OBITUARIES: In Memory

HIGHT, Ona Lee

Ona Lee Hight, 96, of Rome, GA died March 26, 2021. Services were held at 2:00PM, on March 29, 2021 at Dry Creek Baptist Church, Adairsville. Arrangements by R. Dudley Barton & Son Funeral Home, Adairsville.

MUSICK, Janet (Jan) Jennings

Janet Jennings Musick (Jan) died peacefully at her home on March 25, 2021, surrounded by those she loved the most after a long and courageous battle with cancer. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Parnick Jennings, Sr. and the late Patti Johnson Humphrey, Jan was born in Rome, GA on November 7th, 1952. She was a 1970 graduate of East Rome High School, where she played basketball with her fellow Lady Gladiators, many of whom remained her lifelong friends. A keen collector of antiques, folk art, and most especially of W.j.gordy pottery, she was also an avid collector of friends. Her circle grew exponentially over the years, coming to include fellow parents at Berry College Elementary and Middle School, her Bunco Babes, friends in Cave Spring, GA, and fellow volunteers at Floyd Felines, PAWS, and the Rome-floyd Humane Society, where she served as vice-president. In her earlier years, she worked alongside her family at Jennings Funeral Home, and in later years, she loved delivering prescriptions to the many loyal customers of Cave Spring Pharmacy, which she owned and operated with her husband, Clyde, until 2015. Jan gave of herself without hesitation or reservation in everything that she did, and most especially was dedicated to the homeless kitties of Rome and Floyd County, serving as a dedicated, tireless volunteer in numerous animal rescue organizations over the years. In June of 2020, the Jan Musick Kitty Room was dedicated by the Bunco Babes in honor of her service at PAWS (Floyd County’s Public Animal Welfare Service). Although kitties were her lifelong passion, her heart was also stolen by a chocolate lab named Basho. Basho followed her every step and the two were inseparable until he crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2012. Her family takes tremendous joy and comfort in knowing Basho was there to greet her upon her passing, we think surely second only to her Lord and Savior, Jesus himself. Jan’s household was, of course, also home to numerous kitties over the years, and she is survived by seven beautiful cats who greatly enriched her life and stayed by her side throughout her ¿JKW ZLWK FDQFHU 2QH RI KHU greatest joys in life was going to Panama City Beach, a joy she was able to experience many times through the love and generosity of her older brother, Parnick, Jr., whom she affectionately called Bubba, and his wife, her sister-in-love, Tina. They loved her so well, and there was nothing they wouldn’t do just to make her smile. Jan was preceded in death by her mother, Patti Johnson Humphrey; an infant sister, Kathy Sue Jennings; and her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Jennings and the Rev. and Mrs. Guy H. Johnson. Jan is survived by her beloved husband of nearly 36 years, Clyde Allan Musick; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Parnick Jennings, Sr., of Rome; brothers, J. Parnick Jennings, Jr. (Tina) of Cartersville and Charles +XPSKUH\ RI 2FNODZDKD FL; brother-in-law Jerry Musick (Evelyn) of Stafford, VA and sister-in-law Janice Musick Carney (Adrian) of Rome; daughter, Tara Kirkland Inman (Brian) of Rome; sons, David “Clay” Kirkland (Becky), of Titusville, PA; Parnick Spencer Musick of Rome, and James Jacob Musick of Rossville. Also surviving are six grandchildren, to whom she was known as Granjan: Maggie, Davis, Wesley, and Harrison Inman of Rome,

GA, and Della and Seth Kirkland of Titusville, PA. Numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, extended family, and cherished special friends also mourn her passing. In accordance with her wishes, Jan’s body was donated to the Emory University School of Medicine. To those who knew her well, it will be no surprise that even in death, she found a way to be a source of help and hope for others. She chose Emory out of gratitude for the wonderful care she received from everyone at Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute, especially from her melanoma specialists, Dr. Lowe and Dr. Kudchakar. Jan’s family offers their deepest thanks to her Heyman Hospice team, especially Drs. Singh and Mccormick and Nurses Bob and Sue, for helping Jan to OLYH KHU ¿QDO ZHHNV LQ SHDFH and comfort at home surrounded by her favorite people and her kitties. We also will be forever grateful to her Harbin Clinic doctors, Dr. Missy Dillmon and Dr. Whitney Jennings, for working tirelessly to bring her through the many extraordinary challenges she faced along her journey this past year, allowing us to have so many more good days with her than we might have had without their compassionate and expert care. We lack the words to express the depth of our love and gratitude to her friend and ours, Cindy Wilson Tullos, for dropping everything in her own life and moving in to help care for Jan during the last weeks of her life. Everyone should be so blessed in life to be loved by a friend as extravagantly well as Jan was loved by Cindy. A memorial service will be held at 4 PM on Wednesday, March 31, at Parnick Jennings, Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home with WKH 5HY )UDQN 0XUSK\ Ri¿ciating. Those attending the memorial service are asked to wear masks and adhere to social distancing guidelines. Please stay home if you are unwell or have been exSRVHG WR &29,' 7KH VHUYLFH will also be live-streamed on Good Shepherd’s Facebook page for those who are unable to attend in person. ,Q OLHX RI ÀRZHUV DQG LQ Dfcordance with Jan’s wishes, the family requests that donations in Jan’s memory be made to Floyd Felines DQG )ULHQGV DW 3 2 %R[ 2364, Rome, GA 30164, or to the Rome-floyd Humane Society at 3 Central Plaza, Box 193, Rome, GA 30161. $QRWKHU YHU\ ¿WWLQJ ZD\ WR honor Jan is always to adopt, don’t shop, spay/neuter your pets, and never pass up the chance to give of yourself for others, both for your neighbors and our animal companions. Parnick Jennings, Sr.’s Good Shepherd Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements for Mrs. Janet Jennings Musick.

SMILE BECAUSE HE LIVED

You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he lived. You can close your eyes and pray that he will come back, or you can open your eyes and see all that he has left. Your heart can be empty because you can’t see him, or you can be full of the love that you shared. You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday. You can remember him and only that he is gone, or you can cherish his memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn back, or you can do what he would want: Smile, open your eyes, love and go on.

— Author Unknown

When those we love have left this earth, we still can feel them near. We’ll see a picture, hear a song, and it’s just like they are here. And when we call upon our faith, when we believe and trust, we know the ones we care about are always close to us. — Constance Parker Graham

POWELL, Robert Allison

Robert Allison “Al” Powell, age 63, of Rome, passed away on Saturday, March 27, 2021, in Rome, GA.

Robert was born on March 15, 1958, in Floyd County, Georgia son of the late Milton Powell and the late Helen Mize Powell Mcgraw. Robert, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, was honorably discharged after seven years of service to his country. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Johnny Powell and Wayne Powell; his sisters, Elizabeth Neal, Addie Roberson, Juanita Rayburn, and Carol Powell; and by a brother-inlaw, Tommy Hardin.

Survivors include his former wife, Charlene Powell, and their daughters, Allison Troupe (Tim), and Laura Brooks (Daniel); a sister, Lillie Hardin; a sister-in-law, Angie Powell; a brother-inlaw, Mike Neal; grandsons, William and Charles Troupe; several nieces, nephews, and cousins also survive.

A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, March 31, 2021, at 3pm in the Chapel at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, with Bro. Jerry $GDLU RI¿FLDWLQJ ,QWHUPHQW will follow in Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery with the American Legion Post #5 Honor Guard presenting military honors.

The family will receive friends at Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, on Wednesday from 2pm until the service time. Social distancing measures will be followed, and masks are requested.

Henderson & Sons Funeral Home, South Chapel, 3002 Maple Road, Rome, GA 30161, has charge of the arrangements.