Service: 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Blue Heights Baptist Church, Clayton, Ga., with burial at church cemetery; Visitation: 1-2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at the church, with arrangements by Beck Funeral Home, Clayton, Ga.
Our Beloved Mother, Martha Jo Queen, went home to heaven on Monday, Feb. 8 (2016).
She was born in Gainesville, Georgia, on March 23, 1936, or sometime around then as her birth certificate was blown away in a tornado shortly after birth.
Our mother grew up in Rabun County, Georgia. She was the daughter of Lamon Tyra Queen and Alice Juanita Oliver Queen. She lived part of her early years in the county jail as her daddy was Rabun County Sheriff for 16 years. After graduating from high school, she worked for the Forest Service in Clayton where she met her husband of 32 years, John West Dick. With him and the occasional wooden spoon, she raised five girls.
Mama was a stay at home mom, talented artist and gifted seamstress. She made all of our clothes when we were young, and with the scrap material, she made clothes for our Barbie dolls. She was a community leader in Logan County, a member of Beta Sigma Phi and Hospital Ladies Auxiliary, and spent many hours volunteering as a Girl Scout leader. She helped coach our softball teams, taught swim lessons, and was a lifeguard. She looked great in her swimsuit, too. She taught many kids how to swim in Logan and Boone counties. When we got older, Mama worked outside the home filing taxes at Tilmon Tax Service in Paris, and later as a secretary at Quail Tree in Harrison, then as a secretary at Southern Construction Company in Hollister, Missouri.
Mama was a true Southern lady. She never went anywhere without her hair fixed and face on. She never got in a hurry; she woke up each day saying there were eggs to lay and worms to scratch but if it didn’t get done, she never got upset because “there was always tomorrow and it would be a better day.”
Our Mama was soft spoken, kind, graceful and loved to laugh, especially at herself. She loved to have a good time, she also loved dressing up on Halloween and coming to our grade school classrooms to help with parties. She could do a mean Tina Turner impression and had the legs to pull it off. When anyone said “Come Dancing,” our mother always did!
Mama was preceded in death by her parents; her brothers, Gene Oliver, Ty Queen and Jack Queen; her sister, Ann Smith; and a grandson, Chase Raymond.
She is survived by her daughters, Cindi Savage (J.B) of Mt. Airy, Georgia, Paddi Tranchina (Bob) of Starkville, Misssissippi, Nancy Langdon (Scott) of Alma, Stephanie Robertson (Sid) of Paris, and Barbara Carroll (Brian) of Rogers.
Also surviving her are 11 grandchildren, Chad Raymond, John and Nicole Tranchina, Brooks, Trace and Reed Langdon, Levi, Miles and Lamon Wade, Westin and Wren Carroll and three great-grandchildren, Hunter and Maddix Tranchina, and Payton McPhail.
In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to the Girl Scouts Diamond Council at 11311 Arcade Drive, Little Rock AR 72212 in memory of Martha Jo Queen.
The family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Blue Heights Baptist Church. Funeral service will follow at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Rondal Owen officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Beck Funeral Home, in Clayton, Georgia, is in charge of the arrangements.
An online Memorial Register Book is available at www.beckfuneralhome.com .
