Jean Marie Gilliard, 66, of Fitzgerald died Wednesday, December 13 at Dorminy Medical Center.
Funeral services will be held 11 A.M., Saturday, December 16, at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Ben Hill County with Rev. Roy Conner and Bro. Norman Ethridge officiating. Visitation will be held from 7 until 9 Thursday evening at the funeral home. The body will lie in state from 11 AM Friday morning until one hour before the funeral at 366 Othar Lee Rodgers Road.
Mrs. Gilliard was born February 27, 1940 in Ben Hill County to the late Othar Lee and Ethel Mae Morris Rodgers. She lived in the community all of her life. She was a former employee of Smith’s Seafood, Drexler Egg Farm and a former Spindle Operator at Modern Fibers. Mrs. Gilliard was a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, a Sunday School Teacher, she sang in the choir and was a member of the WMU. She was a loving mother, grandmother and sister who never met a stranger.
Mrs. Gilliard is survived by her husband: Daniel L. Gilliard of Fitzgerald; children and their spouses: Cathy & Billy McDaniel of Fitzgerald, Bob & Angela Nasworthy of Fitzgerald, Betty Jean & Tommy Collier of Abbeville, Alicia & James Gray of Fitzgerald and Rose Marie Pitts of Fitzgerald; 6 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; brothers: Glenn Franklin Rodgers of Jacksonville, FL, Benton Rodgers of Fitzgerald and Rev. Max Rodgers of Pineview; sisters: Frances Valiant of Jacksonville, FL and Barbara Nalley of Gulfport, MS. She was preceded in death by 2 brothers, Don and James Rodgers and a great-granddaughter, Andrianna Hope Harper.