MISS IDA LORETTA MITCHELL, age 95, of Bill Mitchell Road-Summerville, Georgia, Gore Community, passed away Sunday, April 24, 2011. Born in Polk County, Georgia on November 24, 1915, she was a daughter of the late Lumpkin Wade and Sarah Herring Mitchell. Miss Mitchell was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church and until retirement in 1980 served as Principal at City Park Elementary in the Dalton, Georgia School system.

She is survived by her sister Mildred Padgett of Calhoun and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Pauline Mitchell, Helen Mitchell , Lamar (Bud) Mitchell , Howard Mitchell , Bill Mitchell, Ann Morgan, and Miriam Harper.

Miss Ida attended Young Harris College, received her BA from Georgia Southern and her Masters in Education from Emory University. She taught in LaFayette and in Dalton where she was principal of City Park Elementary. At City Park she also taught art and many of her students win prizes in state-wide competitions. She also was a avid supporter of reading and she began a very innovative children’s literature author in residence program at her school. Several well-known authors came to Dalton and spent a week inspiring students to be life-long lovers of books.

Her many nieces and nephews also learned from her. She often gave them books as gifts and she discussed favorite books with them. Many of those books have now been passed to a second and even third generation in the Mitchell family. Also, she taught them the importance and joys of family by hosting a Thanksgiving family reunion at her home for almost thirty years.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made either to Bethel United Methodist Church in Gore where Ida was a life time member, or to the Methodist Children’s Home, Columbia Drive, Decatur, Georgia.

Visitation will be on Saturday, April 30th, at Bethel United Methodist Church with the service to follow at 2:00, interment in Summerville Cemetery.

Rev. L. B. Thomason, age 79 of Sugarmill Woods died Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at the Hospice House of Citrus County in Lecanto, Florida.  Born December 2, 1931 in Summerville, GA Pastor Thomason was ordained to the ministry in January 1956.  He first served concurrently as pastor of two small churches, Unity and New Hope South in Summerville, GA.  He next served First Baptist Church in Gretna, Florida, from 1958 until 1969, and while in Gretna served as Chaplain of the Florida Legislature during both the 1959 and 1960 sessions.  He was called to the First Baptist Church of Crystal River in 1969 and served there until he retired in 1995.  The present sanctuary and much of the education facility was built under his leadership, and in 1980 he was named minister of the year by Stetson University.  Since retiring he has served as Chaplain for Hospice of Citrus County.  Pastor Thomason has touched innumerable lives in this community in the past forty-two years.  He will be greatly missed.
  
   He is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Ethelyene, daughters, Marcia Wade (Mark) of Memphis, TN, Lisa Rose Glass (J. D.) of Apopka, FL and Mary Bryan Thomason-Smith (Timothy) of Bloomington, IN, grandchildren, Everett Wade (Jessie), Isaac and Bethany Wade, Buddy Glass, Noah and Melody Smith, and great-grandson, Martin Wade. 

   Funeral service will be conducted Friday, April 29, 2011 at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Crystal River with Rev. Bill Shaw officiating.  Visitation will be at the Church on Thursday
evening from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.  Graveside service and burial will be held Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 2:00 pm  in Summerville Cemetery, Summerville, GA.

   For those who wish memorial contributions may be offered to Hospice of Citrus County or the First Baptist Church of Brooksville.  Arrangements under the direction of Strickland Funeral Home, Crystal River, FL.  Local arrangements by the Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home.

Mr. Doyle Lawrence Dover, age 76, of Summerville, GA died Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at Redmond Regional Medical Center.

Mr. Dover was born October 2, 1934 in Menlo, GA, the son of the late Perry Lawrence and Fannie Evelyn Covington Dover. He was retired from Mt. Vernon Mills. Mr. Dover was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice Juanita Ramey Dover; daughter, Pamela Ruth Pas; grandchildren, Jamey Rogers and Tiffany Rogers.

Survivors include his children, Larry and Lisa Dover, Brion and Keri Dover, Cheryl and Wayne Sneed, Teresa and Corky Lee, Patty and Jimmy Evans; sisters, Sara Young and Audrey Womack; brothers, Paul Dover, Jerry Dover, and Richard Dover; 13 Grandchildren; and 26 Great-Grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 4:30 p. m. Saturday, Apirl 23, 2011 at Mason Funeral Home with Rev. Tom Russell officiating.

Mr. Dover will be in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 2:00 p. m. until the service hour on Saturday. At other hours the family will be at 735 Orchard Hill Road, Summerville, GA.