Jacquelyn Davis Harper, 61, of Fitzgerald, died Friday, May 2, 2014, at her residence.
Funeral services will be held 11 A.M., Wednesday, May 7, 2014, at Fellowship Baptist Church with the Rev. Robert Couey officiating. Deborah Smith will deliver the eulogy. Interment will follow in the Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8 Tuesday evening at the funeral home.
Mrs. Harper was born August 16, 1952, in Columbus, Georgia to Joyce Hopkins Davis and the late Lee Edward Davis. She graduated from Columbus High School in 1970. She attended Columbus State College and later earned her B.S.N. from Georgia State University in 1976. Mrs. Harper moved to Fitzgerald that same year and worked with the Ben Hill County Mental Health Department, CareOne, and Ben Hill County School System as the school nurse at Ben Hill County Elementary. Jackie was a true Southern Lady, who loved to entertain in her home. She hosted parties for many brides-to-be and enjoyed showcasing her home, especially during the Christmas Season, spending many months getting everything just right. She was an avid supporter of the Fitzgerald Purple Hurricanes as a member of the FHS Booster Club. She formerly chaired the Ben Hill County Relay for Life and was a member of the Garden Club. She enjoyed reading, collecting, and antiquing. Together with her husband, Louie, they renovated many historic structures, and her touch will be remembered by the interior decorating she coordinated. Mrs. Harper loved animals and enjoyed relaxing at the family's beach home in Indian Pass, Florida. She was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church.
She is survived by her husband of 37 years: Louis E. “Louie” Harper, Jr. of Fitzgerald; her children: Jeanie Leigh Harper of Fitzgerald, Emily Joy Harper of St. Simons Island, and Louis E. “Bo” Harper III and his wife, Mary Catherine, of Pensacola, Florida; her mother: Joyce Davis of Columbus; her sister: Pamela Davis of Marietta; and her mother-in-law: Myrtle B. Harper of Fitzgerald. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her father-in-law: Louis E. “Gene” Harper, Sr.
The family suggests those desiring to offer memorials send them to Fellowship Baptist Church, P.O. Box 777, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 or to the Ben Hill County Relay for Life, c/o Marci Cleghorn, P.O. Box 989, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 or to the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Humane Society, 106 Lions Park Road, Fitzgerald, GA 31750.