Eloise "Lu" Jewell Bastian, 81, of Fitzgerald died Thursday, September 20, 2012, at Life Care Center in Fitzgerald. Her funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 23, 2012, in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. Rev. Glenn Ford will officiate with burial to follow in Floral Memory Gardens in Albany on Monday, September 24, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. Bill Wetherington, Mark Lewis, Gerald Stubbs, Jody Hogan, Steve Sandler and Gary Hogan will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be care-givers from Life Care Center in Fitzgerald and Paloman Gaskins Nursing Facility in Ocilla. The family will receive friends on Saturday, September 22, 2012, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Bastian was born on July 6, 1931, in Albany and was the daughter of Worth Jewell and Nellie Sadler Jewell, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by husband, Robert "Jack" Bastian; one sister, Juanice Herzing; and several nieces and nephews. She was retired from Alumax Corporation and was a very hard-working woman, who believed in giving a full days work for a full days pay. She also held various other physically-demanding manual labor jobs. She completed a number of years in school and, later in life, she proudly received her G.E.D. She was a proud member of the City of Tifton's Citizen's Police Academy. She loved God and her country and her daughters were the most important part of her life.
Mrs. Bastian is survived by three daughters and one son-in-law, Sherry Bastian of Tifton, Nina Hubbard of Savannah and Becky and Chuck Henderson of Chula; two grandchildren and their spouses, Nikole and Scott Waldrep of Blue Ridge and Keith Hubbard of Athens; three step-grandchildren, Nikki Henderson, Carmen Henderson and Cody Henderson; three great-grandchildren, Brooke Waldrep, Lily Rose Waldrep and Scott Waldrep, Jr.; four step great-grandchildren, Connor Henderson, Ali Edney, Addison Mosley and Gaile Brayden; one sister, Nellie Ruth McElvy of Roanoke, Alabama; a special brother-in-law, Jim Herzing; three nieces and nephews, Joel Denning and his wife, Jackie, Robin Wood and Joey Herzing.
The family would like to express their heart-felt gratitude and appreciation to the staff of Life Care Center in Fitzgerald and Paloman Gaskins Nursing Facility in Ocilla.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, P. O. Box 96011, Washington, D.C. 20090-6011.