Arisje Erna Hardeman Corbett

Arisje Erna Hardeman Corbett was born July 2, 1944 in Ede Gederland, Holland to Aris and Arisje Hardeman. Erna was born into a family of 14 brothers and sisters, and one very special brother Carel. Erna’s family immigrated to Canada from Holland in 1952. Being from such a large family everybody had someone to look after, setting Erna on a path to a lifetime of service. Erna met Floyd Corbett, a Georgia boy who came north to Canada for the tobacco harvest. She came South and settled in Valdosta, Georgia and they married in 1965. Erna and Floyd had three daughters: Julie (Jeff) Bolenbaugh, Sherrie (Richard) Carter, and Robin Corbett. Floyd and Erna moved to Echols County in 1973 when they needed to care for Floyd’s mother Carrie. Erna was very dedicated to the care of Carrie for 20 years until her passing. They raised their daughters and their grandchildren on the same farm until present day. She kept many children over the years while caring for her family and home. She maintained an open door policy for any neighbor or family that might stop in to see them and always managed to make much out of little.
Erna decided to follow her dream to become an LPN in 1982, and later obtained an R.N. degree that she was very proud of. She worked at many places over the years, including Hamilton County Memorial and ABC Home Health in Jasper, Florida, as well as South Georgia Medical Center. She found the perfect fit for her when she took a job at Normal Life of Georgia, where she cared for special needs clients for 10 years until her retirement. She always said that her final job was the most rewarding, saying that “These people need someone to care for and fight for them, and that is my job.” She loved her work, and she also loved her grandchildren: Rebekah (Ben) Tucker, Arisje Brianna Carter, Triston Carter, Emily Leonard, Sarah Leonard, and Kaelyn Leonard. Erna is survived by five brothers in Canada, George (Liz) Hardeman, Albert (Kelly) Hardeman, Ernie (Rita) Hardeman, Jack (Margaret) Hardeman, Brian (Helen) Hardeman, and Nick (Carrie) Hardeman, and four sisters in Canada, Wyntje (Hank) Butyn, Dian DeJonge, Effie (Jake) Smits, Lucy (Bobby) Baldree. Ms. Erna made a very special friend, Charlene McCracken, in last few years of her life. She never knew her as a caregiver, but loved her as a friend.
On April 20, 2020, Ms. Erna was reunited in Heaven with Floyd and several sisters Wilma Devine, Ruth Droogers, Jeannie Morris, and Georgina Vantoff, whom she had not seen in a very long time. She also was reunited with her favorite grandson, Joshua Michael Williams.
Erna was a member of Enoch Creek Church in Echols County, and donations may be made to them in her memory.