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 was one.
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Helen Alexander Willis, age 82, of Normantown, died Monday, March 3rd, 2025, at her home after an extended illness. She was a native of Toombs County, grew up in the Toombs Central Community, and was a 1959 graduate of Toombs Central School. Soon after high school, she and her husband moved to East Palatka, Florida and they lived there until moving to Normantown in 1980. Helen worked for Toombs County Schools for 10 years and she was active in their family business, Wade Willis Trucking. She was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, and she enjoyed fishing, farming, gardening, putting up vegetables, going out on the boat in the St. Johns River, shrimping, dove shoots and helping restore tractors. She is preceded in death by her husband, Wade “Buddy” Willis, three daughters, Penny Willis Connell, Robin Lyn Willis Matthews and Marcy Willis Branson; one son, Jason B. Willis; and sister, Josephine Alexander.
Her family includes five children, Victoria Stephenson of Normantown, Pam Willis Tilton of East Palatka, Florida, Janice Willis Humphrey of Flagler Beach, Florida, Alan Willis and Jack Willis, both of Normantown; one brother, James Floyd Alexander, Jr. and wife Ollie Ann of East Palatka, Florida and one sister, Ruth Alexander Wooten of Jacksonville, Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
The graveside funeral service will be Friday morning March 7th at 11:00 at Lakeview Memorial Gardens with Pastor Michael Plowman and Debra NeeSmith officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Liberty Baptist Church, PO Box 410, Lyons, GA 30436.
Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia is in charge of arrangements.
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Helen was the wife of my 4th cousin, Lee Wade "Buddy" Willis (1941-2004). Our common ancestors were Canneth Swain and Sarah Tapley.
Please join me in offering condolences to Helen's family and holding them in the light.
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