Mary Jo Medford Garvey, 89, of Tifton, died Thursday, January 25, 2007, at Cypress Pond Assisted Living in Tifton. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 28, 2007, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton's First Baptist Church. Rev. Paul Thomas will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Chad Haynes, William Faircloth, Jonathan Garvey, Mike Burnett, Jesse Farmer, Johnny Whiddon, Flynt Owens and William McDonald will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Mr. and Mrs. George Medford, Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Medford, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Burnett anmd Mr. and Mrs. John Grosh. The family will receive friends on Saturday, January 27, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Garvey was born on April 18, 1917 in Berrien County and was the daughter of George Grady Medford and Mary Ann Baker Medford, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by her husband, L. H. "Pete" Garvey, who she married in Kansas City, Missouri in 1947. Mr. Garvey died in 2005. She was a member of Murray Hill Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Ms. Garvey attended Middle Georgia College in Cochran, where she was voted prettiest girl on campus. In her working years, she was employed by Georgia Power Company in Ashburn and the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida, where she was assistant to the Senior Medical Officer. She retired to Tifton 21 years ago and lived in Jacksonville, Florida for 40 years prior to that.
Mrs. Garvey enjoyed family and her farm. She also loved growing, selling and meeting people at the "pick your own" peach orchard in Eldorado. She was also the very special "Aunt Jo Jo" to her nieces and nephews and "Granny Jo Jo" to her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Mrs. Garvey is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Peter Medford Garvey and his wife, Katherine Grosh Garvey of Tifton; two brothers, George Medford of Tifton and H. C. Medford of Tifton; one sister, Sara Burnett of Tifton; three grandchildren and their spouses, Jennifer G. and Chad Haynes, Jonathan P. Garvey, and Allison and Will Faircloth; two great grandchildren, Claire and Maggie Haynes; and nieces and nephews, Beth and Tom Rhymes, Jan Johnson, Lynn and William McDonald, Liz and Johnny Whiddon, Mike and Fran Burnett, Mary Sue and Ronnie Tucker; and her late husband's nephew and his wife, Pat and Judy George.