Swain Funeral Home

05/29/2026

Kenneth Damien Richards

Kenneth Damien Richards, age 16, of Lumber City passed away Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at his residence.

Damien was born March 30, 2010 in Baxley, Georgia. He loved any type of fishing, especially bass fishing, 4-wheeler riding, hunting, boating, and dirt bike riding. He was a member at Woodlawn Baptist Church. Damien was preceded in death by his papa, Kenneth Maddox; aunt, Shannon Maddox; great grandpa, Windsor Richards; memaw, Teresa Courson; and good friend, Jonny Knox.

Survivors include his mother, Jennifer Maddox (Earl Fountain) of Lumber City; father, Kenny (Kendra) Richards of Jesup; sisters, Mercedes Richards, Madison Richards, and Milli Carter all of Jesup, Cabella Stone of Hazlehurst, and Gracie Cagle of Glennville; brothers, Greyson Fountain and Emory Railey both of Hazlehurst, Malick Rozier of Alabama, and Re*****on Stone of Hazlehurst; grandparents, Donna and Daniel Thompson, Ken and Gina Richards, Danielle McRae (Charles Gassett), and Joan Mandy & Neil Carter; great grandmothers, Linda Linam and Margie Hampton; aunts & uncles, Josh & Kayla Giddens, Ashley & Savannah Lewis, Dylan Maddox (Brandi Quiley), Erik (Rachel) Richards, and Robert Linam.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 6, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. from the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery in Wheeler County.

Active pallbearers will be Neio Slaughter, Bradley Spikes, Cade Harrelson, Zach Moore, Dalton Fountain, and Steven Hutcheson.

Visitation will be held June 5, 2026 in the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The family ask that everyone wear blue or black casual attire in honor of Damiens favorite colors.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to Swain Funeral Home.

View Kenneth Damien Richards's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/27/2026

Betty (Smith) Turner

Betty S. Turner, age 79, of Baxley passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2026 at Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas.

Mrs. Turner was born October 4, 1946 in Bacon County to the late Dan Lester Smith and the late Minnie Lou Crosby Smith. She was a retired seamstress and a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and sister. Mrs. Turner enjoyed working in her yard and flowers and doing crafts. But more than anything, she was passionate about her family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Turner was preceded in death by a sister, Vinney Lee Lynch, and a brother, Alfred Smith.

Survivors include her husband of 62 years, Carroll Turner of Baxley; daughter, Sheila (Ricky) Weaver of Baxley; sisters, Lourine Dudley and Martha (Buddy) Courson both of Baxley; grandchildren, Candace (Dusty) Davis and Aaron (Stacey) Weaver; great grandchildren, Lily Grace Davis, Rhett Davis, and Rowan Weaver; and several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 29, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home with Rev. David Deen and Rev. Justin McLellan officiating. Interment will follow in Satilla Baptist Church Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Cole Deen, Trevor Causey, Ryan Watts, Lloyd Beecher, Glynn Lynch, and Blake Weaver.

Honorary pallbearers will be the staff of Baxley Wellness Pharmacy, Altamaha Home Healthcare, and Caroline Anderson & staff.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral serivce.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Betty (Smith) Turner's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/26/2026

Barbara Ann Durrance

Barbara Ann Durrance, age 76, of Hazlehurst, passed away on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at her residence.

Mrs. Durrance was born on June 7, 1949, in Alma to the late Lawton Miller and Emma Sims Miller. She attended Free Them Ministries and loved crocheting and doing word search puzzles. She also enjoyed buying lottery tickets. She was preceded in death by her husband, James M. Durrance

Survivors include her daughter, Renee (Steve) Creamer; son, James Daniel (Amy) Durrance; brothers, Gene Miller and Ernest (Deanna) Miller; grandchildren, James Durrance, Nicholas Swain, Brittany Walker, Jessica Durrance, Shane Durrance, Dustin Durrance, Joshua Durrance, Bethany Durrance, Tobie McCarty, and Davne Creamer; and 24 great grandchildren also survive.

Funeral Services will be held Friday, May 29, 2026, at 11:00 am at Swain Funeral Home, Hazlehurst Chapel (357 Baxley Hwy.) with Rev. Darrell Hand officiating. Interment will follow in Hazlehurst Memorial Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Shane Durrance, Dustin Durrance, James Durrance, Gage Walker, William Walker, Austin Walker, Gunner McCarty, and Richie Floyd.

Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Hand and Brian Walker.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 6-8 pm at Swain Funeral Home Hazlehurst Chapel.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home, Hazlehurst.

View Barbara Ann Durrance's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/25/2026

Ronald Carter Thompson

Ronald Carter Thompson, age 78, of Baxley passed away Sunday, May 24, 2026 at his residence.

Ronald was born March 26, 1948 to the late Neman B. Thompson and the late Ruth Gullie Thompson in Lewisburg, Tennessee. Ronald was a Veteran of the United States Army, having served in the Vietnam War, and served in the Tennessee National Guard. He is preceded in death by son, Wayne Berry Taylor; parents-in-law, Lillian and Berry Crews, nephew, Timothy Lee Prater and brothers-in-law, Charles, Billy and Tommy Crews.

Survivors include his wife, Azilee Crews Thompson of Baxley; Daughter, Deanna (John) Reynolds of Alma; sister, Brenda (Clay) Derryberry of Lewisburg, Tennessee; brothers, Steve (Sandra) Thompson of Lewisburg, Tennessee and Paul (Kay) Tompson of Hartsville, Alabama; sisters-in-law and brother-in-law, Mary Crews and Benny (Freddie Ann) Crews, of Baxley. Grandchildren, Johnny Lee Reynolds and Joanna Michelle Reynolds and a host of nieces and nephews also survive.

Graveside Services will be held on Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM, at Deen Cemetery with Mr. Randall Odum officiating.

Active pallbearers will be John Reynolds, Johnny Lee Reynolds, Benny Crews, B. J. Crews, Ryan Powers, Kevin Spivey and Larry Crosby.

Honorary pallbearers will be all veterans in attendance.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Ronald Carter Thompson's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/25/2026

05/22/2026

Mary Beth Spinharney

Mary Beth Spinharney, age 84, of Baxley passed away Friday, May 22, 2026 under the care of Hospice of South Georgia.

Mrs. Beth was born July 24, 1941 in Jesup, Georgia. She was raised in Appling County and resided in Summerville, South Carolina for 46 years before returning home to Baxley two years ago. She was a homemaker and a member of Ten Mile Creek Baptist Church.

Preceding her in death were her husband, Tommy Spinharney, parents, Homer Brewer and Mildred Roberson Beckworth; brother, Wayne Brewer, and grandchildren, Kristin Achuff and Keith Passamore.

Survivors include her daughters, Deborah (Carl) Clark of Summerville, SC, Darlene Schnieber and Tammy Carter both of Baxley; sister-in-law, Fran Brewer of Tallahassee, FL; grandchildren, Krista (Jeffrey) Carter, Ryan (Lisa) Achuff, and Brittany Achuff; great grandchildren, Austin Green, Maggie Carter, Jaela Green, Isabella Achuff, Sophie Carter, Brielle Achuff, and Liam Logan. A host of nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive.

A memorial service will be held Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home with Rev. Justin McLellan officiating. The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the memorial service.

Interment will be held in Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Glenville at a later date.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Staff of Hospice of South Georgia: Andrea Helms, Lisa Dukes, Matilda Myers, Jessy Johnson, Donna Wells, and Chaplain Phil Bunce.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of South Georgia 1625 Sunset Blvd. Jesup, Georgia 31545.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Mary Beth Spinharney's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/19/2026

Polls are open!! It's time to go vote!

05/12/2026

James Wendell Davis

James Wendell Davis, age 65, of St. Augustine, FL, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026 at the Bailey Family Center for Caring with his family by his side.

Born to Wendell and Joyce Davis on March 31, 1961, in Baxley, GA, James grew up in Brunswick, Georgia. He was a graduate of Brunswick High School's Class of 1979. After high school, James joined the U.S. Air Force and proudly serving his country as aircraft mechanic. Upon his discharge, he moved to Patterson, Georgia, and eventually settled in St. Augustine, Florida, in 2004. For 20 years, he worked as a technician at Baker Pest Control, where he was well-loved by his customers and found great joy in his work. James met the love of his life, Julie Merrefield, while attending a service at Christ Church in Jacksonville. They married on November 9, 2023, after sharing over 21 wonderful years together. James was the best husband, son, father, brother and friend that anyone could ask for. He especially cherished his role as a "girl dad" to his daughter, Anné, and learned to enjoy having his fingernails painted. James was always the class clown and the life of any party. He had a great sense of humor and brightened every room that he entered. Even facing a terminal illness, he entertained his fellow patients and the nurses and doctors who were caring for him. James' life was characterized by integrity and he was a steady presence to those around him. He loved God, his family, and his friends and he left a lasting impact on everyone he encountered. He enjoyed fishing and he was an Avid Georgia Bulldog fan. James was preceded in death by his parents, Wendell and Joyce Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Julie Davis and his daughter Anne' Davis of St. Augustine; brother, Kenny Davis of Anderson, SC; mother in law, Jackie Jewell of Ft. Myers, FL.; father in law, Steve Merrefield (Brenda) of Stone Mountain, Ga.; brother in law, Keith Merrefield (Kelly) of Plano, Texas; nieces and nephews, Danielle, Erik, Krystle, Andrew, Zach, Scott, Tisha, and many cousins. He is also survived by his beloved Australian Shepherd, Gracie.

A committal service will be held Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Zoar Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View James Wendell Davis's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/11/2026

Lisa Dixon Chancey

Lisa Dixon Chancey, age 48, of Bristol passed away Saturday, May 9, 2026 in Emory University Medical Center in Atlanta.

Lisa was born on July 27, 1977, in Waycross and was a member of Piney Grove Free Will Baptist Church. She graduated from Appling County Comprehensive High School and later earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Valdosta State University. She was gifted with a beautiful singing talent and enjoyed spending time camping with family and friends. Lisa was preceded in death by her husband, Kelly Chancey, and her mother, Wanda Dixon.

Survivors include her daughters, Madison Michelle Chancey and Morgan Abigail Chancey both of Bristol; father, Charles Dixon of Bristol; grandmother, Elaine Culbertson of Surrency; mother-in-law, Kathy Chancey of Baxley; and several aunts, uncles and cousins also survive.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, May 14, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home with Rev. Steve Dowless officiating.

Active pallbearers will be Jamie Boatright, Josh Boatright, Tate Boatright, David Chancey, Chris Floyd, and Anthony Tillman.

Honorary pallbearers will be all past & present co-workers within the Appling County School System and special friends, Lanette Ferguson and Mandy Wacker.

Visitation will be held at 4:00 p.m. until the funeral hour.

A committal service will be held Friday, May 15, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. in Piney Grove Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Appling County Special Olympics Attn: Lexi Cole ACHS 482 Blackshear Hwy SE Baxley, Georgia 31513 or Piney Grove Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery Fund 1944 Piney Grove Church Road Bristol, Georgia 31518.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Lisa Dixon Chancey's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

05/11/2026

Ann Walters

Ann Brantley Walters, age 64, of Hazlehurst passed away Monday, May 11, 2026, at her residence under the care of Bethany Hospice.

Barbara Ann Brantley Walters was born in Hazlehurst, Georgia, to Billy and Norma Jean Brantley. She was raised surrounded by family, faith, laughter, and strong Christian values that remained the foundation of her life each and every day.

Ann graduated from Jeff Davis High School and married the love of her life, Carl Walters, on April 11, 1980. During their 46 years together, they built a beautiful life and family rooted in love, faithfulness, and countless cherished memories. She was a devoted daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin, and friend who had a special gift for making everyone feel loved, welcomed, and cared for.

Whether preparing Sunday dinners for her family, faithfully attending her grandchildren’s many activities, playing the piano, teaching the children of Oakland Baptist Church, or singing in the church choir; Ann served others with a joyful heart and unwavering faithfulness. Her servant’s spirit shined brightly in everything she did.

Ann’s musical talents and her deep love for the children of Oakland Baptist Church were truly God-given. Through nearly 50 years of faithful service to her church, she touched countless lives through music, ministry, kindness, prayers, and encouragement. She left a lasting impact on all who knew and loved her.

Though she will be deeply missed, Ann’s love, faith, and beautiful legacy will continue to live on in the hearts and lives of everyone she touched.

She was preceded in death by her father, Billy Eugene Brantley, and grandparents, Herschel and Mary Lee Cravey and Zollie and Alma Brantley.

Survivors include her husband of 46 years, Ernest Carl Walters; daughters, Allison (Jason) Maldonado and Carly Anna (Brody) Anderson; mother, Norma Jean Brantley; sister, Deborah Brantley (Duane) Herndon; grandchildren, Anna Kate Maldonado, Madalyn Jean Maldonado, Bryleigh Rae Anderson, and Ryleigh Mae Anderson and Payton Maldonado; several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral Services will be Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 2:00 pm at Oakland Baptist Church with Rev. Royce Hulett, Rev. Keith Yawn, and Rev. Joey Andrews officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Active Pallbearers will be Cody Herndon, Cade Herndon, Tyler Miles, Grant Miles, Zeke Izaguirre, and Wayne Smith.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Senior Adult Sunday School Class of Oakland Baptist Church, and Oakland Baptist Church Choir.

Visitation will be held Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 6-8 pm, at Swain Funeral Home Hazlehurst Chapel.

Funeral arrangements were under the direction of Swain Funeral Home

View Ann Walters's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.