Nell Josephine Stephens age 89, of Atlanta, Ga. formerly of Chattooga County ,passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012 in Atlanta, Ga. She was retired from Mt. Vernon Textile & was a member of Central Avenue Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents; 1st husband, Donald Wallace Reynolds & her 2nd husband, Jule Stephens; daughter, Wanda Jeannette Wirth; grandson, Allen Youngblood; several brothers & sisters.

Survivors include her son & daughter-in-law, Donald J. & Carol Reynolds, Atlanta; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; several nieces & nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home with Rev. Bud Davis officiating. Interment will follow in West Hill Cemetery.

Pallbearers are asked to meet at the Funeral Home on Tuesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. and include the following: Donald & Mark Reynolds, Charles Kohn, Marion Wingfield, Jimmy Warnock & Steve Youngblood. Honorary pallbearers are members of Central Avenue Baptist Church.

Mrs. Stephens will lie-in-state at Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 from 12 noon until the funeral hour at 2:00 p.m.

Erwin-Petitt Funeral Home has charge of the funeral arrangements for Mrs. Nell J. Stephens who passed away on Saturday.

MRS. MARGARET ANN RHINEHART, age 91, of Mahan Road-Summerville, Georgia passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012, in the local nursing home. A Chattooga County native, She was born to the late William Taylor and Birdie Cox Scruggs on May 5, 1921. Mrs. Rhinehart was a Homemaker and was preceded in death by her husband, the late Walter “Dub” Rhinehart, on April 22, 1992, and two daughters-the late Beverly Ann Rhinehart and Glenda Sue Rhinehart. Surviving are brother & sister-in-law-James N. and Effie Scruggs; niece-Peggy Marie Busby; nephew-James N. Scruggs, Jr.; great niece-Julie Scruggs; great nephew-Daniel Taylor Scruggs; great great niece-Naomi Marie Scruggs all of Summerville. Funeral service will be held Monday, May 14th, at 11:00 A.M. from Graveside in Lyerly Cemetery with Rev. Jimmy Bryant and Brother Tommy Pledger officiating. Active Pallbearers-John Busby, Joe Cox, Donald Blackwell, Gary Blackwell, Rodney Blackwell, Russell Blackwell, and John Blackwell; Honorary Pallbearers members of Summerville Chapter Order of Eastern Star. Earle Rainwater Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Tim James Bryan, age 48, of Trion, Georgia passed away Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at his residence.

 Mr. Bryan was born in Oakland, Illinois on August 25, 1963, son of the late Harold Herbert Bryan and Ray Joy Marbutt Bryan.  He was employed as a painter with Rock Spring Paint and Body, and was preceded in death by step-sons, Cody Carroll and Shawn Dutton.

 Mr. Bryan is survived by his companion, Rhonda Adams; step-daughters, Stephanie Darden and Lucinda Adams; brothers and sisters-in-law, Greg & Ruth Bryan, Harold Ray & Darlene Bryan, Danny Ray & Cindy Bryan and Mike Bryan; step-grandson, Justice Darden; nieces and nephews, Justin Ragan, Taylor Blackmon, Logan King, Draven Green, Matthew King, Anastasia King, Akila Wedgeworth, Jousha Bryan, Jr., Emily Darden, Jayden Darden, Kalei Pritchett, Tory Curtis, Logan Curtis, CJ Green, Akira Smith, Nina Marcum, Bambi Wedgeworth, Renee King, Denise Rogers, Kristy Bryan and Mark Mitchell; special Friends, Janice Dutton, Mandy Bandy, Jeremy Bandy, DJ Bandy, Nicklaus Bandy, Pat Cook, and AJ Carroll.

 Graveside and Interment services for Mr. Bryan will be held Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Billy Wright and Mr. Jeremy Bandy officiating.

 Pallbearers will be Karl Bryan, Jr., Jousha Bryan, Jessie Marcum, Mark Mitchell, Carl Wedgeworth, Timothy Bryan, Wayne Dutton and Jeremy Bandy.

 Mr. Bryan will be in state at the Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends Friday evening from 6 until 8 P.M

Mr. Roy "David" Gary Jr, age 47, of Trion, died Wednesday, May 8, at his home.

Mr. Gary was born December 3 1964 in Summerville, the son of Roy Gary and the late Azlee Christine Sims Gary. He was employed at Hayes State Prison and loved golfing and playing the guitar.

Mr. Gary is survived by his wife, Tracy Gary; a son, Zachary Gary; father and stepmother, Roy and Marie Gary; brothers, Jerry and Marty Gary; grandchild, Addison Gary; several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be hald at 4:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, from the chapel of the Mason Funeral Home with the Revs. Ralph Sumner and Tony Jackson officiating. Burial will follow in Summerville Cemeery. Pallbearers will be Ricky Sims, Dennis Elrod, Shawn Broome, Bob Wesson, mike Stansell and Marcy Yancey.

The body will lie in state at Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. Thyrsday.

Mason Funeral Home is directing. 

Mrs. Sadie Lester of Summerville passed awy on Tuesday. She was a member of the World  Church of the Living God. She was a loving homemaker for her family.

Survivors are her husband of 55 years, Elder Robert G. Lester; children, Sandra (Vernon) Thurman, Gail (Aaron) Adams, Bobbie Lester, Robert (Marra) Lester, all of Summerville; and Grady (Okista) Terry of Rome; stepchildren, Larry (Val) Stamper, Patricia Stamper of Summerville, Bessie Rollins of Chattanooga Tn; sisters-in-law, Clara Johnson of Trion, and Katherine Adams of Summerville; brothers-in-law Alvert (Vernell) lester of August, and Lee Lester of Chattanooga; 30 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchilfdren, nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Homecoming services will be held Saturday, May 12, 2012, at 2 p.m. at World Church of the Living God #5, West 7th with Pastor Mose Whitfield and other ministers officiating. The family will receive friends one our before the service. Interment will be at Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Arrangements are by Willis Funeral Home, Dalton, 

Rev. Marlin Leroy Starnes, age 86, of Summerville, GA, passed away Tuesday May 8, 2012, at his residence. Rev. Starnes was born November 6, 1925, in Farlington, Kansas, the son of the late Rev. David Starnes and Fay Kern Starnes. Rev. Starnes came to Summerville from Delta Junction, Alaska, where he had been pastor of First Baptist Delta Junction, and started the first bus ministry at First Baptist North Pole, He was the 1st representative from Alaska on the Home Mission Board, a graduate of Tennessee Temple in 1966, former pastor of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, Cloudland, GA, Emmanuel Baptist Church, Desoto, Mo, Cove Road Baptist Church, Mentone, AL, A member of the Home Mission Broad of the Southern Baptist Convention, a veteran of the U.S. Army having served during WWII. He was preceded in death by a daughter, Beverly Marline Starnes Holbrook, a great-grandson, Joshua Marlin Hall, brother, David Starnes, JR, half sister, Juaneta Cain.

Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Neva Armstrong Starnes, grandchildren, Jimmy Holbrook of Cloudland, Tammy Cupp of Virginia, great-granddaughter, Alissa Hall, brother, Dennis Starnes, Lebanon, MO, sisters, Lola Rook, Lebanon, MO, Ruth Zymm, North Riverside, IL. Funeral service will be held 2:00 p.m. Georgia Time on Friday 11, 2012 at Cove Road Baptist Church in Mentone, Alabama with Rev. Pete Ruble and Rev. David Craven officiating with interment in the Mt. Olive Cemetery. Active pallbearers, Mike Cupp, Chris Drury, Shane Holbrook, Bobby Hughes, LeBron Holbrook, Ronald Durham. Honorary pallbearers, Men of the Cove Road Baptist Church.

Rev. Starnes will be in state at the Mason Funeral Home and the family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday May 10, 2012. Rev. Starnes will also lie in state at the church Friday from 1:30 p.m. until service hour.

Mr. Edwin Dobbs "Ed" Elsberry 82 of Berry Ridge , Summerville passed away on Thursday May 3rd at his residence…He was born November 15th, 1929, the son of the late Glen and Annie Kellett Elsberry, a Veteran of the United States Army having served in the Korean War from 1954-1956.. he was a member of the American Legion Post 129 and was retired from Karastan-Bigelow in 1992-1998, a Baptist by faith and was ordained as a Deacon in April 1962.

Mr. Elsberry was preceded in death by his parents, and infant son, Edwin and an infant daughter Jennie, brothers Sewell, Glen, R.C. , James , Bob, and Charles and a sister Annie Ruth Sweatman.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Barbara Elsberry, son and daughter in law, Eddie and Cindi Elsberry, grandsons, Trent , Brady, and Kasen Elsberry, brother Bill Elsberry, sisters, Sara Duke, and Naomi Faye Ramsey, Brother in law Eddie Teague, sisters in law Shirley Hughes and Linda Carroll, and  extended family Bill and Joanna Gilbert and Steven and Mel Gilbert…. Funeral services will be conducted Sunday at 4PM from the chapel of the Erwin Petitt Funeral Home with Rev. Alton Stamey and Mr. Bill Gilbert officiating, interment to follow in the Summerville Cemetary…Mr. Elsberry will lie in state at the funeral home from 2 to 4PM…In lieu of flowers the family request that contributions be made to the Summerville Trion Optimist Club or Rotary club Scholarship Fund…Pallbearers will be Jeff Smith, Bo Bryan, Steven Gilbert, Brad Johnson , Bobby Groce, Scott Tucker, and Wallace Martin, Chuck Pettit…Honorary , will be nieces and nephews, Farmers and Merchants Bank Employees, Abby Jones, Emily Vaughn, and John Adams…..