Nellie Wheeler Sumner, 97, of Chula died Saturday, December 1, 2007, at Tift Health Care. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, December 3, 2007, at the First Baptist Church of Chula. Rev. Dan Eidson and Rev. Richard McNair will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Roger Mangham, David King, Ches Mangham, Jason Marchant, Justin Marchant and Mike Shaw. Honorary pallbearers will be J. B. Womack, Mike Fletcher, Buddy Talley, Nathan Branch, Tim Branch, Ray Goodman and Joe Gwaltney. The family will receive friends on Sunday, December 2, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Mrs. Sumner was born on February 28, 1910 in Turner County and was the daughter of Newt Wheeler and Katie Bowman Wheeler, both deceased. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Marcus Eugene Sumner. She was a retired mail carrier and retired owner of Sumner Gorcery. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Chula and was known to all as Mama Nellie.
Mrs. Sumner is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Christine Sumner Davis Allen and her husband, Rev. Eddie Allen of Chula; one sister, Hazel Odom of Nashville; three grandchildren, JoAnn David Mangham of Tifton, Janice Davis Potts of Ocilla and Jinny Davis Marchant and her husband, Walt, of Suwanee; seven great grandchildren and their spouses, Roger and Mandi Mangham of Tifton, Ches Mangham of Tifton, David and Melisa King of Tifton, Christy and Mike Shaw of Ocilla, Michelle Potts of Ocilla, Jason Marchant of Suwanee and Justin Marchant of Suwanee; and eleven great great grandchildren, Krysten Mangham, Brooke Mangham, Emily Mangham, Ches Mangham II, Coleman Mangham, Hannah King, Abby King, Ryan Shaw, Raylin Shaw, Madeline Potts and McKenzie Potts.