Willis G. Hester, 82, of Chula, died Wednesday, February 5, 2014 after a short illness at his residence.
Funeral services were held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, February 8 at Tift Avenue Baptist Church with the Rev. Terrell Roberts officiating. Interment followed in Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery. The family received friends from 6:00 until 8:00 Friday evening at Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors.
Active pallbearers were Shawn Stovall, Rocky Mixon, Buddy Sumner, Rocky Hester, Lee Evans, Andy Hester, Shorty Britt and Mark Boyette.
Honorary pallbearers were Polly Parnell, Fredrick Busbin, Fred Hester, Syd Hester, and all of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Hester was born October 2, 1931 in Turner County to the late Bill and Mildred Busbin Hester. He graduated from Tift County High School, where he played basketball. He served in the U.S. Marines, serving during the Korean War era. He was a farmer and a cattle/horse rancher who enjoyed training horses and participating in rodeos. Hester was a member of Macedonia Baptist Church and had attended Tift Avenue Baptist Church for the past ten years. He was a jack-of-all-trades who enjoyed woodworking and attending church.
He is survived by his wife, Geneva Wilson Hester of Chula; one son and daughter-in-law, Rocky Allen and Shirley Hester of Bartlesville, OK; two daughters and sons-in-law, Robin and Rocky Mixon and Kimberly and Mark Boyette, all of Baxley; two stepdaughters, Hope Lovein Barbee of Perry and Raven Nicole King of Tifton; 15 grandchildren, Leah and Kyle Hodges, Hannah Hester, Rebecca Hester, Shawn and Lynn Stovall, Stephanie and Lee Evans, Kyle Stovall, Anna Beth Boyette, Sarah Kate Boyette, Greye Lovin, Shelby Rose Barbee, Jonathan King, Ashlee King, Laken King and Lane Sumner as well as nine great-grandchildren.
You may sign the guest registry at
www.albritton-beaumontfuneralhome.com.
Albritton-Beaumont Funeral Directors was in charge of arrangements.