Bell, Precilla (Norris) Fuller and Walter Curry; a sister, Juanita Durden; a special niece and nephew, Burnies Durden and Iwanna Jones; a host of grandchildren; the favorite grandchild (she thinks) Temeka Cobbs; great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws, Joseph Jackson, Samuel (Sheryl) Jackson, John Jackson, James Jackson, Jim (Janice) Jackson, Regina (James) Shipman, Josephine Reddish, Shirley Curry, Preston (Lisa) Curry, Victor Curry, Virgil McBride, Gwen (Joseph) Strong, Bernice (Michael) Hunt, Shirley Sherman; and close friends.
Remains will lie in repose for viewing on Friday at Royal Funeral Home Chapel from noon until 5 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. at St. John First Born Holiness Church, 386 W. Poplar Street, Jesup. Interment is in the Jesup City Cemetery.
Royal Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Patricia “Pat” Ann Jones Rouse
Jesup--Patricia “Pat” Ann Jones Rouse, 86, of Jesup died Feb. 9, 2020.
The Appling County native had lived in Wayne County the past 64 years. She was a member of Jesup Church of God of Prophecy and attended Jesup Christian Fellowship. She was a homemaker who enjoyed quilting, ceramics, flower gardening and painting.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Debbie Rouse Linkous, and infant son, Patrick Eugene Rouse.
Survivors include her husband of 69 1/2 years, H.E. “Gene” Rouse of Jesup; a son, Greg (Teresa) Rouse of Shellman Bluff; two sisters, Mary Atkins of Blackshear and Bobbie Jo McNeely of Swainsboro; a son-in-law, Jeff Linkous; three grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Graveside funeral services were held Feb. 11 at Omega Family Cemetery in Baxley.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Clarence “Mitchell” Scott
Odum--Clarence “Mitchell” Scott, 63, of Odum died Feb. 9, 2020.
The Wayne County native was a member of Memorial Baptist Church and attended Piney Grove Church of God. He was a retired pipe fitter and welder who enjoyed fishing.
He was predeceased by a grandson, Justin Trutt,and a brother, Henry G. Scott.
Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Melissa Whitley Scott of Jesup; two daughters, Jerri Scott of Jesup and Melanie Scott of Brunswick; three sons, Mitchell Scott of Carrolton, Chris (Serena) Scott of Brunswick and Bradley Scott of Jesup; sisters, Judy Ogden and Mary Jean Bennett, both of Odum, Lola Flowers, Marlena Griffis and Mary Bennett, all of Jesup, and Priscilla Ponville of New York; brothers, Kenny Scott and John Ponville both of Jesup, and Rene Ponville of Commerce City, Colorado; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held today (Wednesday) at 2 p.m. at Rinehart and Sons Chapel with the Rev. Richard Dobson officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery. Active pallbearers will be his family and friends.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Max Julian Griffis
Ludowici--Max Julian Griffis, 81 of Ludowici died Feb. 11, 2020.
A Florida native, he had lived in Wayne County most of his life and was a member of Unity Church of God. He was a U.S. Marine veteran and loved the Lord and His church, his family, and especially his wife of 57 years. He led his family humbly by example through his faith, and his legacy will live on, his family said. He enjoyed spending time with his family, telling stories, laughing and watching Westerns.
His parents, David Andrew Griffis and Leona Griffis Gilkes, preceded him in death, as did his sisters, Helen Westberry, Dorothy Griffis Surrency, Ilajean Jackson and Velma Smith, and a brother, Joe Griffis.
Survivors are his wife, Barbara Griffis of Ludowici; daughters, Tammy (Mark) Spell and Donna (Greg) Mallard, both of Jesup; a son, Timmy (Heidi) Griffis of Shellman Bluff; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren; and siblings, David Griffis and Roy Griffis, both of Jesup, and Pat Carter of Millwood.
Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Feb. 13, 2020, at Unity Church of God with Bishop George Moxley and Pastor Calvin Anderson officiating, along with the presentation of the U.S. flag. Private family interment will follow in pring Grove Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Robbie Griffis and Michael Griffis, Ryan Lish, Cody Adams, Tony Fowler, Josh Sellers, Brad Privett, and Gary Flowers. Honorary pallbearers will be Justin Mallard, the Canasta Group, Jackie Miller, Ray Hamilton, Kirby and Sandra Bryant, Wilburn and Patsy Hutcheson, Mickey and Phyllis Harter, Larry and Melba McClendon, Ralph and Rindy Trapnell, Faye Aspinwall, and the Rev. and Mrs. Larry Daugherty.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 12, 2020, at the funeral home.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home of Jesup is in charge of arrangements.
Leona Sapp
Jesup--Leona Tyre Sapp died Feb. 11, 2020.
She was predeceased by her husband, Irvin Sapp.
Survivors are a daughter, Cassandra Bonner (Dave), and four sons, Irvin J. Sapp Jr. (Becky), Stephen A. Sapp Sr. (Phyllis Ann), Larry E. Sapp (Kimberly) and Jody L. Sapp (Deirdre).
Graveside funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 15 at Jesup City Cemetery.
Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. at Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home.
Rinehart and Sons Funeral Home and Fox and Weeks of Savannah are in charge of arrangements.
Barbara Irene Davis
Jesup--Barbara Irene Davis, 61, died Feb. 11, 2020, at home under the care of Hospice of South Georgia after a lengthy illness.
A resident of Jesup for most of her life, she was born June 22, 1958, to the late Eustice and Ivonne Manning Bennett. She was a homemaker who loved to play bingo, watch Hallmark movies and work puzzles. Her homemade biscuits were second to none, and her best times were spent in traveling over the road in a semi-truck and “loving on” her canine companions.
In addition to her parents, her brother, Eustice “Buddy” Bennett Jr.; her sister, Martha Lariscey; and her beloved canine companion, Lickalot, preceded her in death.
Survivors include her sons, Jimmy Paul “Peanut” Davis Jr. and wife Katie of Jesup and Jason Dewayne Davis and wife Carrie of Pembroke; a sister, Yvonne Bennett of Jesup, and a brother, Robert Bennett of Jesup; grandchildren, Trey Sellers, Ashlyn Sellers, Brandan Davis, Daniel Fulghum and Cooper Fulghum; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other extended-family members, as well as her “granddogs.”
Visitation will be from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. today (Wednesday) at Howard & Jones Funeral Home in Jesup.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 13, 2020, at Howard & Jones Funeral Home in Jesup with the Rev. Mark Downs and the Rev. Michael Wilder officiating.
Interment will follow in Pinecrest Memorial Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Michael Lightsey, Johnny Fulghum, Buster Stoddard, Joseph Stewart, Tim Wiggins, Richard Wilson, Robbie Adams, Benjamin Jackson and Josh Kidwell.
Friends and family may sign the online guestbook at www.jesupfuneralhome.com.
Howard & Jones Funeral Home of Jesup is inc charge of arrangements.
Daniel Everett Stipe
Waycross--Daniel Everett Stipe, 83, died Feb. 8, 2020, at his residence in Waycross following an extended illness.
He was born in Moorefield, Arkansas, to the late Daniel Everette Irvin Stipe and Maude Morgan Stipe. He graduated from Baxley High School in 1955 and attended Young Harris College before graduating from Georgia Teachers College in 1960.
He was a former teacher and coach for the Wayne County school system, and he was employed with Altamaha Oil Company, where he operated a Phillip 66 Service Station. He was also a member of the Jesup Rotary Club.
He was the owner and operator of Big River Oil Company of Waycross from 1968 until 2000. He also owned Stipe’s Market, which sponsored many school functions at Waycross High School. He was a member of the Waycross Board of Education and president of the Waycross High School Touchdown Club, and he recently received the F.J. Beverly Beacon of Light Award in 2015 from the Waycross-Ware County Sports Hall of Fame.
He served in the United States Air Force and was a member of Sweat Memorial Baptist Church in Waycross.
In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by a brother, Jimmy Stipe (wife Lynn).
Survivors include his wife, Linda Hickox Stipe of Waycross; nine children, Steve (Dolores) Stipe of Waycross, Stan (Jennie) Stipe of Jacksonville, Florida, Scott (Shae) Stipe of Patterson, Shannon (Kris) Stipe of Jacksonville, Stuart (Summer) Stipe of Blackshear, Chuck (Tasha) Bell of Waycross, Jessica (Waylan) Carter of Waycross, Jennifer Bell Bennett of Waycross and Sunny (Brandon) Oliver of Hoboken; several grandchildren, Amanda Stipe Blaylock, Steven Stipe, Jake Stipe, Jada Stipe, Jarred Stipe, Jessica Stipe, Sterling Stipe, Seth Stipe, Oake Stipe, Trinity Stipe, Lillie Stipe, Drew Stipe, Madison Harwell, Jackson Harwell, Johnny Roberson, Dawson Bennett, Dalton Fernandez, Easton Hall and Braylee Oliver; two great-grandchildren, Harper Stipe and Faith Blaylock; two brothers, Charles Ray (Becky) Stipe of Baxley and Bill (Rhonda) Stipe of Jesup; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral service was held Feb. 11 at Sweat Memorial Baptist Church. Burial followed in Oakland Cemetery.
Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online registry at www.musicfuneralhome.com.
Music Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Kathleen Hires Coody
Slatersville, Rhode Island--Kathleen Hires Coody, a retired teacher of Wayne County High School, died after a brief illness on Feb. 6, 2020. She was in the Friendly Nursing Home, a hospice facility, in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and had moved from St. Simons Island to live with her son, Pete, in Slathersville. She was 97.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Aubrey Hires (Jesup) and James Coody (Stone Mountain), and her siblings, Gene Moody, Doris M. Yarborough, Lucy M. Stuckey and Jackie M. Edelstein.
She was born Aug. 7, 1923, in the Brentwood community of Wayne County. Her parents were Dewey Isaac and Pearl Reddish Moody. Coody and her three sisters, Lucy, Doris and Jackie, were known as the “Brentwood Belles” by the Moody family. Their father, a widower, pledged to see his daughters obtain college degrees, which they did in the early 1940s.
After graduating from Odum High School, Coody earned a bachelor of science degree in home economics and a master’s degree in education from the University of Georgia. She retired after teaching 40 years at Jesup High School, later Wayne County High School. Until her death, she remained in touch with many of her former students. An avid Georgia fan, she followed the Bulldogs each season, and she played bridge until she was 92.
Coody was a past president of the Georgia Vocational Teachers Association (GVA). She was honored by GVA as the Georgia Vocational Teacher of the Year, as well as the Southeast Regional National Vocational Teacher of the Year. She was an active member of the First United Methodist churches in Jesup and St. Simons Island, where she lived the last several years of her life.
She is survived by her son, Pete Hires, and his wife, Genie, along with their children, Lauren (Rob) Sanborn of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, and Justen (Jenna) Hires of Gardner, Massachusetts. Also surviving are great-grandchildren Jameson Hires, Christopher and Carter Sanborn, and Kiera Cook, as well as many nieces and nephews.
The family plans a memorial service this spring. Details will be announced at a later date.