Marie M. Giddens

ELLAVILLE, GA --- Mrs. Marie McDuffie Giddens, age 87, of Ellaville, GA died Saturday, January 9, 2016 at Magnolia Manor Nursing Center.  Funeral services will be held at Ellaville Baptist Church at 2:00 PM on Monday, January 11, 2016 with burial to follow in the Ellaville Cemetery.  Rev. Joel Smith and Mr. Sammy Lee will officiate.

 Mrs. Giddens was born September 8, 1928 in Eastman, Dodge County, Georgia, the oldest child of Walter Alex McDuffie and Bertie Lee Lewis McDuffie.  Mrs. Giddens began working at a local movie theatre selling tickets at an early age.  She received her Secretarial/Bookkeeping Degree at a local college.  At the age of 16 she went to work at Warner Robins Air Force Base in a secretarial job.  After marrying Lawton W. Giddens in 1946, she was employed by Coffee Tractor and Mule Co. in Eastman, GA as a receptionist.   Along with her husband, they purchased Collins Funeral Home in Ellaville in 1961, later changing the name to Giddens Funeral Home. While owning Giddens Funeral Home, Mrs. Giddens received her Funeral Directors license.  In the mid 1960’s, they were co-owners of Giddens-Tante Funeral Home in Buena Vista, Georgia.  She was employed by Life of Georgia Insurance Company in Americus for several years.  Later she worked at Champion Home Builders in Ellaville for 26 years.  When Champion closed, Mrs. Giddens ran for the office of Probate Judge of Schley County, was elected, and served from 1990-2004 at which time she retired to care for her husband whose health was failing. 

 Together with her husband they established the business known as “Ellaville Floral Trays Inc.”  Having the wire trays made locally, they shipped them around the United States.  They also were owners of Schley Homes, Inc. to assist newcomers to the county in selling lots on which to build new homes.

 Mrs. Giddens had been a member of Ellaville Baptist Church since 1961where she taught children and youth Sunday school classes.  She then became teacher of the “Gleaners” ladies Sunday school class from 1977 to 2014.  She was also an active member of the choir.  Her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ was the source of her strength.  She did not let a day go by without reading her Bible.  She knew it is the inspired Word of God.  While being a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, she put her faith into action. 

 Survivors include one daughter, Ginger Eubanks of Ellaville, Georgia; one son, Daniel Lawton Giddens and wife Stephanie Deese of Raleigh, NC; four grandchildren, Scott Giddens of Raleigh, NC, Steven and Lauren Vickery of Ellaville, Dusty and Amanda Eubanks of Anderson, SC, Brad and Kelly Eubanks of Ellaville; four great-grandchildren, Tiffany Brianne Vickery, Steven Tyler Vickery, Noah Bradley Eubanks and Hosanna Kate Eubanks all of Ellaville.  Also surviving is one brother, Walter and Gwen McDuffie of Atlanta, GA and one sister, Linda and Johnny Holland of Hawkinsville, GA. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Giddens was preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, Lawton W. Giddens, one brother, Wilbur McDuffie and one son in law, Larry Eubanks, Sr.  

Active pallbearers will be Lee Mitchell, Glenn Kemp, Lamar Jordan, Roger Bivins, Bruce Manucy, and Ken McKinney.  Honorary pallbearers will be the Gleaners Sunday School class.

Visitation will be held Sunday, January 10, 2016 from 4:00 until 6:00 PM at Watson-Giddens Funeral Home in Ellaville.  In lieu of flower, memorials may be made to the Ellaville Baptist Church Building Fund, P. O. Box 325, Ellaville, Georgia 31806.