The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
With a heart as big as a man’s chest
ever contained, Bob Laffoon was never one to shy away from an opinion,
no
matter how controversial; nor avoid work on a project, no matter how
difficult;
nor say no to someone needing a helping hand, regardless of the level
of
sacrifice required. In his almost 79 years of life, he entertained an
incalculable number of angels, of every race, color and creed, with
absolute
disregard for the beneficiary’s ability to ever repay the gift. He
greatly
loved the Lord God with all his heart and soul, his family and every
friend and
acquaintance he ever had. A complex and often misunderstood man with a
life-long irrepressible sense of humor, he was born Robert Wayne
Laffoon on
July 3, 1933 in Oelwein, IA, the son of Donald and Donna (Simpson)
Laffoon.
After graduating from Oelwein High School in 1951, he spent two years
serving
his Country in the Pacific with the US Navy and then came home to
professionally drive passenger buses across the country for 28 years
until
retirement from Greyhound Bus Lines. In 1953 he courted and married the
lovely
Verlee Shaw and for 59 years served as her faithful and dependable
soul-mate
and partner. Together they raised two children in West Palm Beach, FL:
Donna
(DeeDee) Siefken and Robert (Rob) Laffoon.
Bob was for many years an active
Kiwanian and Mason and for more than 20 years contributed countless
hours of
his time and considerable wood-crafting skills to the humanitarian
effort to
eradicate cancer in his life-time via Relay For Life.
From, 2003 until his passing, he was also an
active member of Coosa Methodist Church.
Though officially retired, Bob was never one to spend too much
time
idle, so he stayed busy for many years working for BuilderWay Materials
and
subsequently, as an installer for his daughter and son-in-law’s
Blairsville
based Budget Blinds franchise. His favorite time of year was the fall
when he
could watch his beloved UGA Bulldawgs manhandle some lesser SEC
opponent, enjoy
his Miami Dolphins dominating a hapless AFC rival, and track the
lap-by-lap
winning strategies of Bill Elliot or Kasey Kahne in NASCAR. He was a
passionately successful gardener and dilettante farmer who in his great
zeal
for the craft, never understood others’ lesser appreciation for it. He
was also
an accomplished league bowler, who held a respectable average but never
quite mastered,
much to his frustration, the hook. Of all his many hobbies and
fanatical
pursuits however, he was never more full of life and joy than when he
was
spending time with his beloved family, doing just about anything that
served to
bring them together.
His grandchildren: Nick Frechette (wife
Jessica, daughters Avery and Brooke) of Blairsville, GA; Shayla
Frechette (daughter
Kaly) of Blairsville, GA; Alec Laffoon & Cole Laffoon of Ft. Worth,
TX. Bob
also leaves behind a great number of additional family and close
friends across
the country. Bob’s passing leaves a void in our lives that will not be
filled
on this earth. Life has changed and we will adjust, but only on the
proposition
that we will one day share love and laughs with him again, and then for
all
eternity.
Memorial services were held at 2
p.m. on Friday, June 15, 2012 from Coosa United Methodist Church with
Rev. Jim
Aiken officiating. The family received
friends from 1 p.m. until the service began.
In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations be made to the American Cancer Society c/o Sue
Upchurch,
3515 Mulky Gap Rd., Blairsville, GA 30512
Arrangements were entrusted to the
care of Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville.
ROBERT WAYNE LAFFOON
Courtesy of Cochran Funeral Home
The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
Mr. June
Weaver, age 87 of Blairsville,
passed away Wednesday, June 6, 2012 at Union General Hospital. Mr.
Weaver was
born May 7, 1925 in Blairsville, GA to the late Tom Weaver and the late
Iva
Henderson Weaver . He was preceded in death by: sisters, Beulah Weaver,
Hazel
Weaver, and Wilma Allen, brothers, John Weaver and Lee Weaver and
niece,
Charlene McElhattan.
Survivors include: niece, Carol Roberts
of Cleveland, GA, great niece, Melanie Collins, great niece, Michelle
(William)
Gilstrap, great-great nephew, Will Gilstrap, and great-great niece,
Ansley
Gilstrap.
Funeral services were held on
Friday, June 8, 2012 at 2 p..m at the Cochran Funeral Home with the
Rev. Guy
Bradley and Rev. Michael Rogers officiating. Music provided by The
Faith
Singers. Interment followed in Union Memory Gardens. The following
gentlemen
served as pallbearers: Charles Turner, Johnny Wilson, William Gilstrap,
Larry
Conley and J.M. Roberts. Honorary pallbearer: Wayne Henderson.
The family received friends at
Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville, Thursday, June 7, 2012 6 pm..
until 8 p.m.
Arrangements entrusted to the
Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville, GA.
JUNE WEAVER
Courtesy of Cochran Funeral Home
The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
The
Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville
announces funeral services for Mrs. Virgie Lee Bolin, age 98, of
Blairsville, GA
and Auburndale, FL who went peacefully to be with the Lord on Sunday
Afternoon,
June 10, 2012 at Stonehenge Assisted Living Facility in Blairsville,
where she
had been receiving tender and loving care over the past three years.
She was born December 28, 1913 in
Lauderdale County, AL, the daughter of James Edward Hill and Louisa
Sara Jane
Swinney Hill. Virgie was preceded in death by her loving husband of 40
years,
Thomas Bolin (1971); her parents; four brothers and two sisters. She
was a
member of Lena Vista Baptist Church in Auburndale where she served as a
Sunday
School teacher. Before moving to Blairsville, Virgie had lived in
Florence, AL
until her marriage and then moved to Auburndale. She packed citrus
fruit for
Adams Packing Company for 43 years, later working for Griffin Gift
Citrus.
During the early 1940's she worked one summer in Oak Ridge, TN on a
secret
military weapon production line. She loved reading all her life,
passing that
love along to her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and her
great-great grandchildren.
Survivors include: two daughters,
Patsy Bolin Whatley (Bill) of Blairsville and Carlene Bolin Jernigan
(Don) of
Cedar Park, TX; seven grandchildren, Sandi Whatley Richardson (Paul) of
Blairsville, Mike Whatley of New Hope, PA, Trish Whatley Efird (James)
of
Clemmons, NC, Bill Whatley, Jr. (Gail) of Brooksville, FL, Christy
Jernigan
Bloomingdale of Austin, TX, Cindy Jernigan Phillips of Austin, TX,
Cheryl
Jernigan Bailey (Bud) of Philadelphia, PA; fifteen great grandchildren:
David
Richards (Kelly) of Naples, FL, Angela Richards Howell (Shawn) of
Cumming, GA,
Jason Whatley (Kayla) of Sautee, GA, Mickey Whatley, Beth Whatley
Deyton (Ryan)
of Blairsville, Amy Graham of Raliegh, (sic) NC, Ginie Graham Cullins
(Chris)
of Auburndale, Jim Graham of Clemmons, NC, Mark Gresz of Ruskin, FL,
Laura
Gresz Kilmer (Shawn) of Lutz, FL, Nicholas Bloomingdale of Austin, TX,
Scott
Phillips & Courtney Phillips of Atlanta, GA, Katie Bailey of
Philadelphia, PA,
and Connor Bailey of Quantico, VA; fifteen great-great grandchildren:
Hallie
& Carly Richards, Tyler, Thomas & Andrew Howell, Trey and Emily
Whatley, Lydia Babka, Landon Graham, Gavin Graham, Vanessa & Ethan
Gresz,
Luke, Hannah and Noah Kilmer. Several nieces, nephews and many friends
also
survive.
Virgie was a wonderful mother,
grandmother, great grandmother, great-great grandmother and friend,
loved by
those who knew her and dearly missed by all of us, including the staff
and
residents of Stonehenge Building 3, for whom she always had a sweet
smile and a
wave of her hand.
Services were held at Kersey's
Funeral Home in Auburndale, FL at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 16, 2012.
The
family received friends on Friday evening from 6 until 8 p.m.
Local Arrangements were entrusted to
the care of Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville.
VIRGIE LEE BOLIN
Courtesy of Cochran Funeral Home
The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
The
Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville
announces funeral services for Mrs. MaryAnn Elizabeth O'Neill, age 64,
of
Blairsville who passed away Saturday morning, June 16, 2012.
MaryAnn was born in Queens, NY on
July 26, 1947 to the late Steve and Mary (Petry) Gulla. She earned an
Associates Degree in Accounting and worked in personal finance for the
H.L Penn
Company until her retirement in 1998. MaryAnn was a lover of all
animals and
had a special cat for 17 years named "Monky". She especially loved
her family and enjoyed most being a loving wife and mother. She enjoyed
passing
time crocheting or watching a Boston Red Sox game on television. She
had a
personal relationship with Jesus and slept with a rosary under her
pillow. She
was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, Stevie Gulla.
She will be fondly remembered by all
who knew her, but especially missed by her family: her loving husband,
Allen
O'Neill of Blairsville; son & daughter-in-law, Daniel and Karen
O'Neill and
son, William O'Neill, both of Carmel, NY. She is further survived by a
special
friend, Louise "Wheezie" LaMontagne, four cousins, 3 grand nieces and
nephews and many friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 2
p.m. on Friday, June 22, 2012 from the Chapel of Cochran Funeral Home
of
Blairsville. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, June 20,
2012 from 2
until 6 p.m. and again on Thursday, June 21, 2012 from 6 until 9 p.m.
Interment
will follow in Laurel Hills Memorial Gardens in Hiawassee.
Arrangements are entrusted to the
Care of Cochran Funeral Home of Blairsville.
MARYANN ELIZABETH O'NEILL
Courtesy of Cochran Funeral Home
The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
Mr. Andrew Peter
Sorenson, age 71, of Mockingbird Trail, Blairsville, passed away,
Tuesday, June
12, 2012 at Union County Nursing Home. He was born June 16, 1940 in
Hinsdale,
MT the late Christian and Clara Loven Sorenson. Mr. Sorenson moved here
6 years
ago from Davenport, FL. He was preceded in death by a brother,
Christian
Sorenson. Mr. Sorenson was of the Lutheran Faith.
Survivors include his wife of 37 years, Joyce Sorenson of Blairsville,
children, Patricia Sorenson of West Warwick, RI, Linda Flowers of
Blairsville
and Andrew Sorenson, Jr. of Virginia Beach, VA, brothers, Clifford
Sorenson and
Floyd Sorenson both of West Warwick, RI, sister, Clara Sorenson of
Coventry,
RI, eight grandchildren also survive.
Memorial services were held Sunday, June 17, 2012 at 4 p.m. at Meeks
Park.
Mountain
View Funeral Home of Blairsville is in
charge of the arrangements. You may sign the family guest book and send
condolences to the family on line at www.mountainviewfuneralhome.com
ANDREW PETER SORENSON
Courtesy of Mountain View Funeral Home
The North
Georgia News
Blairsville, GA 30512
www.nganews.com
(no
corrections have been made; this is exactly as it appeared in paper)
June 20,
2012
Page 13A
Mrs.
Joyce Collins Smith, age 81, of Powder
Springs, GA formerly of Norcross and Blairsville, GA passed away
Sunday, June
10, 2012. She was preceded in death by
her second husband, Raymond Lee "Red" Smith and her first husband,
Doyle Robertson.
She is survived by her beloved son
and daughter-in-law, Ray and Toni Roberson, Powder Springs, GA; beloved
step-daughters, and step son in-law Maxine Smith Little, Buford, GA and
Cheri
Smith Davis and Dr. James G. Davis, Buford, GA; beloved step-son,
Harold Smith,
Flowery Branch, GA; grandchildren, Mendy Watson, Dallas, GA, Bradley
Roberson,
Powder Springs, GA; great grandchildren, Kanen Watson, Brooklen
Southerland,
Kennedy Watson; step-grandchildren, Susan Wallace, Buford, GA
Mrs. Smith was born on April 19,
1931 in Aragon, GA. She was a retired
secretary and a 1949 graduate of Rockmart High School.
She and her husband R.L. "Red"
Smith lived in Norcross and Blairsville, GA for many years.
Graveside service was held on
Wednesday, June
13, 2012 at 4 p.m. at Hillcrest Cemetery in Buford, GA with Rev. Gerry
Davis
officiating. The family received friends
at the funeral home Tuesday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
To express condolences, please sign our
online guest book at www.flaniganfuneralhome.com
Arrangements by: Junior E. Flanigan
of Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA, 770-932-1133.
JOYCE COLLINS SMITH
Courtesy of Flanigan Funeral Home