Swain Funeral Home

10/20/2026

June Sellers

June Sellers, age 85, of Baxley passed away Monday, October 19, 2026 at her residence under the care of Hospice of South Georgia.Mrs. Sellers was born October 3, 1941 in Appling County to the late LeRoy Sharpe and the late Bonnie Sellers Sharpe. She was a member of Liberty Community Church and a retired florist and hairdresser. She was a leader in the Primetimer’s Ladies Ministries, a Sunday School Teacher, and a former house parent with the Church of God Children’s Home in Sevierville, TN. She will be remembered as an outstanding Christian mother and prayer warrior.

In addition to her parents, she was also preceded in death by her husband, Jimmy Lamar Sellers, and five brothers, David Sharpe, Dan Sharpe, Van Sharpe, Randy Sharpe, and Toney Sharpe.

Survivors include her children, Bonnie (Roy) Poblete, Carroll (Joanne) White, Lewis (Lynn) White, Pat White and Andy (Brittney) Sellers all of Baxley; sisters, Joan Crosby of Baxley and Lynn Opdyke of Monroe; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services will be held Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. from the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home with Rev. Virginia Herrington and Rev. David Deen officiating. Interment will follow in Oak View Baptist Church Cemetery

Active pallbearers will be Eric White, Chris White, Shaun White, Matthew Poblete, Marcus Poblete, Brian Brannen, Stone White and Broxton Sellers.

Honorary pallbearers will be Hospice of South Georgia, Joann White, Pearl Sharpe, Linda W. Sellers, Abbey Burkett and Dana Roberts.

The visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View June Sellers's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/20/2026

Frances Ruth Jones

Francis Ruth Jones, age 81, of Baxley passed away Monday, October 19, 2026 under the care of Spanish Oaks Hospice.

Mrs. Jones was born January 7, 1945 in Dodge County and was a member of Book of Life Ministries. She was always smiling and never met a stranger. She was a caretaker for many family members and friends who found themselves in and out of nursing homes. She was always loving, caring, and willing to go the extra mile to help. She deeply loved her children and grandchildren. Most importantly, she loved Jesus with all her heart and was always ready to get to Heaven and wanted others to be ready to go there as well.

Mrs. Jones enjoyed collecting angels and adored flowers and animals. She was a committed homemaker. She was a great housekeeper and cook. She was a true friend to those who needed her and a terrific wife, mother, and grandmother. She will be truly missed by everyone who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willis Eugene Thompson and Tiny Ruth Revel Thompson, husbands, Clinton Jones and Julius Merchant, and numerous aunts, uncles, and other special family members.

Survivors include her husband, Edward C. Lawson; daughter, Marjorie Ann Jones; son, Johnny Ray Jones; niece and caretaker, Georgia S. Sibrava; niece, Kathy Brown; four grandchildren; and two great grandchildren also survive.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, November 1, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. at 132 John Lewis Lane Baxley, Georgia 31513.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Frances Ruth Jones's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/19/2026

Jesse William Baumgardt

Jesse William Baumgardt, age 89, of Surrency passed away Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Community Hospice in Vidalia.

Mr. Baumgardt was born on September 16, 1937 in Miami, Florida to the late Forest Earl Baumgardt and the late Hattie Ada Johns Baumgardt. He was a member of Oak Grove Church of God. He was a veteran of the United States Army where he was a renowned sharpshooter and foot runner; he also enjoyed playing in the band. Mr. Baumgardt was a retired mobile home mover with Miller Mobile Homes Service. He loved fishing, piddling on cars and mowing grass. He was preceded in death by a son, James Benjamin “Bud” Baumgardt, brothers, Bubby Baumgardt and Tommy Baumgardt; and a sister, Jo Sherry Jones.

Survivors include his wife of 61 years, Sandra Laverne Baumgardt of Surrency; daughters, Lynn (Toby) Davidson of Surrency and Rhonda Baumgardt of Baxley; son, Jeff (Mae) Baumgardt of Surrency; grandchildren, Lacey (Johnny) Pope, Chad Davison, Christian (Zack) Williams, Zack Collins, Cassie (Lee) Mincey and Rodney (Missy) Blackmon, seven great grandchildren and three great- great grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home with Elder Tommy Kelly and Rev. David Barber officiating. Interment will follow in Baumgardt Cemetery.

Active Pallbearers will be Johnny Pope, Lee Mincey, Rodney Blackmon, Christopher Branch, Zack Collins and Zack Williams.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Jesse William Baumgardt's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/18/2026

Roy Langford Wildes

Roy Langford Wildes, age 85, of Hazlehurst passed away Saturday, October 17, 2026, at his residence under the care of Coastal Hospice.

Mr. Wildes was born on July 28, 1941, in Bacon County to the late Leon Alexander Wildes and Annie Harrell Wildes. He was a member of Southside Baptist Church and retired from Derst Baking Company, where he worked as a bread delivery driver.

Mr. Wildes was a devoted family man who cherished spending time with his loved ones. He also enjoyed gardening and fishing.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandson, Tyler Wildes, and his brothers, Raymond McDaniel and Russell Wildes.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Reba Jo Ogilvie Wildes of Hazlehurst; son, Ricky Wildes of Hazlehurst; brother, Ronald Wildes of Hazlehurst; several nieces and nieces; and three grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home in Hazlehurst with Rev. Bryan Herrington officiating and eulogy by Roger Ogilvie. Interment will follow in Mt. Zion Baptist Church Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Cody Ogilvie, Brian Bridges, Braxton Bridges, Brantley Bridges, Arthur Buford, James Buford and Wayne Buford.

Honorary pallbearers will be all friends and family in attendance.

Visitation will be one hour prior to the service.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home Hazlehurst Chapel.

View Roy Langford Wildes's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/17/2026

James Blake Reeves

James Blake Reeves, age 55, of Hazlehurst passed away Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Jeff Davis Hospital under the care of Coastal Hospice.

Blake was born August 23, 1971 in Jeff Davis County to the late James Randall Reeves and the late Jean Burch Reeves Denmark. He was a member of Zoar Baptist Church and a Veteran of the United States Army. He was a correctional officer at Appling ITF. His passion was being an accomplished V***r Wake Dog Trainer with the Auburn University Dogs, a special dog training program that has saved the lives of countless veterans and members of the military. Blake enjoyed heavy metal music and fantasy books and movies.

Survivors include his children, Cheyenne (Johnathan) Fennell, Christian Reeves, and Jasmine Reeves, sister, Suzanne (Jason) Smith; nieces, Lyla Smith & Paisley Smith. His special friend, Tara Bellew also survives.

Visitation will be held Sunday, October 18, 2026, 6-8 p.m., at Swain Funeral Home Hazlehurst Chapel.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, 2026 at Zoar Baptist Church with Bro. Chris Nail officiating. Interment will follow in Zoar Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Peyton Rowland, Christian Reeves, Frankie Hall, Anthony Kersey, Shane Reeves, and Stewart Reeves.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Jeff Davis County High School Class of 1989 and the officers of Appling ITF.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home Hazlehurst Chapel.

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

10/16/2026

Tyra Crystal Williams

Tyra Crystal Williams, age 41, of Hazlehurst, passed away Sunday, October 11, 2026.

Tyra was born on July 22, 1985, in Reidsville, North Carolina. As a Certified Nursing Assistant, she brought boundless compassion, dignity, and comfort to those in their most vulnerable moments. Her caring nature also extended into the classroom, where she served as a beloved substitute teacher. She had a rare gift for connecting with students of all ages, bringing patience, guidance and a warm smile to every school she visited. Beyond her work, Tyra was a vibrant soul who found joy in the beauty of life. She had a lifelong passion for the mountains, finding peace, clarity and inspiration whenever she was surrounded by the peaks and crisp air. Those who knew her will always remember her immaculate sense of style. She treated doing her hair and makeup as a beautiful art form – a reflection of her bright personality and a way to make every day feel like a special occasion. Above all, Tyra loved to sing. Whether she was filling the house with music, singing along on a mountain drive, or sharing her voice with others, her songs brought harmony and happiness to everyone around her. Tyra attended the First Baptist Church of Hazlehurst and was preceded in death by her father, Johnny Sands and grandparents, Buck Spry, Pauline Spry, and Oula Pulliam.

Survivors include her husband, Ted Lamar Williams; daughter, Almeria (Colby) Covington; mother, Gale Spry Sands; sister, Tonya Sands; grandchildren, Hudson Covington and Addison Marie Covington.

Visitation will be held on Monday, October 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. with the funeral services following at 11:00 a.m. in the Chapel of Swain Funeral Home in Hazlehurst with Rev. Joey Andrews and Rev. Brad Waters officiating. Interment will be in Hazlehurst Memorial Cemetery.

Active pallbearers will be Gabe Corey, Anthony Carter, Charles Carter, Javier Picazo, KC Lander and Saul Leal.

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

View Tyra Crystal Williams's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/16/2026

Mary Louise Rozar Phipps

Mary Louise Rozar Phipps, age 89, of Jacksonville, Florida passed away peacefully on September 17, 2026 surrounded by her loving family at Community Hospice, St. Vincent’s Riverside Hospital.

Louise was born June 11, 1937 in Atlanta, Georgia to Roy Lamar Rozar, Sr. and Juanita Lynn Rozar of Baxley. As a young adult, Louise lived near Beaver Street Baptist Church in Jacksonville where she and her family attended church. She was a graduate of Jacksonville School of Technology, Class of 1955. She was in the DCT program and could work while she went to school. Her first job was at a women’s boutique, The French Novelty. She took great pride in her work ethic and saying she always had a job. She retired from McGowan’s Heating & Air Conditioning after twenty years of full-time service. After retirement, Louise continued to work part-time into her eighties.

Among Louise’s great accomplishments was being a part of the AA program and celebrating 53 years of sobriety. She enjoyed sharing stories of her experience, strength and hope. She always hoped that her words would make a difference for others. One of her favorite sayings was, “One day at a time.”

Louise was a proud mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. Her love of God, family, and country was very important to her. She loved being in the house of the Lord. As a military wife of 34 years, Louise spent her life and endless prayers advocating for veterans and the military.

Preceding her in death were, James Daniel Phipps, daughter, Deanne Rene’ Phipps, brothers, Roy Lamar (Janice) Rozar, Jr., Charles (Myra) Rozar, and James Ronnie Rozar, and brother-in-law, Denean Dixon.

Survivors include her daughters, Cyndi Phipps (Larry) Prince of Jacksonville and Denise Marie (Mark, Sr.) Hayes of Baxley; sister, Linda Dixon of Baxley; grandchildren, Jessica (Chris) Dominguez, Mark (Silvia) Hayes, Jr., and Josh Daniel Hayes; and great grandchildren, Ethan Dominguez, Kellan Dominguez, and Otto Hayes; bonus grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends also survive.

Visitation will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. with a memorial service to follow at 4:00 p.m. at Louise’s family church, Hopewell Church of Appling County. A dinner will be served following the service.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Hopewell Church of Appling County 1759 Red Oak Road Baxley, Georgia 31513 or Louise’s home church, Lake Shore Family Fellowship 2246 Blanding Blvd Jacksonville, Florida 32210.

The family wishes to express special gratitude to the Community Hospice Team and Chaplain Rick at St. Vincent’s Riverside Hospital in Jacksonville.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Mary Louise Rozar Phipps's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/08/2026

William Burnette Reeves

William Burnette Reeves, age 73, of Baxley passed away on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Savannah.

Mr. Reeves was born March 2, 1953 in Jeff Davis County to the late William Martin “W. M.” Reeves and the late Effie Mae Cain Reeves and was a member of Spring Branch Baptist Church. Mr. Reeves retired as a Fleet Mechanic Supervisor from Georgia Power Company after 44 ½ years of service. Following his retirement, he worked as a funeral assistant at Swain Funeral Home and continued his love of farming, hunting, fishing, and gardening. But more than anything, he enjoyed spending time with family.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother and sister-in-law, James Randall and Patricia Reeves.

Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Glynda Reeves of Baxley; sons, Shane Reeves (Amanda) and Stewart (Allyson) Reeves all of Baxley; grandchildren, Hannah (Andrew) Lewis, Carter (Jenna) Reeves, Jack (Madi) Reeves, and Nick Reeves; great grandson, Jace Reeves; sister-in-law, Sara (Crystal) Branch; brothers-in-law, Lanier (Cynthia) Branch and Andy (Kelly) Branch. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Spring Branch Baptist Church with Rev. Stewart Reeves, Rev. Rick Brown and Rev. Justin McLellan officiating. Interment will follow in Carter Cemetery.

Active Pallbearers will be Shane Reeves, Stewart Reeves, Carter Reeves, Jace Reeves, Jack Reeves, Nick Reeves, and Andrew Lewis.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Anglers and Women of Praise Sunday School Classes of Spring Branch Baptist Church, Lewis Fortner, Ed Hall, Rusty Lamb, Luke Turner, Kent Rozier, Troy New, Shannon Toole, employees of Georgia Power Co., and the staff of Swain Funeral Home.

Visitation will be held on Saturday evening from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Swain Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to Spring Branch Baptist Church Building Fund, 707 Spring Branch Church Rd. Baxley, GA 31513.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View William Burnette Reeves's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/05/2026

Ron Anthony "Peedy" White

Ron Anthony “Peedy” White, age 75, of Jesup passed away on Sunday, October 4, 2026 at his residence.

Peedy was born October 10, 1950 in Jesup, Georgia. He was the owner and operator of Ron White Concrete Finishing, where his strong work ethic and dedication left a lasting mark on the community. He was a member of New Hope Free Will Baptist Church. Peedy loved the Lord deeply, and his faith guided how he lived his life and loved his family.

Beyond his work and faith, Peedy was a true outdoorsman. He found great joy in raising and training horses, rabbit hunting, and was incredibly committed to his beloved beagles. Above all, he treasured his family, and he especially adored his grandchildren, who brought immense happiness to his life.

Peedy was preceded in death by his parents, James Ben White and Thelma Martin White, and a brother, Wayne White.

Survivors include his wife, Janice Leigh White of Jesup; daughter, Somer (Rick) Chambless of Jesup; son, Ben White of Jesup; sister, Carolyn (Harold) Wynn of Odum; brothers, James Roe (Marcia) White and Richard (Peggy) White, both of Odum; sister-in-law, Mary Baxley of Baxley; and three grandchildren, Tuff Tyre, Peedy Caroline Tyre, and Jed Chambless also survive.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. with the funeral service to follow at 3:00 p.m. at New Hope Free Will Baptist Church with Rev. Tim Horne officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Active Pallbearers will be Jed Chambless, Tuff Tyre, Rick Chambless, Al Copeland, Buddy Martin, and Duran White.

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to the direction of Swain Funeral Home.

View Ron Anthony "Peedy" White's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

10/04/2026

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