MEDFORD-PEDEN
NORTH CHAPEL
Jewell Freeman
Jewell Freeman, age 79, passed away peacefully at her home on Friday, June 30, 2017, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was embraced during the final weeks of her life by friends, family, and incredibly dedicated caregivers. Her comfort was their comfort.
Jewell was a proud child of Fourth Ward, born there on February 17, 1938, to the late Estelle Lary Jurdon and John Wesley Jurdon. She was the baby of the family. Her eldest sister was the late Frances (Chitter) Jurdon Self. She is survived by her middle sister, Betty Jurdon Clark, of Rome, her son, Chris Freeman, who lives in Los Angeles, and many loving relatives from both sides of the family.
Everyone who met Jewell fell under her charming spell. She drew people in. Like her father, she never met a stranger. After attending Neely School, she graduated from Rome High in 1956. As a teenager, being true to her name, she worked for nearly every jeweler on Broad Street.
On February 8, 1957, she married her handsome sweetheart, a country boy from Wax named Billy Freeman, who passed away in March of 2011. They were happily married for fifty-three years. The smartest thing the young couple did was waiting seven years to have children. They enjoyed their twenties with trips to the beach and living in close friendships among their neighbors on Paris Drive and then in the boondocks of Coosa. Some of those folks became lifelong companions.
Three years after Chris was born, they welcomed William Douglas Freeman to the family. In 1974, he died of complication from leukemia.
After the death of her young son, Jewell went back to work, first at McDonald’s and then as a substitute teacher. All the kids at Coosa were happy walking into the classroom to find that they had Mrs. Freeman for a day or two. In the early 1980s, she began a twenty-year career at K-Mart, first in West Rome and then in Centre, Alabama, before retiring from the East Rome K-Mart in late 2003. She walked thousands of miles on those concrete floors and worked as hard as a person can, a lesson she taught her son. And she couldn’t go anywhere without people recognizing her. She loved that.
As a retirement gift to themselves, Jewell and Billy embarked on a cross country road trip to see Chris’s new life in California. It was the best family vacation possible. A few years later, Billy became ill and passed away. After that, Jewell and Chris took care of each other, and after her Parkinson’s diagnosis, they, together, did everything possible to provide her with safety and comfort. She passed away with serenity, assured through her faith that she is reunited with her beloved Billy and Douglas.
True to her belief in the importance of education, she donated her body to the Medical College of Georgia. Thousands of patients will benefit from what some fortunate student learns from this gift.
Her memorial will be held at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church on the Kingston Road on Friday, August 11, at 11:30 a.m. Jewell and Billy were founding members of this wonderful church. Immediately following the services, guests will celebrate Shelby Wiley Gilleland
Mr. Shelby Wiley Gilleland, age 78, of Rome, passed away Friday, June 30, 2017, at a local hospital.
Mr. Shelby Gilleland was born on Feb. 2, 1939 in Rome, a son of the late Frank Gilleland and Beatrice Lemaster Gilleland. Mr. Shelby served in the Navy for a number of years and afterwards worked over 30 years at G.E. before his retirement. In his pastime he loved gardening. Mr. Shelby was a member of the Second Ave. United Methodist Church for a number of years.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Sue Stroop Gilleland; one son, Robert F. Gilleland, and his wife Khristie, of Rome; a daughter, Mary Ellen Itson, of Cave Spring; one brother, William Gilleland, of Miami, Fla.; and a sister, Micky Everett, of Rome; six grandchildren and four great-grand children also survive. Mr. Gilleland was preceded in death by his parents, Mr. Frank Gilleland and Mrs. Beatrice Lemaster Gilleland, and a brother, Marshall Gilleland.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 3, 2017, in the chapel of Good Shepherd Funeral Home. Interment will follow in the Oaknoll Memorial Gardens with the Post 12 Honor Guard conducting military rights. The family will receive friends on Sunday, July 2, 2017, from 6-8 p.m. at Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave., Rome, Ga. 30165. At other hours they may be contacted at the son’s residence, 1 Conn Place, Rome, Ga. 30165, or at Mr. Shelby’s residence, 205 N. Elm St., Rome, Ga. 30165
Pallbearers are asked to meet at the funeral home by 12:30 p.m. on Monday, July 3, 2017. The son, grandson, family and friends will serve as active and honorary pallbearers.
The family request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association or the American Legion Shanklin-Attaway Post 5.
Please visit our website, www.goodshepherdfh.net, to post tributes.
Parnick Jennings Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home, 2750 Shorter Ave., Rome, Ga. 30165, has charge of the funeral arrangements of Mr. Shelby Wiley Gilleland.
Gail Patricia McMillan, age 76, of Atlanta, passed away Monday morning, June 19, 2017, at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta.
Ms. McMillan was born in Pahokee, Fla., on February 13, 1941, daughter of the late Arthur Lambert (Mack) McMillan Sr. and Bonnie McDaniel McMillan of Valdosta.
She grew up in Valdosta, Ga., and graduated from Valdosta State College in 1963 with a BS in accounting. She moved to Atlanta to work for the US Forest Service and later for Internal Revenue as a Tax Auditor and then as Appeals Auditor.
Gail was a member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, where she served on the Altar Guild, volunteered at the church’s Budget Helper Shop, and participated in Pairs and Spares. She was previously a member of Holy Trinity Parish Episcopal Church, Decatur, where she served on the Altar Guild and was a Lay Pastoral Caller. Gail also volunteered at Lifespan Resources.
Ms. McMillan is survived by a sister, Irene McMillan Harper, and her husband, George Harper, of Rome; and a brother, Arthur Lambert McMillan Jr., of Jasper, Fla. She is also survived by nieces, Meredith McMillan Lancaster, of Valdosta, and Laura McMillan Armistead, of Nashville, Tenn.; and great nieces and a great nephew.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, July 8, 2017, at 10 a.m. at St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church in Atlanta with Father W. Newell Graham and the Rev. Canon Alicia Schuster Weltner officiating. The family will receive friends in Gable Hall following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to St. Martin-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, 3110 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, Atlanta, Ga. 30319 or to Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 26 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10004.
Medford-Peden Funeral Home of Marietta, Ga., is in charge of arrangements. 770-427-8447
The Calhoun-based band Curiosity Shoppe entertains Romans during the downtown Beach on Broad Block Party on Saturday evening.
32nd annual
Tuesday at 9 a.m. in downtown Cave Spring. Those who would like to participate in the parade should line up between 8 and 9 a.m. All vehicles, floats with wheels and horses will line up on Perry Farm Road. All who wish to walk in the parade should assemble at Joe Hill’s Lawn Mower Shop at the old depot building on Alabama Street. Cave Spring United Methodist Church will be selling homemade ice cream. For more information call 706-802-8773. The Model Ruritan Club will hold its annual
on Tuesday at the Shannon Scout Hut, 40 Minshew Road, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Eat in or take it home. Barbecue will cost $7 for a plate or $3 for a sandwich. Brunswick stew will cost $28 per gallon, $8 per quart or $5 per pint. Friendly River Homemaker Club will sell desserts, including cakes, pies and other sweets.
will host Logan Boss of the Floyd County Health Department for a program about the Zika virus on Thursday at noon at Coosa Country Club, 110 Branham Ave.
Little River Canyon National Preserve, 4322 Little River Trail, Fort Payne, Alabama, will host a free Native American games, tools and weapons demonstration on July 8 at 10:30 a.m. CDT. Parking is $3. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information call 256-8459605 or visit www.nps.gov/ liri.
will host Beth Bond from Southeast Green for a seminar on climate change in relation to climate justice on July 8 at 9:30 a.m. On Aug. 5, Eddie Elsberry from Berry College will discuss the Berry bald eagles. The seminars are free and open to the public. Lunch will be served. For more information about the seminars call Karen Wetherington at 706-7672819. Romans fill the intersection of Broad Street and Fourth Avenue on Saturday evening at the block party. Jacob Byars, 8, Rome, emerges from the inflatable obstacle course as a winner.
Photos by Doug Walker,
Disabled American Veterans will host a cleanup at Old Eastview Cemetery, 2505 Callier Springs Road, on July 8 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Parking is across the street.
Rome News-Tribune For more details visit www. facebook.com/ OldEastviewCemetery.