Jewel “Jeannette” Johnson Beard, 89, of Tifton passed away Tuesday, September 5, 2017, at Cypress Pond Assisted Living in Tifton. Her funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, September 9, 2017, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church with Dr. Wayne Roe and the Rev. Mark Myers officiating. Mrs. Beard will be laid to rest at Eldorado Baptist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday, September 9, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of the service in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church.
Dwight Rogers, Cam Rogers, Tyler Beard, Dale Beard, Glenn Beard, Charlie Beard and Walt Marchant will serve as pallbearers.
Born October 31, 1927 in Eldorado (Tift County), Mrs. Beard was the daughter of the late Curtis Johnson and Jennie V. Cauthen Johnson. She was also preceded in death by a special aunt, Arvella Cauthen McGinnis. She graduated from Tifton High School in 1944 and attended Georgia Business College in Macon. She worked as secretary at H. V. Kell Grocery Company for several years and, later on, worked as secretary for the local YMCA office and was a Welcome Wagon Hostess for the Citizens Bank of Tifton.
Mrs. Beard was a faithful member of the adult choir at the First Baptist Church of Tifton for many, many years and also taught a Training Union class there for many years. She loved caring for her family, as well as music and dancing.
Survivors include her husband of 69 years, Floyd Beard of Tifton; her children, Candace (Romney) Rogers of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Anthony (Karen) Beard of Hernando, Florida; grandchildren, Dwight (Blaire) Rogers, Cam Rogers, Tyler Beard, all of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Rebekah (Zac) Payne of Gainesville, Florida, Hannah Beard of Tallahassee, Florida; great-grandchildren, Sutton Elizabeth Rogers and Dwight Laing Rogers, V (Quint) Rogers, both of Fort Lauderdale, Florida; sisters-in-law, Marie Marchant (Billy), Ruth Beard, all of Tifton and Willene Beard of Ashburn.
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to the staff of Maple Court Assisted Living and Cypress Pond Assisted Living, as well as volunteers, for their loving care of Mrs. Beard. They would also like to thank the churches and friends for leading devotionals and providing music during her stay in Assisted Living.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial gifts may be made to Bethany Hospice, 2700 North Oak Street, Building B, Valdosta, GA 31602; or the First Baptist Church of Tifton Memorial Fund, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794.