All Obituaries

Mrs. Edith Gordon Newham, age 82, of Uvalda, died Saturday, July 11, 2020, in Meadows Health of Vidalia, after an extended illness.  She was a lifelong resident of Uvalda and was a 1955 graduate of Ailey-Mt. Vernon High School.  She was payroll clerk for Piggly Wiggly Southern in Vidalia and also worked with Alva Jones as an accountant for many years.  In 1974, she founded Newham Tax Service in Uvalda and was a member of the Uvalda Baptist Church.  She was preceded in...

Mrs. Donna M. Rolen, age 55, of Lyons, died Wednesday, July 8, 2020, in St. Mary’s Hospice House in Athens after an extended illness.  She was born in Ft. Bliss, Texas and has lived in Lyons since 1973.  She was a 1982 graduate of Lyons Senior High School and earned an Associate degree from Brewton-Parker College.  She was the Deli Manager at Thriftway in Lyons and worked there eighteen years.  More recently she worked at Meadows Health in Vidalia, and she was...

Mr. Sammy J. Craft, age 81, of Lyons, died Thursday, July 9, 2020, in the Community Hospice House in Vidalia after an extended illness.  He was born in Uvalda, as a child lived in Bradenton, Florida and lived in Lyons most of his life.  He was a U.S. Navy Veteran and served in the Army National Guard.  He was a lay speaker, a member of First Baptist Church of Lyons where he taught Sunday school, and was a former member of the Lyons Presbyterian Church where he taught Sunday...

Mr. Michael Stephen Edwards, age 78, of Vidalia, died Saturday, July 11, 2020, in The Oaks Bethany in Vidalia.  He was a native of West, Texas and was a 1961 graduate of West High School.  He lived in Texas most of his life, California for several years and in Georgia since 1999.  He was a singer/songwriter and loved playing his Gibson guitar.  He was preceded in death by his father, James Oran Edwards, mother, Vivian Puckett Edwards; and two sisters, Joyce Griffin...

Mr. Lummie Spence, age 76, of Vidalia, died Tuesday, July 7, 2020, in Meadows Health in Vidalia after a sudden illness.  He was born in Savannah on July 3, 1944, and soon he and his family moved to Vidalia where he lived most of his life.  He was a graduate of Vidalia High School and served in the Army National Guard.  He had had several jobs throughout his lifetime, but will always be remembered as “The Ice Cream Man” in the 1970’s and 80’s.  More...

Mr. Howard E. “Hootie” Williamson, Sr., age 72, of Vidalia, died Monday, June 29, 2020, in the Community Hospice House in Vidalia after an extended illness.  He was a native of Hardeeville, South Carolina and lived there until moving to Vidalia in 1969.  He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Vietnam Era, served fifteen years in the Army National Guard and was a member of the American Legion Post #97.  He retired with the City of Vidalia after thirty-one...

Dr. Joe A. Palmer, age 86, of Vidalia died Saturday, June 27, 2020, at the Community Hospice House in Vidalia after an extended illness.  He was born in Lakeland, Florida and as a young child moved to Glenwood.  He was a graduate of Glenwood High School and Emory University School of Dentistry.  He served as a Captain with the Dental Corp in the U.S. Army for two years.  Dr. Palmer began his dental practice in Vidalia in 1960 and retired in 2002 with a combined forty-four...

Mrs. Grace McDonald Morris, age 90, of Higgston, died Thursday, June 25, 2020, in Treutlen Health and Rehabilitation in Soperton, after an extended illness.  She was a native of the Kibbee Community in Montgomery County and had lived in Higgston since 1951.  She was a homemaker and a member of the Higgston Baptist Church.  She enjoyed cooking, sewing and was a caregiver.  She was preceded in death by her husband, Julian Edgar Morris; a daughter, Anita Morris; parents,...

Vicki Lynn Hickman Collins, age 52, of Lyons, died Tuesday, June 23, 2020, in St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah after an extended illness.  She was born July 25, 1967 in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, and moved to Lyons twenty-five years ago.  She was a member of the Mt. Pleasant First Baptist Church.  She was preceded in death by her father, Harold Hickman; and two brothers, Donald Hickman and Richard Hickman.   She is survived by her mother, Juanita Hickman...

Mr. Robert L. Dotson, age 72, of the Johnson Corner Community, died Saturday, June 27, 2020, at his home after a sudden illness.  He was a native of Johnson Corner, growing up in Effingham County, returning to Johnson Corner and was a 1965 graduate of Toombs Central School.  He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam Era and worked at Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant as a maintenance foreman for fifteen years.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Zechariah...