Sympathy Saturday will be where I share the obituaries and my condolences for members of my family tree who passed recently. When you get to be a certain age, you begin to read the obituaries every day. As the days go by, you read about more and more of your friends and family members who have died. You compare their age to your own and get a jolt. "That could have been me."
For genealogists, checking obituaries and visiting cemeteries is as normal as breathing. I learn so much from an obituary, i.e., maiden names, parents' names; children's' and grandchildren's' names, funeral and burial locations, sometimes even a cause of death. I want to learn these things not for any purpose but to put it on the family tree for future generations to see and learn about the family that went before them. I admit, most of these relatives I have never met, but I think it is important to share that they were here on this Earth, and they were important.
So I am signed up with at least three funerals homes from Swainsboro, Vidalia, and Wrightsville to get daily notices of obituaries sent to my email. Every day, I peruse them and with the help of the family tree, figure out who is related to me and add any new information to the tree. Some weeks there are several, and some weeks there are none. This week, there were none, so I am going to go back a couple of weeks to find one to share.
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Mrs. Mary Murphy Kent “Mae Mae”, 92, of Swainsboro passed
away Saturday, February 1, 2025, following a brief illness, Mae Mae was called
to her final home in glory. She was
resting peacefully at home surrounded by family, which is where she prayed to
be. She was born April 16, 1932, in
Swainsboro to the late James Cecil Murphy and Lydia Kight Murphy. A graduate of Swainsboro High School, she
then attended Augusta Business School.
Her major passion was fashion and making things beautiful. Owner and operator of Mary’s Ladies Shop in
Swainsboro for 25 years. A career that
she thrived on made her happy and full of laughter and friends. After retirement, she filled her days with being
a wife, mother and grandmother. She
enjoyed gardening and visiting her friends who were ill or shut in. On her visits, she almost always baked
cookies or brownies to take them. A
great cook her family has several favorites but mostly the brownies she made
for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren will always be a wonderful
memory. Mae Mae was the matriarch of
the family and tried always to keep us in line.
For the women, she always expected hair done, makeup on (Especially
lipstick) and finished with jewelry just like she was.
Mae Mae was Baptist by faith and a longtime member of First
Baptist Church. She was also a member of
Seppa Youngblood Circle and a loyal member of the Bereavement Committee for
many years. Mae Mae’s “southern lady
demeanor” will Always be remembered by many.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James Cecil Murphy
and Lydia Kight Murphy; daughter, Judy Braddy Tapley; sisters, Evelyn Murphy
Hayes, Lucretia Murply Greenway; brother, Jimmy C. Murphy.
Mary is survived by husband, Dana C. Kent, Sr. of
Swainsboro; son, Dana C. Kent, Jr.
(Melonie) of Augusta; grandson,
Andrew Kent and granddaughter, Hannah Kent; daughter, Jan Braddy Slater (James)
of Swainsboro; grandson, Jon Tapley (Kristian) of Atlanta; granddaughter, Jami
Ledbetter Slater (Douglas) of Summertown; two great-granddaughters, Mary and
Murphy Tapley; three great-grandsons, Patrick Ream, Liam Ream and Lucas Ream;
one sister, Jonnie Murphy Boulineau; several special nieces and nephews; special
friends and caregivers, Roger Bell Eason and Elaine Cummings; and many friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 P.M., Saturday,
February 8, 2025, in the Chapel of Chapman Funeral Home with Reverend Phil
Wilson officiating.
Interment will be in Swainsboro City Cemetery.
The family will receive friends Saturday, February 8, 2025,
from 1:00 P.M. to 2:00 P.M. at Chapman Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Bill Boulineau, Phillip Boulineau,
Andrew Kent, Patrick Ream, Rob Kent and Al Knight.
The family would like to give a special thank you to the
nursing staff at Pruitt Hospice.
Condolences may be expressed at
www.chapmanfhofswainsboro.com.
Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of the
arrangements for Mrs. Mary Murphy Kent “Mae Mae”, 92, of Swainsboro.
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Mary was my 3rd cousin, 1x removed through the Claxton
line. Our common ancestors were
Zachariah William Claxton (1806-1895) and Lincelia 'Lincely' Bush Claxton
(1806-1872).
Please join me in offering condolences to Mary's family and holding them in the light.
