Wedding (Anniversary) Wednesday!

 

1988, Ancestry.com

Remer Willis 

(1918-1997)

and

Willie Mazie Caraway Willis 

(1923-1992)

Married April 2, 1938
in Vidalia, Toombs, Georgia, USA

"Mr. & Mrs. Remer Willis Mark Golden Wedding Anniversary

Mr. and Mrs. Remer Willis who reside on Taylor Springs Road were honored on April 2nd when they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary. The affair took place at the home of a son, Wade Willis on normantown Road, with children of the couple including Mr. and Mrs. Larry Willis of Griffin; Mr. and Mrs. Donnie Willis of Newnan; Eudine and Royce Teuscher of Orlando, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. H.T. Taylor of Marshall, Texas; and Mrs. Helen Willis Bass of Griffin as co-host with Mr. and Mrs. Wade Willis.

Both Mr. Willis and his bride of 50 years, the former Mazie Caraway, are natives of Toombs County.

They have 23 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Listed among guests attending the affair were: Bill and Bernice Winn, R.W. and Murline Willis, George and Jeanette Hadden, Joyce Fields, Donnie and Rachel Willis, Stephanie and Sherry, Larry and Faye Willis, Alechia, Nathan and Timothy, Eudine and Royce Teuscher, Chris, Greg and Brian, Wade and Helen Willis, Allen, Jack, Jason, Vickie Stephens and Cory, Janice Humphrey, Jamie, Jennifer, Harry & Betty Taylor, Mrs. S.L. Britt, Darrell & Connie Jones and children, Timothy, Rebecca and Amanda."

Tombstone Tuesday

 

Arthur Lee "Buck" Tapley Jr.
1922 - 1944

buried at

Sicily-Rome American Cemetery and Memorial
Nettuno, Citta' Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Lazio, Italy

Military Monday

 

Paul Wallace Smith
1928-1997

Cpl, U.S. Marine Corps, World War II

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun - Describe a Family Vacation

  From Randy (my cousin) over at Genea-Musings:

it's Saturday Night - 

time for more Genealogy Fun!!!

Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to:

1)  Did your family go on vacation? Describe one or more of your vacations with your birth family or with your partner/spouse and children.

2) Please share!

(Thank you to Lisa S. Gorrell for this SNGF idea.)

Here's mine:

    My mother, father, and I went on vacation every year.  That is something I am grateful for to my parents.  It instilled a love of traveling in me that has served me well over my lifetime.  I haven't been all around the world by any stretch, and there are many more places that I wish I could visit that I probably never will, but I have seen enough to have bragging rights.  The difference between mom and me and my dad is that my dad was happy going to the same place year after year.  Mom and I never want want to go to the same place twice. 

    My father loved the mountains. So every year, during the week of mine and my father's birthday (mid June), we went to Lake Lure, North Carolina.  We stayed at the Frank's Motor Inn which was directly across the street from the lake.  We would also visit Chimney Rock which is close by.  

Lake Lure, North Carolina

        Lake Lure's claim to fame is that is is where the movie Dirty Dancing was filmed. It's also in the mountains and has very beautiful scenery. 

 

  

    Yes, these are postcards I purchased there when I was a child and have kept all these years.  I mean, I am a genealogist and a scrapbooker.  

    I spent several birthdays at that Frank's Motor Inn.  My mother always made it special by having a cake and presents in the motel room.  Probably why I love birthdays so much.

    We took others with us some years.  Our friends, Colene and Robert, their niece and grandchildren; my niece and nephew, Missi and Harry, Jr.  My dad loved kids and thought the more, the merrier.  

    Now we did go other places occasionally... Six Flags in Atlanta, Looking Glass Falls, Rock City, and Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, and Florida to visit family (not to go to the beaches!) though we did visit Keystone Heights where my dad used to water ski on the lake.  These excursions were usually just on weekends, I believe.  The week-long vacations were always at Lake Lure. 

    Those annual vacations are some of the few good memories I have of my childhood.  

    Here are some photographs we took way back then:

      

My father, my grand aunt Alice with her back turned, me, and Colene's niece, Angela,
by a mountain stream in the area.

  

Me at Chimney Rock (probably about 9 or 10)

      

Angela and me on the beach at Lake Lure

Sympathy Saturday

    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 are two that actually passed away in the Spring. I got behind on email for while.

    Please join me in offering condolences to their families and holding them in the light.

Dessie Lewis Claxton

December 27, 1941 - April 14, 2026

Dessie Lewis Claxton, age 84, of Swainsboro, died Tuesday morning, April 14, 2026, at Emanuel County Nursing Home after an extended illness. Funeral services were held Friday, April 17, at 11 a.m. at Union Primitive Baptist Church with Elder Sam Bowen officiating and Elder Will Martin assisting. Mr. Claxton lay in state one hour prior to service. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Family received friends Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Tomlinson Funeral Home. Pallbearers were his grandsons. Lewis was born December 27, 1941, in Swainsboro, to the late Elder William Claxton and Nannie Lou Hudson Claxton, and was a lifelong resident of Emanuel County. He was a truck driver for over 35 years and retired from Claxton Septic Service. Lewis was a very loving daddy who instilled in his girls at an early age to always take care of each other as well as others around them. He enjoyed gardening and was very passionate about fishing. Nothing made him happier than a string of “good eatin’ size” bream. Lewis’ greatest pleasure was sharing a meal with someone. He was a member of Union Primitive Baptist Church. Mr. Claxton is preceded in death by his parents; wife, Linda Watkins Claxton; stepmother, Sarah Hudson Claxton; brother, Harold Claxton; and special friend, Catherine Kirby. Survivors include his daughters, Lesa Edwards, Barbara Williamson, Jane Claxton and Betty (Shane) Blalock; bonus son, Roy (Linda) Smith; step-sisters, Judy (Russell) Moore, Barbara (Allen) Strickland and Jessie (Donnie) Garrett; brother-in-law, Glen (Tammy) Watkins; grandchildren, Steven (Leslie) Edwards, Matthew Edwards (Kelsi McElroy), Tyler (Holly) Williamson, Faith (Brandon) Page, Tammie (Chance) Callaway, Katelyn (John) Hooks, Bill (Nikki) Hackle, Ryan Blalock, Ashley Blalock, Kayte Blalock and Morgan Blalock; great-grandchildren, Dylan (Emilie) Edwards, Baylee Edwards, Ashton Edwards, Karson McElroy, Danni Lynn Williamson, Demi Williamson, Denver Williamson, Weston Page, Collins Page, Gannon Williford, Chandler Callaway, Karsyn Callaway, Madilyn Hooks, Tucker Hooks, Eli Hackle, Baylor Hackle, Ansley Crosby, Avery Crosby, Ava Crosby and Leah Osborne; special nieces, Karen (David) Underwood, Laura (Billy) Tompkins, Jill (Tom) Usher and Julie (Andy) Love. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: Union Primitive Baptist Church, c/o Barbara Williamson, 114 Francis Ave., Swainsboro, GA 30401. The family would like to extend a special thanks to Emanuel County Nursing Home and Pruitt Health Hospice for taking such excellent care of their dad the past year. Tomlinson Funeral Home of Swainsboro was in charge of arrangements.

Linda Marie Claxton Scarboro

April 19, 1959 - May 10, 2026

Mrs. Linda Marie Scarboro, 67, of Swainsboro passed away Sunday, May 10, 2026, at her residence. She was born on April 19, 1959. in Swainsboro to the late Carvie Claxton and Alma Thelma Gregory Claxton. Linda was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Rex Scarboro; grandson, Christian Malphrus; sisters, Jeanine Sumner, Gloria Scarboro; brother, Carvie “Buddy” Claxton, Jr.

Linda was a simple gracious woman whose life was defined by service. Through her work caring for patients at PruittHealth, she offered compassion, dignity and warmth to those who needed it most.

Her quiet strength and steady kindness touched many lives and reflected the depth of her character. She carried a deep love for God and found peace in the beauty of nature where she felt closest to her faith. Those who knew her will remember her gentle spirit and humility and the way she gave of herself without hesitation. Her legacy is one of love, service and quiet grace.

Survivors include her daughters, Diane Craig of Aiken, SC, Samantha Scarboro of Twin City, Carol Scarboro of Swainsboro; grandchildren, Nathan Henry (Jessica), Courtney Carter (Shayla), Jamie Bush, Samuel Scarboro; great-grandchildren, Peyton Henry, Leliana Harris; brother, Glen Claxton of Atlanta; sisters, Mary Wilson of Kingsland, Patricia Radford of Augusta; several nieces, nephews and many friends.

Funeral Services will be on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Chapman Funeral Home with Reverend Mark Hardin officiating.

Interment will be in Bithynia Primitive Baptist Church cemetery.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to services.

Condolences may be made at www.chapmanfhofswainsboro.com.

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of arrangements for Mrs. Linda Marie Scarboro, 67, of Swainsboro.

Here's how these Claxtons were related to each other:

Friday Funny

Ancestry.com via Pinterest

This is sooo me!  😁

Happy Friday!

Treasure Chest Thursday

     As I have shared on this blog, my maternal grandparents, Charles Morgan Tapley (1907-1973) and Ethel Irene Ranney Tapley (1913-1973) passed away the same day in November 1973.  (You can read about this here.)  I was only 6 years old.  I don't remember a whole lot about the time leading up to the funeral or the funeral itself.  I know a lot of people came to the house in Swainsboro, which is where my grandparents lived.  There were some I had never met, which seemed to have stayed in my memory the most vividly.  There were some I knew well.  And there was my Uncle Hugh.  He was my father's brother, and he was my favorite uncle.  I don't remember his arrival from Florida.  He was just suddenly there late in the evening.  The next day, he went to the flower shop to order flowers for the funeral, and for whatever reason, he took me with him.  I like to think that he could see I was overwhelmed with all the activity and people at the house.  I don't know for sure.  

    He made his selection for flowers, and I don't know if I was looking at this little flower bouquet in a wicker basket or not, but he bought it for me.  Please understand that this was so out of character for my Uncle Hugh.  He was notoriously tight with his money - it's a family joke that he squeaked when he walked.   So looking back, to me it meant that he saw a little girl's pain and loneliness (and of course I was his favorite niece) and wanted to give me something to hold on to in the coming days. 

    Little did he know that I have now held onto it for 53 years.  It has its own place of honor in my corner curio cabinet with all of my other precious family treasures.  When I look at it, I am reminded of the love between an uncle and a niece and the thoughtfulness that came out of that love.

    It may not be much to look at now, but it means the world to me.  Thank you, Uncle Hugh.