Mrs. Betty Cox Gill

Mrs. Betty Cox Gill, 92, of Thomaston, died December 16, 2019, at Upson Regional Medical Center. Funeral Services for Mrs. Gill will be held on Friday, December 20, at 2:00 PM, at the Trinity Baptist Church. Rev. Dusty Raines will officiate, and interment will follow in South View Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Fletcher-Day Funeral Home on Thursday evening, December 19, from 6:00 until 8:00 PM. Mrs. Gill was born on November 21, 1927, in Baldwin County, GA, to the late William and Viola Cox. After graduating from Georgia State College for Women, now known as Georgia State College and University, she came to Thomaston in 1948 to teach kindergarten and spent 38 years teaching first and second grades. She is best remembered for many years at Atwater and North Thomaston Schools. Of the thousands of students she taught, Jimmy Freeman was her all time favorite. She loved to pass the time away reading on her favorite corner of the couch, regularly going to the public library, or swapping books with her friends. She loved keeping an eye on the birds at her feeder just outside the window and identifying them in her bird book. Braves Season occupied her nights from April through September as she never missed a game." Chipper " was her favorite player and she always pulled for "Freddie" to do well. She was married to the late George Gill for more than 50 years. One of her favorite routines was that weekly visit to Haney's Beauty Shop to get her hair fixed and talk to all of the regulars. And yes, she was still driving herself there and to the grocery store. But her greatest love was being "Nanny" to her five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. Her adult grandchildren could stop by anytime and listen to her tales of growing up back in the thirties and her teen and college life. They also knew they could get a non-judgmental sympathetic ear ready to just listen and provide comfort and encouragement with that old "soft r" Southern accent. She loved and was truly loved by those who knew her. She was a charter member of Trinity Baptist Church where she was fondly known as "Ms. Betty", and she faithfully attended services as long as she was able. Her church and church family were very dear to her. She will never really be gone, for her love and wisdom will always be there for all to draw upon. In addition to her husband and her parents, Mrs. Gill was preceded in death by a daughter, Cheryl Gill Conley in 2006, and a brother, Billy Cox. Survivors include two sons: Gary Gill and Greg Gill, both of Thomaston; a sister, Mary Ann Head of Milledgeville; a sister-in-law, Joyce Headley of Milledgeville; five grandchildren: Katie (Matthew) George; Abbey (Ryan) Winters; Carly Claire Gill; Briton Gill; and Ryan (Tamara) Gill. Nine great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews also survive. Those desiring may make memorial contributions to Trinity Baptist Church, 410 South Church Street, Thomaston, GA 30286. Fletcher-Day Funeral Home of Thomaston is in charge of all arrangements. Condolences and remembrances may be expressed at www.fletcherdayfuneralhome.com.