Mrs. Mary Eva Brown, age 86, of Summerville, GA died Friday, June 12, 2009 at her residence.

 Mrs. Brown was born January 17, 1923 in South Carolina, the daughter of Joe and Bertha Miller. She was a homemaker. Mrs. Brown was preceded in death by her husband, Max Brown; a brother, Junior Miller and a sister, Lucy Miller.

Survivors include her sons and daughters-in-law, Bobby & Glen Brown, Natchez, MS, Kenneth and Betty Brown and Anthony Brown, Summerville, GA; grandchildren, Abbey Gail Brown, Christy Thackerson, Anthony Ladon Brown, II, Casey Ladon Brown, Richard Allen Brown, and Lance Brown.

 Graveside services will be held at 2:00 p. m. Sunday, June14, 2009 at Greenhills Memory Garden with Pastor Edward Skoretz officiating. Pallbearers will be Grandsons and Cousins.

Mrs. Brown will be in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 6:00 until 8:00 p. m. Saturday. Mason Funeral Home is directing.

For guestbook, please go online to www.masonfuneralhome.com  

Friday, June 12, 2009

MR. JAMES L. (PAT) PLEDGER, age 70, of Ridgecrest Drive-Summerville, Georgia passed away Thursday (June 11, 2009) evening in a Rome hospital following an extended illness.

Born in Boaz, Alabama on August 14, 1938, a son of the late John Thomas and Bessie Turner Pledger. He was retired from auto body repair shop and bus driver. Mr. Pledger was member of West Summerville Baptist Church and Alpine Lodge #211 F & AM. He was preceded in death by a son, the late Christopher Kyle Pledger on May 21, 2007.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Earle Rainwater Funeral Home. 

MR. BEN JOHNSON, SR., age 92, of Lake Wanda Rita Road-Summerville, Georgia passed away Tuesday (June 2, 2009) in a LaFayette, Georgia nursing home. A native of Chattooga County, Georgia, He was born to the late George and Mary Millican Johnson on May 28, 1917. Mr. Johnson attended the Pennville Gospel Tabernacle, was a Veteran of WW II serving in the U. S. Navy, and was retired from the Georgia Glove Mill.

Funeral services will be held Thursday at 2PM from the JD Hill Memorial Chapel of Earle Rainwater Funeral Home with Rev. Jimmy wilborn officiating, internment in Summerville Cemetary. Visitation will be Thursday from 12 noon until the hour of service..Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in Charge of the arrangements.

MS. LAURA ALLISON PULLEN, age 34, of Summerville, Georgia passed away Monday (June 1, 2009) afternoon in a Chattanooga, Tennessee hospital following a sudden illness. Ms. Pullen was born in Floyd County, Georgia on March 29, 1975. She graduated from Chattooga High School in 1993 and from the Medical College of Georgia in 1997; she was a Dental Hygienist. Ms. Pullen was a member of The Horizon Baptist Fellowship and was preceded in death by grandparents-the late Joe and Sera Pullen and the late Alfred Sherman.

Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.  

Mrs. Annie Jo Courtney, age 77, of LaFayette, GA went to be with the Lord on May 27, 2009. Mrs Courtney was born May 24, 1932 in Chickamauga, GA, the daughter of the late James Kyler and Margie Lee Purcell Lively. 

She was a retired Secretary for the Department of the Army. Mrs. Courtney was preceded in death by a son, Tommy D. Courtney, SGM (RET U. S.Army) two brothers, James Louise Lively and Robert Clinton Lively, and a sister, Edna Lee Lively. She was a member of the Fairview South Baptist Church. 

Survivors are her beloved husband, Robert D. "Mickey" Courtney, (RET U. S. Army), to whom she was married for 57 years, son & daughter-in-law, Keith & Kim Courtney, Stephens City, VA, sister & brother-in-law, Peggy & Bill Elsberry, Summerville, GA; daughter-in-law, Lily McHatton, Myrtle Beach, SC; grandchildren, Steven Courtney, Jonathan Courtney and wife, Eva Courtney, Michele & Jimmy Cribb, and Jessica Rossi; great-grandchildren, Shelby, Katie, and Joshua Cribb, Alexandra and Samuel Courtney; nephews, Eddie Lively, Jason Dixson and Michael Bradley, and great nieces, Kayla and Alyse Dixson. 

Funeral services will be held at  Mason Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Lowell Cantrell, Rev. Ricky Biddle, Rev. Mickey Skates and Rev. Malcolm Harris officiating. Burial will follow in LaFayette Memory Gardens. Active pallbearers will be Steven Courtney, Jonathan Courtney, Jason Dixson, Michael Bradley, Steve Palmer and Steve Sizemore. Honorary pallbearers will be Glenda Hamilton, Flora Webb, Margie Purcell, Ruthie Groce, and the Women of Fairview South Baptist Church. 

Mrs. Courtney will be in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from5:00 until 8:00 p. m. Friday, May 29, 2009. Mason Funeral Home is directing.

For guestbook, please go online to www.masonfuneralhome.com  

Mrs. Violet Argenia Deering Shaver Haney, age 86, of Summerville, GA died Wednesday, May 27,2009 at her residence. Mrs. Haney was born October 18, 1922 in Cherokee County, AL, the daughter of the late GeorgeMarshall Deering and Annie Morrow Deering. She was a mother and a homemaker. She attended thePennville Alliance Church. Mrs. Haney was preceded in death by her husband, James Haney; son,Jerry Leon Shaver, granddaughter, Stephany Elicker; brother, Tommy Deering, sisters, Ruby Bowman, and Jewel Maynard Ford. Survivors include sons & daughter-in-law, Thomas Wayne Shaver, Summerville, GA and Bobby Don and Linda Shaver, Summerville, GA; daughters and son-in-law, Dorothy & James Simmons, Summerville, GA, and Mary Ruth Elicker, Lindale, GA; daughter-in-law, Dee Shaver; 19 Grandchildren; 43 Great Grandchildren; 20 Great Great Grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p. m. Friday, May 29, 2009 at Mason Funeral Home Chapel withRev. James Shaver officiating. Burial will follow in Summerville Cemetery. Active pallbearers will beVictor Elicker, Ray Jones, Jeffery Shaver, Stephen Shaver, Van Elicker, and Greg Shaver. Honorarypallbearers will be all Members of United Hospice. Mrs. Haney will be in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 6:00 until8:00 p. m. Thursday. Mason Funeral Home is directing. For guestbook, please go online to www.masonfuneralhome.com 

Mrs. Dorothy Harlow Lunsford, age 88, died Saturday, May 23, 2009 in Reidsville, GA.  She was the daughter of the late Robert and Minnie Vanpelt Harlow.  Her husband, Everett P. Lunsford, Sr. preceded her in death.

Mrs. Lunsford was born in Chattooga County on May 20, 1921.  She is survived by a son, Everett P. Lunsford, Jr. of Atlanta, GA; a daughter, Miriam L. Lynn, son-in-law, Dr, Steve Lynn; granddaughter, Beth Lynn of Reidsville, GA; and sister and brother-in-law, Mr. Mrs. Melvin Brooks of Griffin, GA.  She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

After graduating from Tift College in Forsyth, GA in 1942, Mrs. Lunsford taught school in the Rome City School System; Trion City School System and Chattooga County School System.  She retired after more than 30 years and became the director of the Adult Education Program at the Parent-Child Center and the Chattooga County Library.  She loved teaching and helping others in any way she could.  Her greatest delight was in helping students attain their GED.

Since 1932, she was an active member of the Summerville First Baptist Church where she taught Sunday school in the children and adult departments.  She was a member of the Joy Club and Women’s Missionary Circle. Mrs. Lunsford was a former member of the Chattooga County Library Board; a trustee of Camp Juliet Low in Cloudland, GA; a trustee of the Summerville Cemetery Association, and a member of the Georgia Retired Teachers Association.

Visitation will be held at the Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in Summerville, GA on Saturday, May 30, 2009, from 12noon until 2pm.  A graveside service and interment will follow in the Summerville Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Reidsville United Methodist Church, PO Box 218, Reidsville, GA, 30453 or to the Summerville First Baptist Church, 125 Church Street, Summerville, GA.

 Earle Rainwater Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for Mrs. Dorothy Harlow Lunsford.