Etta Mae Lanier

Etta Mae McWilliams Lanier, 94, died on Wednesday, December 29, 2004 in Lakeland, Georgia. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, January 2, 2005, at First Baptist Church in Ft. Ogden, Florida with burial at the Ft. Ogden Cemetery. Reverend Wayne Earnest will officiate. The family will receive friends from 1:30p.m. until 2 p.m. at the church on Sunday prior to the service.

Born December 14, 1910, in Pavo, Georgia, the family moved to Tampa in 1913 and on to Fort Ogden, Florida in 1927, where Etta resided until 7 years ago. During WWII she spent time sewing fabric for the wings on the Stearman training planes at Charlstrom Field in Arcadia. She also participated in skits and plays which raised money to buy war bonds.

Mrs. Lanier was preceded in death by her mother and father, Lloyd McWilliams and Bessie Hester McWilliams Gibson, her husband of 67 years J.O. Lanier, Sr., and two children, Donald McWilliams and Mary Lou Lanier, both of Tampa, Florida.

Etta is survived by two sons, John Orton, Jr. (Toby) and wife Libby Lanier of Ft. Myers, Florida, and C. Robert (Bloss) and wife Beverly Lanier of Valdosta, Georgia; eleven grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. Her surviving siblings are Jane Gibson Muller of Clearwater, Florida, Dr. Eulah McWilliams of Tampa, Florida and Carl McWilliams of Sebring, Florida.

Flowers will be received or donations may be made to Hospice of South Georgia, PO Box 1727, Valdosta, Georgia 31603-1727, the Alzheimer’s Association, or First Baptist Church of Ft. Ogden, Florida.



Funeral Home:
Carson McLane Funeral Home
2215 North Patterson Street
Valdosta, GA
US 31602