Mathews Funeral Home

Joe Oliver Miller, 85, of Albany, GA formerly of Ft. Gaines, GA, died February 1, 2023 at the Willson Hospice House. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 3:00 pm at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Phil Thomas will officiate. Interment will be held in Rockwell, NC. Mr. Miller was born in Rockwell, NC on September 21, 1937 to John and Imogene Miller. He grew up in Rockwell and graduated from Mt. Pisgah Academy in Candler, NC. In his younger years, he worked in security for Charlotte Motor Speedway and had a long career with General Motors Corporation. He moved to Albany, GA in 1980 and lived at the lake in Ft. Gaines, GA for twenty five years, where he was a member of Shiloh Baptist...

James Ronald Cox, 88, of Lee County, GA died peacefully at home on January 31, 2023. James was born on May 7, 1934, in Moultrie, Georgia to the late James Robert Cox and Bessie Mae Suggs. He graduated from Moultrie High School. He served in the U. S. Army during the Korean War era and guarded the Fulda Gap in Germany. James worked 15 years at McGregor Brunswick and over 30 years at Miller Brewing Company in the warehouse department. He was a wonderful father and husband. James loved to draw beautiful pen and ink drawings of places he saw in Europe during his army days. He spent many days in his front porch swing with a good mystery or Christian book. He was preceded in death by his...

Rita Griffin Cross, 75, of Cataula, GA, formerly of Albany, GA died January 30, 2023 at her daughter's residence in Cataula. A memorial service will be held Friday, February 3, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Mathews Funeral Home. Mr. Ross Powell will officiate. Rita was born on May 24, 1947 to Earnest and Aurelia Griffin. She grew up in Albany, GA and graduated from Dougherty High School in 1965. After High School, she was employed with the Carlton Company for twenty-eight years, and attended Albany Technical College in 2002. She received a Medical transcriptionist certification, and was employed with Children's Medical Services for ten years before retiring in August of 2013. She spent her...

Ryan Michael Snell, 41, of Albany, died, Monday, January 30, 2023 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. His memorial service will be Friday, February 3, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Terry Hendrix will officiate. A life-long resident of Albany, Ryan was born on July 4, 1981. He graduated from Albany High School in 2000. He loved to bowl and was a member of the Highlanders Bowling Team at Albany Strikers. Ryan loved to listen to beach music, play video games, and interact on Facebook. He also enjoyed antique cars and was a Bill Elliott fan. He was preceded in death by his father, Jimmy Snell. Survivors include his mother Jo Anne Snell, brothers, Stephen Snell, Kyle Snell...

Gloria Faye Williams, 77, of Worth County, GA, died January 29, 2023 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held Wednesday at 10:00 am at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Melvin Slappey will officiate. Interment will follow in the Leesburg City Cemetery. Faye was born on February 25, 1945 in Dothan, AL and graduated from Houston County High School in 1963. She moved to Lee County, GA in 1977 and drove a Lee County Special Needs Bus for eighteen years. Faye was active with her late husband, Don Williams in their business, Williams Transmission. She was a member of Kinchafoonee Baptist Church and Sunday school teacher. Her hobbies included picking fresh vegetables,...

Bernice LaVerne Carswell, 82, of Albany, GA died January 27, 2023 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2:00 pm at Mathews Funeral Home. Mr. Ross Powell will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Carswell was born in Worth County, GA on March 18, 1940 to Charlie and Jessie Knight. She moved to Albany, GA at an early age and attended Albany High School and attended Albany Technical College for Accounting. She was employed with the accounting office of The City of Albany for twenty-five years and was a member of Byne Memorial Baptist Church. The most important things in Mrs. Carswell's life was God and family. She loved...

Phillip Joel Holtzclaw, 74, of Albany, died Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. His funeral service will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, January 31, 2023 in the Chapel at Sherwood Baptist Church with interment to follow at Crown Hill Cemetery. A native of Greer, SC, Mr. Holtzclaw had lived in Albany for the past 30 years. He retired from the U. S. Air Force after 20 years of service at the rank of MSGT. After his retirement spent 14 years working at MCLB and then spent 13 years working with the Dougherty Count Sheriffundefineds Department. He was a member of Sherwood Baptist Church and the Living Word Connect Group. Survivors include his wife Chin Holtzclaw, daughter...

Marilyn Maxwell Kramer, 82, of Tallahassee, FL, died January 24, 2023 at Big Bend Hospice Center surrounded by her family. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11:00 am at Mathews Funeral Home. Mr. Ross Powell will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. Marilyn was born on October 12, 1940 in Albany, GA to Leon Edgar and Ethal Loretta Maxwell. She graduated from Albany High School in 1959, attended Georgia Southwestern College and Eileen School of Modeling. Marilyn moved to Tallahassee, FL in 1981 and was employed with the State of Florida as an Accountant for twenty-three years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brothers, Bill...

Janis Norris Pierce, 76, of Albany, Georgia passed away January 22, 2023 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral service will be held Friday January 27, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Byne Memorial Baptist Church. Interment will follow to Leesburg Cemetery. Rev. Mark Jackson will officiate. Janis was born on November 25, 1946 in Opp Alabama to the late Bernard and Lenora Moody Norris. She graduated from Opp High School in 1965. She retired after over twenty years working as the school secretary for Lee County Middle School and Kinchafoonee Primary School. Janis was a member and attended Byne Memorial Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years Willard "Gene" Pierce, her...

Haynes Milton Tankersley passed away on January 20, 2023 at the age of 96. Funeral services will be conducted at Byne Memorial Baptist Church at 2:00 pm on January 28. Visitation will be held at 1:00 pm. Reverend Mark Jackson and Reverend Charlie Brown will officiate. A graveside service will follow at Crown Hill cemetery. Haynes was born on May 31, 1926, in Columbia County Georgia to the late Milford Tramble and Lois Inez Tankersley. He graduated from Leah High School in May 1940. He served in World War II from September 1944 to August 1946. Haynes met Elizabeth "Betty" Griffin and they married on October 9, 1949. He started his career with the Federal Government and stayed...

Betty Louise Atkinson Aldredge Hudson, 92, of Meigs, GA went to be with our Lord at Archbold Hospital in Thomasville, GA on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Graveside funeral services will be held Friday, January 20, 2023 at 12:00 pm at Floral Memory Gardens. Pastor Royce Johnson will officiate. Mrs. Hudson was born in rural Thomas County on December 6, 1930. She graduated from Meigs High School and moved to Albany, GA in 1965. Mrs. Hudson worked in sales and management for Woolworths, Sing Convenience Stores and Magnolia Grocery. She was a member of Liberty Parkway Church of God and her greatest joys included traveling and spoiling her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Hudson was...

Mark Milburn Brown, 72, of Albany, GA, passed away peacefully at his home on January 11, 2023. The family will receive friends and family from 5 pm until 7 pm on Sunday, January 15, 2023 at Mathews Funeral Home. The funeral service will be held Monday, January 16, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Mathews Funeral Home. Rev. Ray Lowe will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery. Mark was born in Smyrna, GA on September 6, 1950 to Marion and Ann Brown. He lived in Smyrna for many years of his youth and moved to Albany, GA in middle school. Mark enjoyed camping, fishing, and playing baseball growing up and expressed such fond memories of doing these things with his father, Marion and...

Barbara Ann Cotton,79, died Tuesday, January 10, 2023 at her residence. Graveside services will be held Friday, January 13, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Crown Hill Cemetery. Mr. George S. Johnson and Pastor Jonathan LaBarge will officiate. Barbara was born on September 22, 1943 in Pensacola, FL to Roy and Ruby Langford. While in High School, she met Jack Cotton and they married when she was 16 years old. Barbara received her Beautician License and had worked as a Beautician for over fifty-eight years. Barbara and her growing family moved to Albany, GA in 1967 where her husband, Jack opened his electrical contracting company. Barbara owned the Downtown Beauty Salon before opening Barbara's...

Phillip Wayne Ragsdale, Sr., 88, of Leesburg, GA passed away Saturday, January 7, 2023 at Wynfield Park Health and Rehabilitation. Military graveside funeral services will be held Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery, Sylvester, GA. Rev. Grady Morey will officiate. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Phil graduated from East Nashville High School where he excelled in football and basketball, and remained a member of their Alumni Association. He joined the Army and served for thirty-two years, retiring as a Sergeant Major. His military career took him to locations throughout the United States and Europe, and included a tour in Vietnam in 1969. As an avid golfer he was...

Edward Boyd (Ed) Stephenson, Jr., 92, of Leesburg, GA passed away, Saturday, January 7, 2023 at The Oaks at Oakland Plantation. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Mathews Funeral Home. Entombment will follow at Crown Hill Mausoleum. Ed moved with his family to Albany in 1942. He attended Albany High School and joined the Army Air Corps in 1947 and remained until 1950 when he was honorably discharged, He began employment with Southern Bell shortly thereafter and retired in 1986. Ed was a member of the Telephone Pioneers. Ed loved flying and obtained his private pilots license in 1963. He owned two planes. He was a member of the Albany Aero...

Sherry Settles Middleton, 71, of Blakely, GA, died January 7, 2023 at her residence. A private family committal service will be held Monday, January 9, 2023 at Pine Lawn Cemetery with memorial services to be held at 11:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Blakely. Rev. Lyle Brackin will officiate. A visitation will follow the memorial service in the sanctuary. Sherry was born in Miller County, GA on March 2, 1951 to W.J. undefinedJackundefined and Mildred Settles. She graduated from Early County High School in 1969 and attended The Valdosta College where she received a Bachelorundefineds Degree in Education. Sherry received her Masterundefineds Degree from The Georgia Southwestern University. ...

Elizabeth Ann undefinedBetty Annundefined Salter, 85, of Buford, GA, formerly of Albany, GA died January 5, 2023. Funeral services will be held Wednesday, January 11, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church. Rev. Chuck Knight will officiate. Interment will follow at Crown Hill Cemetery. Mrs. Salter was born on December 4, 1937 in Tifton, GA to B.R. and Lydia Calhoun, Sr. She graduated from Tift County High School in 1955. After graduation, she attended Auburn University and graduated with a degree in Food and Nutrition from the school of Home Economics. Following her college graduation, Mrs. Salter moved to Manchester, GA to work as a Home Economist with Georgia...

Ray E. Abbott, Sr, 86, of Albany, GA, died Tuesday, January 3, 2022 at his residence. Funeral services will be held Friday, January 6, 2023 at 2:00 pm at the Big Creek Missionary Baptist Church in Irwinville, GA. Rev. Raymond Mixon will officiate. Interment will follow in the Irwinville Cemetery. Mr. Abbott was born in Tift County, GA on January 14, 1936 to Carris and Rosa Lee Abbott. He graduated from Tift County High School in 1955 and joined the United States Navy. He served on the Oriskany and Hancock Aircraft Carriers. He met the love of his life and future wife, Frances Martin on a blind date in Irwinville, GA, they were married and Mr. Abbott was transferred to Brunswick, GA....

Grace Jones Bell, 86, of Albany, GA, died Friday, December 30, 2022 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be held Monday, January 2, 2023 at 11:00 am at Lakeside Baptist Church. Rev. Andrew Kornegay will officiate. Interment will follow in Floral Memory Gardens Cemetery. Mrs. Bell was born in Mitchell County, GA on February 13, 1936 to James and Alice Jones. She graduated from Mitchell County High School in 1954 and moved to Albany, GA to attend Business School. After graduation, she was employed with Jefferson Pilot Insurance Company as their Secretary and Bookkeeper. She met her future husband, Fred W. Bell, at Raleigh White Baptist Church where he spotted her...

Richard "Rick" Frank Turner, 91, of Lee County, GA, passed away Thursday, December 29, 2022 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. A memorial service will be held Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at Mathews Funeral Home at 2:00 PM. Rev. Mark Walker will officiate. Rick was born in Athens, GA on August 6, 1931 to the late Joe Frank and Sidney Jewell Turner. He attended West Georgia College in Carrolton GA, where he met his loving wife, Babs. He joined the Untied Stated Navy for four years, and then enlisted with the United States Air force and served his country for sixteen years. After his military service he went to work in the real estate business. Mr. Turner was a member of First Freewill...

Mary Elizabeth "Beth" Brandon Flournoy, 87, of Albany, GA, died December 27, 2022 at Wynfield Health and Rehabilitation Center. A visitation will be held Friday, January 3, 2023 from 10:30 am until 11:30 am at Mathews Funeral Home with a memorial service to follow at 12:00 Noon at Crown Hill Cemetery. Dr. William "Biff" Coker will officiate. Beth was born on August 24, 1935 to Leland Bardwell and Sarah Brandon in Meridian, MS. She grew up in Meridian and graduated from Meridian High School. She attended MSCW (Mississippi University for Women) and graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, MS with a Teaching Degree. There she met her future husband, Edwin E. "Chick" Flournoy, Jr. They...