John Augustus Reese

John Augustus Reese, age 87, of Crawfordville, GA, died Friday, April 10, 2009 at Greene Point Health Care Center in Union Point. He was born November 6, 1921 in Norwood, Georgia. He was the first child born to the late Augustus Reese and Celia Ann Hendricks Reese while they were living on the Hambukk Place in Warren County. At an early age he began helping his daddy on the farm raising cotton. His family moved to Taliaferro County when he was a child and they lived near Raytown. He attended schools in Raytown and Sharon, but quit in the sixth grade to work in the fields. In 1937 John''s father died when John was 16. Along with his brother Babe, he worked hard to provide for the family. After World War II began, he joined the United States Army on October 26, 1942 at the age of 20. After completing basic training he was sent to Africa. While overseas he was a member of the 201st Quarter Master Gasoline Supply Group. He served in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium, Luxemburg, Austria and Germany and participated in seven major battles. He was in the 101st Airborne where he became a paratrooper and was a member of the Company B 501st Parachute Infantry. He received an honorable discharge from the Army on September 27, 1945 after spending two and one-half years overseas. He married Doris Nunn on October 27, 1945 and moved to Atlanta. John worked as a switchman at Atlanta Joint Terminal for Georgia Railroad. In January 1947 they moved back to Taliaferro County where he cut and hauled pulpwood along with his father-in-law, Jesse Nunn, worked as a part-time mechanic and ran a small service station, garage and Reese''s Truck Stop. Later he operated Reese''s Bar-B-Q next to his home. He was a member of Margaret''s Grove Baptist Church in Crawfordville.

John was preceded in death by his wife, Doris Elizabeth Nunn Reese and a sister, Hazel Davis. He is survived by a daughter Barbara Ann Reese O''Neal and husband Terry of Siloam, GA; a son, Johnny Reese and wife Susan of Camak, GA; three sisters, Verna Mae Hunter Nunn of Union Point, GA, Mamie Lucinda Higdon of Thomson, GA and Rosa Lee Wentz of Lithia Springs, GA; a brother, Babe Reese of Crawfordville, GA; 4 grandchildren, Jay Reese and Diane Whitaker of Warrenton, GA, Angie O''Neal of Athens, GA and T. J. O''Neal of Milledgeville, GA; 6 great grandchildren, Dalton Reese, Dakota Reese, Dylan Reese, Dax Reese, Parker Whitaker and McKenzie Whitaker; and many other relatives and friends.

Graveside Services with military honors will be held on Monday, April 13, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. at Margaret''s Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Crawfordville with Rev. James Bowen officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Sunday night at Callaway Funeral Home in Union Point. The family requests that any memorials be made to Margaret''s Grove Baptist Church, c/o Ellen Fennell, 2232 Jordan Place Road SW, Crawfordville, GA 30631. Callaway Funeral Home, 208 N. Rhodes Street., Union Point, GA, (706) 486-4138, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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