Charlton Raymond "C. R." Summers, 78, a member of a pioneer Tift County family, passed away Saturday, December 13, 2003, at Phoebe-Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. His funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 16, 2003, at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Chula with the Rev. Larry Layfield and the Rev. Mark Sickling officiating. Mr. Summers was laid to rest at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Chuld.
Andy Bryan, Chad Giddens, Ryan Giddens, Zack Alexander, Will Pfister, MacLean Pfister, Cy Giddens, Timothy Meeks, Steven Meeks and Josh Markham served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Carl Goodwin, Wendell manning, Vaughn Tucker, Randall Shiver, Robert Meeks, Michael Markham, Jonahtan Markham, Freddie Weeks, Pete Boggs and Leroy Saylor.
Born February 8, 1925, in Tift County, Mr. Summers was the son of the late Charlie Nicholas Summers and Nancy McCall Summers. He was also preceded in death by a grandson, Tommy Bryan; a son-in-law, Rex Giddens; a granddaughter, April Kay Giddens; four brothers, Carcel Summers, Cecil Summers, Caulie Summers and Coy Summers; and four sisters, Alma Hancock, Rebecca Castellaw, Hazel Moxley and Virginia Roberts.
A farmer all his life, he was a faithful steward of his land. In 1993, he was made an honorary member of the FFA in recognition of the example that he set for future farmers.
He loved animals, and many school groups over the years visited his farm to see his wide variety. In the 1960s, he was an instrumental part of a group responsible for the restocking of whitetail deer in Tift County.
A veteran, he served as a sergeant with the 65th ACS Group of the United States Air Force during World War II. He was a lifelong member of Mount Zion Baptist Church in Chula.
Mr. Summers is survived by his beloved wife of almost 60 years, Bobbie Hasty Summers of Tifton; five daughters and four sons-in-law, Karen and Marvin Bryan of Pavo, Kermen Giddens of Ashburn and Kathy and Danny Alexander, Kay and Harry Bowen and Karol and Chip Pfister, all of Tifton; one brother, W. C. Summers of Palm City, Florida; two sisters, Ida Mae Hudson of Hialeah, Florida and Helen Slade of Cordele; ten grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two special friends, Steven Meeks and Timothy Meeks.
Memorial gifts may be made to Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation's C. R. Summers Memorial Fund, P. O. Box 747, Tifton, GA 31793-0747.