Sammy J. Craft

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 school.  He was a founding member and Deacon of Shekinah Church; and Sammy loved to talk to people about Jesus.  He retired from Altamaha EMC in Lyons.  He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack Craft and Erma Collins Craft Church; step-mother, Lona Louise Cook Craft; and two great-granddaughters, LilyAna Brinson and Elizabeth Mae Harrelson.

Mr. Craft is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Benilda Blaxton Craft of Lyons; one daughter, Tammy Brinson Harrelson and husband Ronald of Lyons; two sisters, Linda Jones of the Marvin Community, and Sharon Puckett and husband Charles of Quaker Gap, North Carolina; five brothers, Jerry Craft and wife Linda of Cobbtown, Tommy Craft and wife Sharon of Dublin, Reverend Taylor Merritt and wife Ann of Opelika, Alabama, Coach Bill Merritt and wife Brenda of Lyons, and Glenn Church and wife Lori of Memphis, Tennessee; five grandchildren, Warren Brinson and wife Hannah of Ellijay, Jonathan Brinson of Lyons, Julia Brinson Toole and husband Dylan of Lyons, Eugene Harrelson and wife Jeanette of Ft. Worth, Texas, and Adam Harrelson and wife Rachel of Burleson, Texas; eleven great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Friday evening from 6:00 until 8:00.

A graveside funeral service will be held Saturday, July 11th, at 11:00 a.m. in the Lakeview Memorial Gardens with Reverend Roger Holley officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Community Hospice Foundation, P.O. Box 2277, Vidalia, GA 30475.

Guidelines set forth by the CDC shall be followed at the visitation and service.

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