Ethelyn Boswell Purdie

Ethelyn Boswell Purdie, of Christian City, formerly of East Point, inherited the Kingdom November 20, 2006. She was a beloved and revered wife and mother. Born October 3, 1918 in a family home in Penfield, GA, she was the daughter of Rev. Hal Reid Boswell and Alma Stapler Boswell. She was devoted to Douglas Purdie, her husband of almost 67 years until his death April 2006. Educated at Agnes Scott and Oglethorpe College, she taught children by establishing Wee Wisdom Kindergarten which later transferred to the East Point Presbyterian Church. She served thirty years with the Fulton County School System teaching first through third grades at Central Park Elementary School where she eventually became librarian. Ethelyn was a lifelong member of the East Point Presbyterian Church serving in various positions of Sunday School teacher, Elder, and the Presbyterian Women. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma. Ethelyn enjoyed traveling and visited nearly all fifty states as well as countries like Spain, Greece, British Isles, Morocco, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. She also enjoyed cooking and was especially known for her shortbread, a delicacy she learned to make from her Scottish mother-in-law, Charlotte Taylor Purdie.

She is survived by her daughters, Lyn Purdie and Laura Gettler; her son-in-law Gene Gettler; her grandson, Kenneth Douglas Browning and his wife, Melisia; her great granddaughters, Taylor and Shae Browning; her sister, Joyce Boswell Harris; her brother, Harold T. Boswell; and a host of nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at Carmichael-Hemperley Funeral Home, East Point, 404-761-1138 on Tuesday, November 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Graveside services will be Wednesday, November 22 at 12 noon at Penfield Cemetery in Penfield, GA. Friends and family will assemble at the cemetery. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 25 at the East Point Presbyterian Church with Rev. Roosevelt Winfrey, Jr., Rev. Leonard Boswell, and Rev. Allan Purdie officiating. In lieu of flowers, those desiring may make donations to the East Point Presbyterian Church, 2810 Church Street, East Point, GA. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of local arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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