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Wilcox County Obituary Records
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Annie Ruth
Fitzgerald
Contributed by Diane Cox |
Annie Ruth was beloved by all. Here is her obituary:
The passing, last week of Mrs. J. D. Fitzgerald, wife of J. D. Fitzgerald of
Rochelle, who has long been treasurer and a deacon of the Rochelle Baptist
church and a leader merchant, farmer and citizen of Wilcox County, has left this
home, the church, the town and the community bereft of one of its finest and
loveliest members. Her value to her home church and community is inestimable.
This is because of her qualities as a woman.
The light of her eye was the light of her soul. Her smile gave forth courage and
inspiration to those whom she met. Her words corresponded with her thoughts.
Truly in heart what she seemed to be in life. Her life the outspoken language of
her soul. A beautiful example of pure and queenly womanhood.
Every phase of the town's life may be said to have felt the loving gentle touch
of her heart and hand. Some one has said that any place is a garden or desert
according to those who dwell there. Truly may it be said that the home life of
her family, the religious life of the church, the beneficent life of the town's
citizenry- white and colored - the civil improvement agencies, have all been
benefactors of her generosity and willing helpfulness, while the evidence of her
convictions spoke ever and openly against evil.
Our hearts are made to feel bowed and our words empty as we try to pay just
tribute but all that may be said can be summed up in that nearest approach to
Heaven that human beings can reach when we say "She was a good woman". Her light
and life which she shared with every one will be a happy memory always. Our life
will be lonely without her visible presence but let us be grateful for memory
and cherish this radiant personality and delightful inspiration who has so
recently departed bodily.
It has been said that sorrow is one of God's own angels in the land whose
obvious mission is to remind us of Himself. Then let us be grateful He has found
in us worthiness to share something of what He has experienced because of His
care for us.
Mrs. Fitzgerald was the recipient of a noble and godly ancestral heritage, her
maternal grandfather being a Methodist minister, who as an honest and God-loving
and God-serving citizen weathered a most trying period in the development of his
country and state (Civil War) and his home-going at the age of eighty-two years
brought a deeply felt loss to his community. Her paternal grandmother's name is
written high on the list of those who loved God and lived His precepts. By way
of tribute she was referred to as "one of the foundation stones of Chambers
County" and a beloved home-maker.
Mrs. Fitzgerald was a member of a family of twelve children whose parents, above
everything else, sought to instill, in the minds and hearts of their children,
Christian principals and their lives today are evidence of this noble work.
As Miss Annie Ruth James she came to Rochelle about 1933 to become proprietress
of the Reid Hotel and was married to Mr. Fitzgerald on April 21st, 1935. Five
happy years were spent in this home and now her transportation by death, from a
major operation, from this early realm to that of the spiritual on March 28,
1940, is that last and finishing excellency of earthly human character and we
with the poet, say not, good night, but in some brighter clime will bid her,
Good morning.
She is survived by her husband, one step-son, Wendell Fitzgerald, her father B.
T. James Sr., two brothers and eight sisters - Mrs. Ernest Singer, Mrs. Charles
Spence, and Miss Mary James of LaFayette, Ala, Mrs. Jimmie Lee Wilkinson,
LaGrange, Mrs. W. R. Raney, Atlanta, Mrs. Sarah Wallace, Birmingham, Mrs.
Freeman Barber and William James, West Point, GA, Mrs. George Teal and Ben T.
James, Jr. of Chipley, GA. |
Arnold R. “Pete” Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
Please also see
Family Pictures |
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Arnold R. “Pete” Fitzgerald
Titusville, Fla. - Mr. Arnold R. “Pete” Fitzgerald, 73, of
Titusville, Fla., died Friday, April 9, 1999, at Parrish Medical Center.
Mr. Fitzgerald was born in Wilcox County on April 18, 1925, to
James T. and Ethel McWhorter Fitzgerald. He was preceded in death by two
brothers, Norman Fitzgerald and Virgil Fitzgerald.
A Rochelle native, he was in air conditioner repair and was
employed with Pan American at Kennedy Space Center for 33 years. He moved to
Titusville in 1957.
Survivors include: wife, Myrtle M. Fitzgerald of Titusville; son,
Tommy Fitzgerald of Macon; stepsons Douglas Solomon and Paul Salisbury, both of
Titusville, and Palmer Salisbury of Stanville, Ky.; brothers, Charles Fitzgerald
of Cordele and Eldred Fitzgerald of Rochelle; four grandchildren and seven
great-grandchildren.
Graveside services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, April 12, at
Oaklawn Memorial Gardens, with interment following in the cemetery.
North Brevard Funeral Home in Titusville was in charge of
arrangements.
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Charles C. Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
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Family Pictures |
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Charles Fitzgerald
Cordele – Services for Charles C. Fitzgerald will be at 11
a.m. Monday in Lake Blackshear Baptist Church with burial in Pleasant Grove
Baptist Church, Rochelle. Fitzgerald, 79, died Saturday, April 15, 2000. He was
born in Wilcox County, son of the late Jim and Ethel Mae McWhorter Fitzgerald.
An Army Air Corps veteran, he had lived in Cordele for the past 18 years and was
an aircraft mechanic retired from Robins Air Force Base. He was a member of Lake
Blackshear Baptist Church and the Adult Sunday School Class.
Survivors include his wife, Christine Fitzgerald; children
Betty Jo Ledford of Rochelle, Sara Benson and Cheri Butterworth, both of
Cordele, and Dana Holiday of Pitts; stepchildren, Ronnie Scott of Browndale, Pam
O. Arflin of Unadilla and Mike Scott of Lizella; five grandchildren; five
stepgrandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 tonight at
Frazier and Son Funeral Home, Rochelle, and may be contacted at 905 Rose Land,
Cordele. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to a charity of the
donor’s choice.
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Ethel Mae Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
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Family Pictures |
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Ethel Mae Fitzgerald
Mrs. Fitzgerald Dies in Atlanta
Mrs. Ethel Mae Fitzgerald, 58, wife of J.T. Fitzgerald of
the Owensboro community died Monday in an Atlanta hospital. Funeral services
were conducted Tuesday afternoon at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church with interment
in the church cemetery.
Officiating minister was Rev. James J. McLendon, pastor of
Youngs Chapel Methodist Church of which she was a member.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Fitzgerald is survived by
her mother, Mrs. J.A. McWhorter, Rochelle; five sons, Charles, Norman M., Eldred
J., Virgil D., all of Rochelle, and A.R. Fitzgerald of Titusville, Fla.; six
brothers, J.B. McWhorter, G. W. McWhorter, L. J. McWhorter, all of Pitts and
L.A. McWhorter of Rochelle; Lawson McWhorter, Wheeler Texas; one sister, Mrs.
Eva Gibbs, Rochelle. |
James Thomas Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
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Family Pictures |
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James Thomas Fitzgerald
J. T. Fitzgerald
Rochelle – James Thomas “Jim” Fitzgerald, 77, died Sunday in a
Ben Hill County hospital after a short illness. Services will be held at 2 p.m.
Tuesday in the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Burial will be in the church
cemetery.
Mr. Fitzgerald was a native of Wilcox County and a retired
farmer.
Survivors include five sons, Charles C. Fitzgerald, Norman
Fitzgerald, E.J. Fitzgerald and Virgil Fitzgerald, all of Rochelle, and A.R.
Fitzgerald of Titusville, Fla.
The body will be placed in the church at 1 p.m.
Frazier and Son Funeral Home of Rochelle has charge of
arrangements. |
Norman Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
Please also see
Family Pictures |
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Norman Fitzgerald
Rochelle – Norman
Fitzgerald, 69, of Route 1 died Saturday in a local hospital. Born in Wilcox
County, he was a retired farmer and a World War II Army veteran having received
the Purple Heart. He was a member and deacon of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church,
former Sunday School teacher and a member of the 630th Tank Destroyer
Battalion. Survivors: wife, Virginia Dare Fitzgerald of Rochelle; children,
Doster Fitzgerald of Owensboro, Annie F. Taylor of Fitzgerald, Virginia
Fitzgerald Whitley and Ethel F. Smith, both of Rochelle; brothers, Virgil
Fitzgerald and Eldred Charles Fitzgerald, both of Cordele, Pete Fitzgerald of
Titusville, Fla.: six grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services: 2 p.m.
today in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. Burial: church cemetery. The Revs. Jerry
Wilson, Lloyd Cornell and Lawrence Atkinson will officiate. Frazier and Son
Funeral Home has charge of arrangements. |
Virgil Davis Fitzgerald
Contributed by Dana Holliday
Please also see
Family Pictures |
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Virgil Davis Fitzgerald
Rochelle – Funeral services were conducted at 3 p.m.
Friday for Virgil Davis Fitzgerald, 60, of 939 Gordon St., Rochelle, who died
Thursday, Dec. 12, 1996, in an Albany Hospital. Services were from the Pleasant
Grove Baptist Church with the Revs. David Clark and Jerry Wilson officiating.
Burial was in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Mr. Fitzgerald was a retired delivery man for Ferrell
Propane Gas Co. and a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Surviving are his wife, Nancy Evans Fitzgerald or
Rochelle; two sons, David Fitzgerald of Tifton and Dean Fitzgerald of Irwinville;
a daughter, Debbie Hyman of Cordele; three brothers, Charles Fitzgerald of
Cordele, Pete Fitzgerald of Titusville, Fla., and Eldred Fitzgerald of Rochelle;
and five grandchildren.
Frazier and Son Funeral Home was in charge of
arrangements.
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Annie
Geraldine Futch Ford
Contributed
by Elaine Turk Nell |
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The Herald Leader (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill Co., GA)
Wednesday, 12 April 2006, page 4A, Columns 3 & 4
Rochelle - Mrs. Geraldine Futch Ford, 93, of Greenville, S.C., died Tuesday,
April 4, 2006, at Magnolia Place Health Care Center in Greenville.
Mrs. Ford was born in Berrien County on November 22, 1912, to Thomas Amory and
Tommie Means Futch. She was preceded in death by her husband, Bill P. Ford,
children, James A. Ford, Billie D. Ford, Anita Joyce Ford and Ray W. Ford,
sister, Mildred Futch, and brothers, Reuben Futch, Alvis Futch, Exa Futch, Harry
Futch and Berner Futch.
A homemaker, she retired as a clerk from the Mashburn-Fitzgerald Store after 20
years of service. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Rochelle,
where she was in the Ava Lassiter Sunday School Class. Mrs. Ford had lived in
Wilcox County most of her life.
Survivors include: brother, Thurmond Futch of Rochelle; grandchildren, Michael
O. Ford of Columbus and James A. Ford Jr. of Greer, S.C., and four
great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 8, at First Baptist Church
of Rochelle with the Rev. Talmadge Wilcox officiating. Music was provided by
Nancy Futch, Lisa Fuller and Jan Brown. Pallbearers were Ed Futch, George Futch,
Scott Fuller, Todd Tripp, Chuck Hollingsworth and Royal Brown. Honorary
pallbearers were members of the Ava Lassiter and Ruth Sunday school classes.
Interment was in Morningside Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Lutheran Hospice, P.O. Box
1353, Greer, S.C. 29652.
Frazier and Son Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Additional information from submitter:
Geraldine's father, Tom, worked briefly at a bank in Cecil, Berrien Co., GA when
she was born. Shortly thereafter, their home in Cecil burned, and the family
returned to Wilcox Co. to farm.
Geraldine's grandparents were William Isaac Futch & Johnnie Daniel
(McDuffie) Futch of Wilcox Co., GA and John Thomas Means & Annie America
(Thurmond) Means of Lamar Co., GA. Her great-grandparents were John Futch &
Susan (Doster) Futch of Wilcox & Thomas Counties, John D. McDuffie & Elmira E.
Daniels Brown McDuffie of Wilcox Co., James Anderson Means & Elizabeth Ann
(Allen) Means of Monroe Co., and William Harrison Thurmond, Jr. & Amanda Jane
(Buff) Thurmond of Monroe Co.
Geraldine married Bill P. Ford on 5 January 1933 at Pope City Baptist Church in
Wilcox Co., GA.
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Marie Gibbs Futch
Contributed
by Elaine Turk Nell |
The Macon Telegraph (Macon, GA), Sunday, 24 January 1999,
page 4B
Marie Futch
Rochelle - Services for Marie Gibbs Futch will be at 3 p.m. today in
Tabernacle Baptist Church with burial in Morningside Cemetery. Futch, 81, died
Friday, Jan. 22, 1999. She taught for 29 years. She was a school teacher and
received Specialist in Education Degree. She was a member of Tabernacle Baptist
Church, where she was a former Ladies Sunday School teacher and former director
of the Women's Missionary Union.
Survivors include her children, Romelle Turk of Macon and Reuben Futch of
Rochelle; sister and brothers, Mildred Spears of Byron, Billy Gibbs of Fort
Worth, Texas, and Clifford Gibbs of Waycross; seven grandchildren; and four
great-grandchildren.
In lieu of floewrs, memorials may be made to Tabernacle Baptist Church
Building Fund, P.O. Box 336, Rochelle 31079. Monroe County Memorial Chapel in
Forsyth and Frazier & Son Funeral Home in Rochelle have charge of arrangements.
Macon Telegraph (Macon, GA), Sunday, 24 January 1999, page 4B
Monroe County Memorial Chapel
86 W. Main St., Forsyth, GA
Futch, Marie Gibbs; Services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in Tabernacle Baptist
Church in Rochelle, Ga., with burial in Morningside Cemetery, Rochelle. Futch,
81, died Friday in Macon after an extended illness. She was the widow of Ruben
A. Futch Sr. [sic; should be Reuben A. Futch Sr.]. She was a member of
Tabernacle Baptist Church, Rochelle, Ga., where she was a former Ladies Sunday
School teacher and former director of the Women's Missionary Union. Retired
teacher in Wilcox County Public Schools after teaching 29 years. She was a
graduate of Rochelle High School, Rabun Gap Nacoochee Jr. College and received a
B.S. degree in Elementary Education and a Master's degree in Education from
Georgia College and State University. She was a member of the Wilcox Rifles
United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC). She is survived by her daughter,
Romelle F. Turk, Macon; son, Reuben A. "Bubba" Futch of Rochelle; 7
grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Mildred Spears of Byron;
brother, Billy Gibbs, Fort Worth, Texas, Clifford Gibbs, Waycross. In lieu of
flowers, memorials may be made to Tabernacle Baptist Church's Building Fund, PO
Box 336, Rochelle 31079. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 tonight in
Frazier and Son Funeral Home, Rochelle. Monroe County Memorial Chapel, Forsyth,
and Frazier Funeral Home in Rochelle have charge of arrangements.
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Reuben A. Futch
Contributed
by Elaine Turk Nell |
Wilcox County Chronicle (Abbeville, GA), 19 Dec. 1968,
page 2
R. A. Futch Sr. Succumbs At 59
Funeral services for Ruben [sic; should be Reuben] A. Futch Sr., 59, who
died Tuesday at noon in the Ben Hill County Hospital following a short illness
were to be held this afternoon at 2 p.m. at First Avenue Baptist Church in
Rochelle.
The Rev. Ira Sellars and the Rev. Wylie Williams were to officiate. Burial
was to follow in Morningside Cemetery at Rochelle.
A native of Wilcox County, Futch was a member of First Avenue Baptist
Church and a well-known farmer.
Surviving are his wife, the former Marie Gibbs of Rochelle; his mother,
Mrs. T. A. Futch of Rochelle; a daughter, Romell [sic; should be Romelle] Turk
of Macon; a son, Ruben [sic; should be Reuben] A. Futch, Jr., also of Rochelle;
five brothers, Alvis and Exa Futch, both of West Palm Beach, Fla., Harry Futch
of Albany, and Burna [sic; should be Berner] and Therman [sic; should be
Thurmond] Futch, both of Rochelle; a sister, Mrs. Geraldine Ford of Rochelle;
two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Frazier and Son Funeral Home of Abbeville were in charge of funeral
arrangements.
Wilcox County Chronicle (Abbeville, GA), 2 Jan. 1969, page 2
Card of Thanks
We, the family of Reuben A. Futch Sr., wish to express our sincere thanks
for the many kind expressions of sympathy shown us on the illness and death of
our loved one. Every act of kindness has been a source of comfort to each of
us.
Mrs. Reuben A. Futch, Sr., and Family
Notes from submitter: Reuben Amory Futch, Sr. was my grandfather. He was born
6 May 1909 in Wilcox Co., GA, the oldest child of Thomas Amory Futch and Tommie
Odessa (Means) Futch. He married my grandmother, Anna Marie Gibbs, on 24 Dec.
1939 at the County Courthouse in Abbeville, Wilcox Co., GA. Reuben's
grandparents were William Isaac Futch & Johnnie Daniel (McDuffie) Futch of
Wilcox Co., GA and John Thomas Means & Annie America (Thurmond) Means of
Barnesville, GA.
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Billy Stanley
Gibbs
Contributed by
Elaine Turk Nell |
The Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas, 25 November 2005
Billy Stanley Gibbs 1939 - 2005
Billy Stanley Gibbs, 66, died Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005, surrounded by the
powerful love of his beloved wife, family and friends.
Memorial service: The family will hold a private memorial service.
Memorials: The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to
Vitas Hospice of Fort Worth.
Billy was born in his family's farm house in Wilcox County, Ga., on March
2,
1939, to Henry and Carrie Gibbs. The youngest of five children, the early
years he spent on a working farm inbued in him a deep love of the land and the
intense sense of responsibility, determination and desire to succeed that he
sustained throughout his life.
Billy graduated from Fitzgerald High School in 1956. He earned an associate's
degree from the Community College of the Air Force in 1979.
Billy began his 25-year career in the Air Force at 17, drinking in the
excitement and intrigue in French Morocco and North Africa. From there he was
stationed at various Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command bases
stateside as well as many international T.D.Y.s.
Fiercely patriotic, Billy participated in the notorious Bay of Pigs
invasion
of Cuba and volunteered for two consecutive tours of duty during the Vietnam
War. During his Vietnam tours, he was a member of Operation Ranch Hand and
served with the 1st Air Commandos. He continued to be a dominant NCO in the
Air Force, leading his maintenance squadron at Moody AFB, Ga., to win two
consecutive Daedalion Awards as the best maintained unit in the Air Force. As
aircraft maintenance superintendent at Hill AFB, Utah, he formed the first two
F-16 aircraft generation units with a combat mission. When he retired as a
CMSGT in 1981, his military honors included the Air Force Commendation Medal,
Air Force Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, two Silver Stars and a
Purple Heart.
Billy's competitive nature and love for the outdoors led him to compete in
and
win numerous competitions, including regional pistol matches, regional skeet
competitions and bass fishing tournaments, placing first in most events.
He began a second career in Fort Worth with then General Dynamics in 1981,
rising rapidly within management in the F-16 program. He found time to train
and compete in numerous Olympic weightlifting and power lifting events. He
held both the Texas State and World Bench Pressing records for the 55-59 age
group for a 410-pound lift, which he later exceeded.
Billy had a lifelong love for gunsmithing and was a respected firearm
authority. His passion for hunting and fishing involved his family members and
close friends. He served for more than 10 years as a hunting guide for an area
club.
Billy was a lifelong racing fan, with a passion that began in the late 50s,
when he competed in and won many races in Georgia and Florida.
Despite his apparent rugged, gruff personality, Billy was a loving and
generous husband, father and grandfather. To his wife, he was a best friend
and beloved companion. To his children and grandchildren, he was an icon. His
well-versed opinions, riveting stories and unwavering love will be sorely
missed.
Survivors: Wife, Helen Gibbs; sister, Mildred Spears and husband, Walter;
son,
David Gibbs and wife, Kellie; daughter, Karri McGovern and husband, Thomas;
daughter, Diane Alvarez; stepson, Russell Allen and wife, Shannon;
stepdaughter, Abigail McDonald and husband, Tim; six grandchildren; nephews;
nieces; and numerous close friends.
Notes from submitter: Billy Stanley Gibbs married Nancy Katherine Patterson on
4 Aug
1961 in Homestead, Miami-Dade Co., FL. They divorced, and he married Helen
Bundy on
26 May 2000 in Ft. Worth, Tarrant Co., TX.
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Richard David
Gibbs
Contributed by
Elaine Turk Nell |
FITZGERALD HERALD & LEDGER, Thursday, Feb. 26, 1976, page
8-A:
Mr. Gibbs
Funeral services for Richard D. Gibbs, 111 W. Pine street, who died at 10
p.m. Friday (Feb. 20, 1976) at Dorminy Memorial Hospital, were held Monday at 11
a.m. at St. William's Catholic Church with Father Edwin Hayes, OMI,
officiating. Rosary will be held at Paulk Funeral Home--at 7:30 p.m. Sunday.
Interment was in Evergreen Cemetery.
Born June 29, 1910 in Abbeville, he was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs.
Marion Gibbs. He was married ot the former Mary Fox.
Mr. Gibbs was a member of St. William's Catholic Church, was the retired
operator of a snack bar at Haile Drug Co. and had lived in the community 28
years.
Survivors include:
His wife, Mrs. R.D. Gibbs, Fitzgerald.
One son, Richard Albert Gibbs, Lake Wales Park, Fla.
A daughter, Mrs. Judith Anne Merritt, Ocilla.
One sister, Mrs. Bessie McCuller, Macon.
Five grandchildren also survive.
Notes from submitter: Richard David Gibbs was born 26 June 1910 in Wilcox Co.,
son of Francis Marion Gibbs & Lee Elizabeth "Lizze" (Rowe) Gibbs. He married
Mary Theresa Fox on 18 Oct 1933 in Kenosha, Kenosha Co., WI.
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Hazel Christine Helms Gordon
Contributed by Janet Moore |
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Mrs.
Hazel C. Gordon
July 29, 1920 - February 22, 2005
Mrs. Hazel C. Gordon of Apopka, Florida passed away Tuesday, February 22,
2005. She was 84. Mrs. Gordon was born July 29, 1920 in Wilcox County,
Georgia. She was a nursery worker. She is survived by daughters, Gwendolyn
Hurley of Zellwood, Florida, Carolyn Hurley (A.P.) of Eustis, Florida, Janet
Moore (Benny) of Apopka, Janice McGough (Mac) of Apopka, and Jeanne Gordon
of Murrayville, Georgia; son, Billy Gordon (Rhonda) of Old Towne, Florida;
brother, Arnold Helms (Lydia) of Louisville, Alabama; sisters, Pauline
Lovett of Dawson, Georgia and Jaunice Luther (Fred) of Warner Robins,
Georgia; 18 grandchildren; 21 great grandchildren; and 3 great great
grandchildren.
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