Donald “Gerald” Whiddon, 79, of Chula passed away Thursday, April 22, 2021, at Navicent Health Medical Center in Macon. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 1, 2021, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals with the Rev. Larry Layfield officiating. Mr. Whiddon will be laid to rest at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Chula with the Rev. Aaron Frasier officiating. The family will receive friends on Saturday, May 1, 2021, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals from 10:00 a.m. until the hour of the service.
Joshua Woods, Hunter Goodwin, Westley Tawzer, William Jordan, Robert Jordan, David Jordan, Barry Bankston and Luke Fletcher will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Lee Fletcher, Nip Cromer, Mike Fletcher, Bill Clements, Wilton Jones, Buck Aultman, Winfred Jones and Robert North.
Born August 25, 1941 in Chula, Georgia, Mr. Whiddon was the son of the late Roswell Lee Whiddon and Mary Lou Jordan Whiddon. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Barbara Jean Whiddon Goodwin and Melba Lou Whiddon. He graduated from Tift County High School and was raised on the Whiddon Family Farm, where he enjoyed being a Georgia Farmer all of his life. He was a member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Chula. He was a veteran and proudly served his country in the Vietnam War, serving two tours of duty. Being our Uncle Gerald, he was always the fun Uncle that liked to joke, pick and cut-up with his kind of sense of humor. He was encouraging and loving in his own way, making sure that we always had a special treat, maybe candy or coins or dollar bills or a bag of peanuts. As we grew up, Uncle Gerald would always tape coins inside our birthday cards in the amount of the age we were turning, we all loved that. He seemed tough, but on the inside, he was always caring and concerned for the needs of others. Though he was quiet and observing a lot, he had a sweet soul that filled the moments with fun and happiness. All of his family, including his cousins, nieces, nephews and his friends, can recall fond memories that were made on and around the Whiddon Farm with Gerald, from learning how to drive a tractor, to cropping tobacco, picking peanuts and fresh vegetables, getting out on the farm riding horses, enjoying all the home-cooked meals and family reunions to hopping up on the tractor taking a ride through the fields, having lots of fun jumping up and down and playing in the peanut trailers to going hunting and going fishing in the old pond. So many wonderful memories of him through the years. Everyone knows that Georgia peanuts could be found anytime, anywhere, usually when Uncle Gerald was around, as he loved to share fresh peanuts with everyone. We can never forget his voice, one word and you knew he was there and the sound of him calling out to Aunt Melba and, of course, him saying, “Mother…” when our precious Grandmother/Great-grandmother, Mary Lou was around. He enjoyed life, always having a project to work on or see about or say, “I’ll finish it later” or “We’ll see about it.” He will be greatly missed, but the memories we have of him will forever live in our hearts. We love you and will miss you, Gerald, our Brother, our Uncle, our Cousin, our Friend!
Gerald Whiddon is survived by his brother-in-law, Carl Goodwin of Tifton; one niece, Sonya Goodwin Woods and her husband, Darrell K. Woods of Tifton; one nephew, Joel Goodwin and his wife Kristin Nease Goodwin of Savannah; his great-nieces, Heather Woods Williams of Tifton, Hannah Woods of Macon and Abigail Goodwin of Savannah; his great-nephews, Joshua Woods of Tifton and Hunter Goodwin of Savannah; and his great-great nephews, Westley Tawzer, Brantley Williams, both of Tifton and Jace Woods and Jack Woods, both of Valdosta; and many cousins on both the Whiddon Family and Jordan Family sides.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in honor of Donald Gerald Whiddon to Mount Zion Baptist Church Ministries and Outreach, 293 Mount Zion Church Road, Chula, GA 31733.