Robert L. "Cotton" Boswell

Robert L. “Cotton” Boswell, Jr. of Greensboro, GA died on Thursday, July 12, 2012, at the age of 71 at his residence. A lifelong resident of Greene County, he was born in Decatur, GA on December 27, 1940, the son of the late Robert Lamar Boswell, Sr. and Lillie Taylor Boswell. He graduated from Greene County High School, where he excelled in football and other sports and attended Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College until the death of his father, Robert L. Boswell, Sr. in 1962. Cotton served in the United States Army twice, once during the Berlin Crisis. He married Mary Kay Gentry on July 17, 1966 at Liberty United Methodist Church in Greene County, GA. Since 1969 he has been in the timber and logging industry. Cotton was first employed by his father-in-law, George P. Gentry. Later he started his own logging business and in 1990 was named “Georgia Logger of the Year. He has since turned the logging business over to his sons, Farrett and George. He owned and operated Cotton’s Corner, a convenience store and restaurant, for 32 years until he sold it in 2010. In 1998 Cotton, William Coleman and Judy Hodnett bought Willow Run Retirement Home. They sold this successful business in 2011. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Greensboro joining at the age of nine on April 21, 1950. Throughout his life, he has been a dedicated farmer, primarily of beef cattle, and an advocate of agriculture in Greene County. He was very concerned about the future of agriculture throughout the United States. He was recently given the honor of being named “Agri-Business of the Year” by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce. He served two Nathanael Greene Academy Boards and two terms as a Greene County Commissioner from 1993-1996 and again from 2003-2005, where at his request, he received no pay for his first term in office. Cotton employed many people during his working years and he was a faithful friend to many during his lifetime. All of his life, he has been a credit to his community, county and his family. Cotton always thought that growing up in Greene County was a privilege and an honor. In addition to his wife, Kay Gentry Boswell, of Greensboro, GA, Cotton is survived by two sons, Farrett Taylor Boswell and his wife Amy of Watkinsville, GA and George Robert Boswell and his wife Sherrie of Watkinsville, GA; brother, Jamie Boswell and wife Elizabeth of Athens, GA; grandchildren, Victoria Boswell, Rob Boswell, Anna Lynn, Jeff Thurmond, Cam Thurmond, Oakley Thurmond, Cavin Collins, Mikie Collins, Summer Boswell and Cheyenne Boswell; a niece, Elizabeth Boswell; a nephew, James Taylor “Jay” Boswell and family; a number of other relatives and many, many friends. Funeral Services will be held Sunday, July 15, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church, 203 S. Main Street, Greensboro, GA with Rev. Farrett Boswell and Rev. Michael Hardy officiating. Interment will follow in the Greensboro City Cemetery, Memorial Drive, Greensboro, GA 30642. Serving as pallbearers are Chris Houston, Bill Coleman, Charles Crumbley, Bobby Lord, Bobby Boswell, Bobby Durham, Kenneth Moore and Ken Simmons. Honorary pallbearers will be Alvin Stembridge, Milton Robbins, Zeke Brundage, Lewis Duvall, Sam Roper, Joey Fleming, Sonny Thurmond, Niles Webb, Lewis Brown, Robbie Chapman, Ray Copelan, Bill Thomas, Charles Copelan, Wayne Sisson, Carey Williams, Jr. and Shorty Gresham. The family will receive friends Saturday night from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at McCommons Funeral Home. The family requests that any memorials be made to Woodville Baptist Church, 1191 Peachtree Avenue E., Woodville, GA 30669 or Nathanael Greene Academy, P. O. Box 109, Siloam, GA 30665. McCommons Funeral Home, 109 W. Broad St., Greensboro, GA, (706) 453-2626, is in charge of arrangements. Visit us at www.mccommonsfuneralhome.com to sign the online guest register.

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