People Archive

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Deerfield’s Davidson Goldsmith selected Dougherty’s Star Student

Deerfield Windsor Star Student Davidson Goldsmith was selected Star Student for Dougherty County on Monday in a luncheon at Chehaw hosted by the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. Goldsmith choose Janet Guillebeau as his “Star Teacher” for the encouragement and attention she provided him as well as all of her other students.

Other star students are:

Byne Christian School –  Robbie Smith; teacher: Mr. William Lanier
Deerfield-Windsor High School – Davidson Goldsmith; Teacher: Mrs. Janet Guillebeau
Sherwood Christian Academy – Mary Margaret Charles; Teacher: Mrs. Cassandra Golden
Albany High School – Amber Benson; teacher: Mrs. Leigh Shepherd
Monroe High School – Adriann Wilson; teacher: Mrs. Barbara Coleman
Westover High School – Morgan Smith; teacher: Mr. Kevin Fretwell


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Obituary: Bobbie Meyer von Bremen, 73

Bobbie L. Kirksey Meyer von Bremen

Mrs. Bobbie L. Kirksey Meyer von Bremen, 73, passed away at her home on February 2, 2011.  Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday February 7, 2011 at Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church with Rev. Leigh Ann Raynor officiating.  Interment will be held at Crown Hill Cemetery.  Visitation will be held at Kimbrell-Stern Funeral Home, Sunday February 5, 2011 from 2 -4 p.m. The family will receive friends and relatives at the home of Bobbie Meyer von Bremen at 500 Whippoorwill Road.

Born in Baker County, Georgia she is preceded in death by her parents, William W. Kirksey and Bertha Rackley Kirksey, husband Mike Volkmar Meyer von Bremen, all of Albany, and siblings H. Dale and Billy Kirksey.

Survivors include her beloved companion of many years, Fred Schmitt, her sons, Michael (Peggy) Meyer von Bremen of Albany, Bernard (Wende) Meyer von Bremen of Macon, grandchildren Meg Meyer von Bremen of Washington D.C., Welsley Meyer von Bremen of Albany/Athens and Ryan (Sarah) Meyer von Bremen of Chatham, Virginia, Meghan Meyer von Bremen of Macon, one great grandchild, Noah Meyer von Bremen and six siblings, Franklin Kirksey of Doerun, Charles Enoch Kirksey of Albany,  David Kirksey of Dothan, Alabama, Judy Lamar of Lullhomaville, Tenn., Ann Bell of Lake Placid, Fla., and Donna Kirksey of Worth County.

She was a 1955 graduate of Miller County High and then attended Andrew College where, while studying business, she met her future husband Mike Meyer-Bremen, a then German exchange student attending Norman Park College.

Active in the Boy Scout program she served as a Den Mother in the 1960s and received the rare Silver Fawn Award from the Boy Scouts for Distinguished service. She was very active in Genealogy serving as a volunteer in the Genealogy Department for the Dougherty County Public Libraries; served on the Baker County Historical Society where, in that capacity, she helped compile the 1991 edition of The History of Baker County; was an Ambassador for the Albany Area Chamber for many years, having been honored as Ambassador of the Year; was a member of Women in Construction, having served a term as President; served on the Board of Easter Seals; was a member of the International Club and a member of Porterfield Memorial United Methodist Church since 1964. She loved working with children and taught for many years at the Porterfield Day School, was a nursery worker there up to the time of her death and taught Sunday School for many years

Those desiring may send memorials to the Porterfield Children’s Ministry or Easter Seals of Southern Georgia.

You may sign the guestbook and share your thoughts with the family of Mrs. Meyer von Bremen by visiting Kimbrell-Stern’s website at www.kimbrellstern.com.

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RIP Stephen Moncus (memorial fund established)

Mr. Stephen Foye (Goose) Moncus, 33, of Albany, GA died August 17, 2010 at his residence.

Funeral services will be Saturday 10 AM at First Presbyterian Church in Albany. Rev. Garrett Andrew and Rev. Daniel VanCleave officiating. Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery.

Stephen has lived in Albany all of his life where he was a 1995 graduate of Albany High School and manager of the football team. He was a member of Central Baptist Church where he was active in there youth Program and the youth program at First Presbyterian Church. He worked for Wal-Mart in the garden center for 10 years, member of the Special Olympics bowling and softball leagues, volunteered with the American cancer Society, Food Bank of Southwest Georgia and Mission Change. Stephen was a special assistant to Coach Jimmy Fields for 7 to 8 years at Deerfield Windsor School and Sherwood Christian Academy. Most recently he worked with “Paws with a Cause” program, and was scheduled to receive a dog to help Stephen with his seizures.

Stephen will be remembered most for the love he gave to all he met and the acts of kindness to those in need.

He was preceded in death by his father, Tommy Moncus and his grandmother, Betty Swette Naylor.

Survivors include his mother, Terri Moncus of Albany, sisters, Lynn Ferrin and her husband Adam of Alta, IA, Michelle Moncus and her husband Ben Harder of Alta, IA and Christy Hayes of Warwick, GA, step-mother, Charlene Moncus of Americus, GA, grandfather, Foye (Red) Moncus of Leesburg, GA, aunts and uncles, Julie Parslow of Albany, GA, Kay Harris and her husband Jay of Macon, GA, Kelly Campbell of Bay St. Louis, MS, Richard Parslow and his wife Donna of Daphne, AL and Keith Moncus and his wife Mary Evelyn of Plains, GA , nieces and nephews, Ardis Moncus, Alexis Meyer, Brianna Moncus, Hanna Harder, Thomas Meyer all of Alta, IA and Gage Hayes of Warwick, GA and a host of cousins and extended family.

The family will receive friends Friday from 6:00 PM till 8:00 PM at Kimbrell-Stern and will be at the residence of Laura Bridges 424 S. Audubon Dr. Albany, GA 31707.

Those desiring, please make memorial contributions to www.pawswithacause.org, Paws with a Cause, 4646 South Division, Wayland MI 49348.

Due to Stephen’s inability to obtain insurance due to his health, there will be a memorial fund established in Stephen’s name at a local bank for those who wish to help the family with his funeral expenses.
You may sign the online guest book and share your own special thoughts with the family of Stephen Moncus by visiting Kimbrell-Stern’s website at www.kimbrellstern.com

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Uninsured Albany native asks for help

Kay Barber Schwegler Bingaman, pictured here with her husband, Tom, is in need of surgery. A fund-raiser is being conducted in Miller County to raise money for Bingaman’s procedure.

An uninsured Albany native, in need of a surgical procedure that could potentially save her life, is reaching out to her community for donations to help cover the cost of the procedure.

Kay Barber Schwegler Bingaman, who grew up in Putney and lived in Dougherty and Lee County most of her adult life, touched the lives of many children during her dozen years as a home daycare operator and later as director of the Albany YMCA’s afterschool program in Lee, Crisp, Worth and Turner counties.

In addition, Bingaman was instrumental in raising money and managing fundraising campaigns for children in need of medical care, as well as writing grants to help rural children participate in after school and summer care. Now she needs help

Bingaman has suffered from numerous medical issues for years, including fibromyalgia, non- alcoholic fatty liver disease, a heart defect, arthritis and degenerative joint disease in her spine and recurring kidney stones.

Hospitalized and in emergency rooms for over 20 admissions and procedures in recent years, including stent placements and lithotripsy, Bingaman’s blood work revealed a high calcium level and she progressed to seeing six doctors a month, was on oxygen and taking 16 medications. A divorce left her without health insurance, and she has already depleted her funds with existing health expenses.

“My pain increased, my symptoms of extreme bone pain did also, and in ’09, I finally reached a point where I simply could not walk through a store, keep my own house, or even stand to cook dinner,” said Bingaman. “My body was wracked and still is, from my shoulders down my arms all the way to my feet.”

Soon, Bingaman complained about deep bone pain, and blood tests were taken by the only doctor she could afford at the time.

“I was told I was nothing but a “laundry list” of ailments. I knew that, but I needed a doctor to start doing laundry and give me some diagnostic help – fast.”

Last summer, symptoms progressed and began to affect her vision. Having moved to Bainbridge nearer her new husband, Tom’s, place of employment, she then began to experience hair loss, falling and losing the use of her arms and hands because of the pain, every new issue putting additional stress on her already weak heart.

A return trip to the doctor for more blood work revealed nothing.

“At one point, I knew that because of not having insurance I was literally dying from lack of medical testing. I needed a bone scan, a new stress test on my heart and several other things that maybe would have, with insurance, saved me from the fall of ’09 being my breaking point,” she said.

Still wracked with migraines, bone, chest and stomach pain, a swollen liver and overtaxed kidneys, Bingaman and her husband again sought answers from a doctor, knowing her lack of insurance would still be an issue. This time, blood tests revealed something new, a non-functioning parathyroid gland, where calcium levels in the body are regulated.

“That week, I had been carried in to my doctor’s office nearly hysterical with pain. Hair was coming out in handfuls, my arms were numb, then my legs … my gut felt like I had been beaten in it. I woke up every night, if I was lucky enough to get to sleep, screaming with pain.”

Her diagnosis is hyperparathyroid disease, paired with extreme hypocalcaemia. Her parathyroid gland has stopped working for one of two reasons, either a tumor or growth on the gland or cancer, possibly from her bones that have likely leeched calcium into her system for years. Only surgery will reveal which one she faces, but without insurance, the prospect was dim. Not to mention that very few surgeons are capable of the performing the specialized procedure Bingaman needs.

“After long searches, we’ve found that no surgeons that have any pro-bono funds available. We have called every agency you might think. We have inquired about Medicaid and were told if we divorce, I can get it. No. God is not going to think that is the way we should take, with our strong marriage and faith.”

So the search was on, and The Bingamans have a consult on Feb. 1 with a surgeon who started performing this procedure a year ago, and who they are hoping will be able to work out a payment plan, if the funds in her campaign are high enough to cover his consultation, a down payment, pre-surgical testing and hospital arrangements. It is another dilemma for the Bingamans to hope that the hospital where the surgeon performs will work with them under a payment agreement also.

Sadly, without campaign amounts climbing quickly – they’ve raised $2,800 thus far – the Bingamans may actually have to wait until donations raised are enough to satisfy both the surgeon and hospital with promise of payment.

But time is crucial. The initial goal is $13,000 to get Bingaman in the lineup for the surgery. Additional funds will be needed for travel and other expenses, including follow up care. A couple of her husband’s coworkers at the Miller County Board of Education have organized a fundraiser for Bingaman. Donations can be sent to the Miller County Board of Education, Attn: Bingaman Family Fund, Jeff Hatcher – Trustee, 96 Perry St., Colquitt, GA 39837.

Donations should be made payable to Bingaman Family Fund. Donations are tax deductible.

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LET FREEDOM SING with Albany Civil Rights Singers

Nearly 50 years since the Freedom Singers were formed in Albany by a quartet including Rutha Harris to raise money for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee and to inform audiences about grass-roots civil rights advocacy efforts, Ms. Harris and other Albany-area volunteers are still spreading their messages through song.
The Freedom Singers, which were reinstituted in Albany in 1995, perform on the second Saturday of each month at the Albany Civil Rights Institute.
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Local Author Bill Lightle an Albany treasure

Thirty years ago (!), I was running for public office and a young reporter for the Albany Herald interviewed me. That was back in the days before cable television news (CNN was brand new and not available very many places), before the Internet, before newspapers began going the way of the dinosaur.

The reporter — Bill Lightle — was a pleasant surprise. Erudite, well spoken, no deep South Georgia accent. I found out later he was an all around superb athlete at the local high school (Albany High) who excelled at football and basketball.

We ended up becoming friends and I played basketball with him and his younger brother, Jim, over the years in the early 1980s at the local YMCA.

More than a decade later, in 1992, the tables were turned a bit, as Bill ran for Congress in our newly created/redistricted district. He was a good candidate, put on a hell of a campaign, but in the end, old timey politics won out (perception beats competence almost every time, unless an extraordinary situation like a depression or other disaster strikes) and Bill lost.

Bill became a teacher at Lee County High School, where I coached the mock trial team a couple of years. He was extremely popular with students there, as he was when he moved on to college teaching.

When his first book — Made or Broken: Football & Survival in the Georgia Woods – came out, I scarfed it up, read it, and got a terrific appreciation of some of the local history, both sports and politics, of the area before I had moved here.

Here’s a review, courtesy of Bill’s website (www.blightle.com): Bill Lightle’s first book, Made or Broken: Football & Survival in the Georgia Woods, is set in the racial tension of the Deep South in the 1960s. The story follows a group of young men on their experiences at the notorious Graves Springs football camp.

The agony of the grueling practices and the fears of hazing were a legend about to be realized by the team’s sophomore players. Lightle vividly describes how players endured the two weeks of humiliation and abuse in the rich swampland of Southwest Georgia through mutual support and camaraderie. “Players ‘fell out’ as the expression was used because of the lack of water and what we had to go through during those practices,” Lightle said.

Made or Broken is a touching story of a young man’s experiences of trial, friendship, and the racism in Albany, Georgia.

Bill’s got a second book — Mill Daddy, The Life and Times of Roy Davis – is out now.

It recounts the story of a south Georgia mill worker who grew up in the early 20th century, and who employed Bill and his friends four decades ago when teenagers weren’t quite so afraid of hard work (no video games, no IPODs, no texting).

If you get a chance, give either of those books a read. You won’t regret it.

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FinkelsteinMugWritten by Jim Finkelstein.

Albany Outlook is a town square for local issues. It includes The Albany Journal’s perspective and columns written both by well-known names in the community and “just plan folks”. The Journal is not responsible for views expressed by guest comments. The best Outlook writers are passionate, persuasive, logical, and concise (750 words or less). Have something on your mind that you are willing to share? Email us: ajournal@thealbanyjournal.com

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A man’s daughter

Ted Anderson’s wife, Barbara, and daughter, Sherry.

What is it about a man’s daughter that makes her so special to him? I was just thinking about that because my daughter came to visit us recently. Let me tell you about her.

First of all, my daughter is very attractive and looks like my wife. When they were younger, she and my wife were frequently thought by strangers to be sisters. My wife and I used to get quite a kick out of that. I think the first reason she means so much to me is because every time I look at her, I see my wife when we were both young and dating or during our early years of our marriage.

Next, I am so endeared to her because she seems a lot like me. How could a person not love a person a great deal if that person seemed to be the spitting image of himself?! She cares about other people and is the first person to write a thank-you note, which is something I have always done and evidently she has picked up from me — or I at least like to think that I had something to do with it. If something is bothering her, she doesn’t hesitate to contact that person to apologize or to find out what is wrong instead of keeping it to herself. I really like that trait about anyone.

She is the first person to volunteer when there is a need for her services. She isn’t afraid to get up in front of people and talk and I am so proud of her when she does. A couple years ago, she went to my high school’s 50-year class reunion in northern Illinois and took a lot of pictures and put them on CDs and sold them to classmates for her cost. She wasn’t a bit afraid to get up in front of over 150 people and talk to them about the pictures she had taken and the CDs she was going to make. I can see why she has been so successful over the years. By the way, she was a first-team all-state swimmer in high school in Michigan. To accomplish this, she had to swim several miles daily. On top of that, she graduated fifth in a large high school class and graduated from Michigan State University with high grades.

As she was growing up, I gave her and my son a lot of trust and allowed them to do a lot of things that maybe other parents would not have allowed. About some things, I look back now and wonder what I was thinking and if I did the right thing many times. I took her on one of my business trips to Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona and in the middle of my trip I was called back to St. Louis, Mo., for a meeting. We were in Denver when I got the call and I didn’t hesitate to leave her at the hotel until I got back a day later. After it was all over, I looked back and wondered if I had done the right thing. Today, I would not have done that, as she was only 17. Times were different then, though, and we all weren’t thinking about all the crazy people that seem to be roaming the streets like they are today.

Both of my children had the experience of meeting a lot of different people in many different parts of the country because we lived in many cities. As a result, they had to adapt to a lot of different circumstances. They learned a lot and had many experiences, as a result, that many other children have not had. Because of this, my daughter got an education that can’t be gotten from any book and it has certainly helped her a great deal in life. She now has her own jewelry business with many women working for her. Her sales put her with the elite in the company nationwide and her business is expanding rapidly. She now has given her three children the same experiences that she has had — and then some, especially the traveling part and getting a great education. In fact, our children and grandchildren have traveled overseas, which is something that my wife and I were never able to do.

It’s near the end of the year now and Christmas will soon be here. This is the time when we think about how lucky we all are for all we have, especially the wonderful children and grandchildren that God has given us. I am especially thankful that he gave me such a wonderful daughter. Sherry, my daughter, I love you.

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Special Olmpics Bowling 9

BOWL OF GOOD FUN
Athletes from the Albany Recreation and Parks Department’s Special Olympics program enjoyed a day of bowling at a recent tournament held at the Rose Bowl in Thomasville.
Tags: People
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Welcome “Back”, Carter

Albany native and commercial real estate agent Mary Carter has come home, although technically she never left. Carter recently joined the local team at Murray Webb and Associates. Before this “move” she was with Athens-based Thomas Crane Realty.

Carter worked for Crane from her home here, and was focused on retail development in the Albany area and other areas of the state. Now all of her energy is targeted on the positive aspects of her hometown, which Carter says remain a high value to prospective businesses and developers from across the region. Carter is very aware of the harsh realities of the current economic downturn nationally and locally; as she sees it, difficult times create opportunities that would not normally present themselves. Even though the slowdown has delayed many “big box” retailers from expanding, Carter says the growth in small, locally owned businesses has a lot of potential right now.

“There are local folks recently laid off, like at Cooper Tire and such, that want to stay here. They have roots here, and they are looking to start up their own businesses.” said Carter. “Albany has the storefronts available right now to fill that need.”

She sees her job as finding the right match of property and business.

“I love what I do,” she said.

Carter predicts that Albany not only will survive this slump, but will come out of it in a stronger regional position.

“Property owners and developers understand that Albany is where the vast majority of shoppers still shop,” she said.

A 2006 study showed that the city gets an average of 400,000 customers annually. That is a figure that easily grabs the attention of retail outlets and local businesses, looking to open up or expand existing businesses. Carter believes the perception that nothing is happening in the local business and retail economy is just wrong, saying, “I’m very busy”.

Carter has built a solid reputation over the years as a proactive, positive force in real estate. Starting in residential sales in 1984, she says it has been a career that she has loved from the beginning. “It’s all about building relationships, establishing trust, working hard, and doing everything you can to match the right location with the needs and budgets of the buyer”, said Carter.

In 1994, Carter made the switch to commercial real estate. Her personable style has been matched by her professional attention to the details, giving her even more opportunities to participate in some significant business developments. Through Crane Realty, she quickly found herself connected with big players in the big world of property development. One deal that stands out with her was with Mansour’s, working closely with owner Fred Mansour to develop and open an 80,000-square-foot location in Augusta.

Some of her first deals here centered on properties in northwest Albany. Her efforts activated the business area from Logan’s Roadhouse to Backyard Burgers, with that million dollar project taking about two years to complete. It’s hard work that requires patience and people skills, but the end result is obvious to the community; jobs. It’s clear that Carter is driven as much by her faith in God and the desire to do the right thing for the community as she is a paycheck.

Carter’s drive to bring business and opportunities for growth to Albany probably sprouts from her youth, growing up with memories of a vibrant, family friendly city. She reflected, “I remember just spending the whole day downtown with my friends, all the stores and things to see. It was wonderful.”

Today, like many others, she is concerned about the redevelopment of downtown Albany, but her concern has only motivated her to get involved and do what she can to bring economic viability to the city’s core. While Carter’s efforts are spread all over Albany and southwest Georgia, one of the most valuable areas for business growth she sees here is the property along Ledo Road and Nottingham Way.

“There is a lot of activity there”, said Carter. Walden Place, a retail strip of storefronts at the intersection, and just behind the retail store for AT&T, has its first tenant. Carter has worked with the developers to adjust the rental rates, bringing them more in line with the local economy, and thereby spurring business expansion in the complex.

Carter says new construction along U.S. Highway 19 North will also continue, with one developer paying more than $1 million for just over two acres there. She is also involved in the promising ”inland port” area in Cordele, just off Interstate 75 and Georgia Hwy. As this property grows in value, it will affect the entire region, as the capacity to receive goods arriving from Savannah and other areas increases, only adding to the total retail value of Southwest Georgia.


LonMcNeil 09Written by Lon McNeil. Mr. McNeil is an Albany independent marketing consultant. Find him online at AlbanyOnPoint.

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International Festival 2009

Thousands of people flocked to RiverFront Park on Saturday to attend the second annual International Festival, a production of the Albany Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Downtown Merchants Association.

The multicultural affair featured traditional dance, music and costumes from throughout the world, along with puppetteers, clowns, rock climbing, children’s games, exhibitors, and demonstrations by the Parks at Chehaw.

PHOTOS BY RACHELLE BITTERMAN/ALBANY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tags: People
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