Virginia Norman Zerhusen Champion, 92, of Tifton passed away Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at her residence. Her funeral service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Friday, January 13, 2017, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Benjy Varnell and the Rev. Robby Paulk officiating. Mrs. Champion will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday, January 13, 2017, from 2:00 p.m. until the hour of the service in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Lawton Bassett, Le Bassett, Richie Tucker, Marty Miller, Ben Miller and Leo Krebs will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Mrs. Champion’s nephews and members of the Christian Covenant Sunday School Class at Tifton’s First United Methodist Church.
Born November 23, 1924 in Tifton, Mrs. Champion was the daughter of the late John T. Norman, Sr. and Minnie Norvella Norman. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Bernard “Ben” L. Zerhusen; four brothers, Turner “Bill” Norman, Louis Norman, John “Junior” T. Norman Jr. and Eugene Norman; and one sister, Louise Norman Sumner. She was an R.N. for Dr. Jarrett and owner of Norman’s Bridal and Gift Shop, along with her sisters, Louise Sumner and Marion Heath. She fulfilled her retirement years substitute teaching for the Tift County School System. She was known by many of her students as “Grandmommy”. She was a member and officer of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of Tifton’s First United Methodist Church, where she was a member and officer of the Christian Covenant Sunday School Class. She also taught Sunday School.
Mrs. Champion is survived by her husband, Jim Champion of Tifton; two daughters and one son-in-law, Diann and Bruce Donaldson and Jackie Martin, all of Tifton; a sister, Marion Norman Heath of Tifton; four grandchildren and their spouses, Lawton and Alisha Bassett, April and Richie Tucker, Tara and Marty Miller, all of Tifton and Ginny and Travis Flowers of Valdosta; eight great-grandchildren, Erica Tucker, Kaitlin Tucker, Le Bassett, Annslee Bassett, Colee Miller, Ben Miller, Summer Grace Miller and Garrett Flowers.
Mrs. Champion’s family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Candy Burgess, Barbara Hamilton and, with Hospice of Tift Area, Dr. Marcus Roberts, Jill Jaworski and Mamie Stephens for their special care of Mrs. Champion.
Memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of Tift Area, P. O. Box 747, Tifton, GA 31793; or the First United Methodist Church of Tifton, 107 12th Street West, Tifton, GA 31794.