John William Darden, 84, Tifton passed away Thursday, August 26, 2004, at Phoebe-Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. His funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, August 29, 2004, in the Memorial chapel of Tifton's First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. W. Ches Smith, III officiating. Mr. Darden was laid to rest at Brushy Creek Primitive Baptist Church in Cook County.
Grady Thompson, Jr., Dr. Curtis Branch, Earl Branch, Russ Ottens, Billy Allen, Bob Burdette, Lynn Kelly and Dr. Joe Turner served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were the members of Usher Group #1 at Tifton's First Baptist Church.
Born June 23, 1920, in Falling Creek, North Carolina, Mr. Darden was the son of the late Virgil Fosco Darden and Della Mae Dawson Darden. He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Mona Griffin Darden, who passed away n 1975; one brother; and one sister. He was a retired farmer; and he was a member of Tifton's First Baptist Church.
Mr. Darden is survived by his wife, Louise Williams Robinson Darden of Tifton; one son, John A. Darden of Lenox; two step-sons, Daniel Robinso of Gainesville, Florida and Glenn Robinson of Nacogdoches, Texas; two daughters, Brenda Wetherington of Valdosta and Dixie Arnett of Tifton; one step-daughter, Brenda Wildes of Ashburn; four grandchildren, Stephen Wetherington, April Courtoy, Katrina Darden and Marla Darden; nine step-grandchildren, Kerry Wildes, Monica Wildes, Alan Wildes, Danny Wildes, Jennifer Robinson, Jordan Robinson, Joshua Robinson, Jacob Robinson and Sarah Cathryn Robinson; and one great-grandchild, Melody Wetherington.