Wendell Patton, 78, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, died Monday, April 15, 2019, at Palemon Gaskins Memorial Nursing Home in Ocilla, Georgia.
Funeral services will be held 4:00 PM, Thursday, April 18, 2019, at First Baptist Church in Fitzgerald. Reverend Jasper Stewart will officiate with eulogies by Gene Wade, Judge Robert Chasteen, and Robert Sherrell. Interment will follow in Bethlehem Cemetery, Ben Hill County. Lydia Jay Mason will offer the committal. Family will receive friends before the service beginning at 2:00 PM in the church sanctuary.
Mr. Patton was born in Coffee County, Georgia on June 1, 1940 to the late Rufus and Allene Vickers Patton. He was a graduate of Coffee County High School. Following his marriage, he farmed with his father-in-law, the late E.D. Hunter. Known for Patton’s Antiques, Mr. Patton appreciated primitive styles and heirloom pieces. He owned and operated Patton’s Sandblasting and Painting where his industrial contracts included Gilman, Georgia Pacific, and the Warner Robins Air Force Base. His company, Cargo South in Ocilla, was named Business of the Year in 2005 by the Ocilla-Irwin County Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Patton was a member and past deacon of First Baptist Church of Fitzgerald where he served and led the 7th and 8th grade boys Sunday school class.
Mr. Patton loved animals. These included horses and he often was seen side by side with his companion lab, Cargo.
He is survived by his dear Venita; daughters, Wendy Patton Dix of Fitzgerald and Maria Kennedy Beaird of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; a grandson, Beau Dix of Ocilla; a brother, Carlton and Gail Patton of Knoxville, Tennessee; a sister, Wanda Patton Moncrief of Jacksonville, Florida. He was a special uncle to several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Sara Faie Hunter Patton.
The family suggest those desiring to send memorials consider the Ben Hill Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 1022, Fitzgerald, GA 31750 or Mothers Against Drunk Driving (M.A.D.D.), Donations, 511 E John Carpenter Freeway, Irving, TX 75062.