Shirley Jean Rickert

Page 4B
COMMUNITY NEWS / OBITUARIES / REEL MEMORIES
FANNIN SENTINEL • Thursday, April 21, 2016
OBITUARIES
Larry Birkley Raybon
Larry Birkley Raybon, 75, of
Miami, Florida, passed away
peacefully in his home in Blue
Ridge, GA, surrounded by
his family on April 15, 2016.
Larry is survived by his wife
of 53 years, Eileen, his daughter Debbie Putnam (husband
Glenn), his sons Michael (wife
Tracy) and Mark (wife Mercy)
Raybon, his sister, Charleen
Dudley (husband Terry),
his grandchildren Gage and
Caitlin Putnam, Brycen, Ian,
Michael, Melissa, and Melanie
Raybon, and his many loving
nieces, nephews and extended
family. Larry was preceded
by the death of his youngest brother Bob Raybon. Larry
was a loving husband, father,
“Pop-pop,” and friend to all.
Born in Miami to Birk
and Ruby (Carr) Raybon, he
lived most of his life in South
Florida, but set his sights on
moving to the mountains and
finally relocated full time to
Blue Ridge, GA, 14 years ago.
After serving in the Navy
from 1959-1963 and working
with Pan American Airlines,
Larry joined the family automotive repair business. This is
where his passion for handiwork grew. After working at
the family business for several
years, he moved on to own
two successful service stations.
It was also at this time that
he joined the Orange Bowl
Committee and acted as the
chairperson, assisting in the
production of half time shows
and parades. After a great many
prosperous years, he passed his
pride and joy, Miami Beach
Chevron Station, to his youngest son, Mark, and it was then
that he and the love of his
life, Eileen, made the move
up to the beautiful Blue Ridge
Mountains.
Larry loved his Miami
Dolphins and spoiling his
grandkids. During his retirement years, Larry never
missed an opportunity to
spend quality time with his
grandchildren and attended as
many of their functions as he
could, no matter the distance.
Larry became a very active
volunteer at the local Blue
Ridge Fire Station 13, joining the fundraising committee with his wife and assisting in teaching CERT classes.
He also became a prominent
member of the Shepherd of
the Hills Lutheran Church,
where he established and led a
men’s Bible Study group.
He was always there to lend
a helping hand to family and
friends with various household projects, car problems,
and anything else they might
call on him for. Larry also
developed a love for wood
working and shared this passion with his sons, grandsons,
and close friends in the shop
that he hand-built himself.
We’d like to extend a special thank you to the Heartlite
Hospice in Blue Ridge for
their loving care and support
we received. Also thank you
to all the staff at Northside
Hospital for their enduring
dedication to curing this cause.
The family will receive
friends on Friday, April 22,
2016 from 4:00 until 7:00
p.m. at the Shepherd on the
Hills Lutheran Church, 823
Forge Mill Road, Morganton,
GA. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made
in Larry’s name to Heartlite
Hospice Care at 587 Highland
Crossing, East Ellijay, GA
30540 or to Shepherd of the
Hills Lutheran Church in
memory of Larry Raybon for
Feed the Children.
Violet Mae Tanner
Taylor
Violet Mae Tanner Taylor,
age 72, of Blue Ridge, GA
passed away Thursday, April
14, 2016 in the Pruitt Health
Care Center in Blue Ridge,
GA. Ms. Taylor was born in
Ellijay, GA on Sept. 22, 1943
to the late Lloyd John Tanner
and Ellene McNabb Black
Tanner. She was retired from
Shaw Industries as a spinning
frame operator. She was of
the Baptist faith.
She is survived by her
daughter, Lisa Caulder of
Troy Robert Patterson
Troy Robert Patterson, age 76,
of Blue Ridge, GA passed away
Thursday, April 14, 2016 in the
Fannin Regional Hospital in Blue
Ridge, GA. Mr. Patterson was
born Oct. 5, 1939 in Whitfield
County, GA to the late Lewis
Andrew Patterson and Bessie
Maybell Brown Patterson. He
was a brick and rock mason, was
a member of Shepherd’s Chapel
Church, and a member of the
Southern Band of the Cherokees,
Inc. He was preceded in death
by a daughter, Sharon Renee
Seabolt and a brother, Lesley B.
Patterson.
He is survived by four sons
and daughters-in-law, Rocky
Lewis and Debbie Patterson
of Chatsworth, GA, Troy
Christopher and Denise Patterson
of Chatsworth, GA, Robert Brian
and Donna Patterson of Blue
Ridge, GA and Lesley Ryan and
Leslie Patterson of Mineral Bluff,
GA; daughter and son-in-law,
Renita Sue and Kerry Friesen
of Chattanooga, TN; son-in-law,
Ricky Seabolt; sisters, Joann
Raburn of McCaysville, GA,
Linda Sue Palmer of Cohutta,
GA, and Patricia Sanders of Blue
Ridge, GA; 12 grandchildren,
and 7 great grandchildren.
TROUT FISHING
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
Chattahoochee Forest
National Fish Hatchery
Rock Creek Road
STOCKING
SITES
WEEK OF April 11-15,
2016:
FANNIN: Toccoa River,
Toccoa River Tailwaters of
Lake Blue Ridge, and Rock
Creek.
LUMPKIN: Etowah River
and Nimblewill Creek.
MURRAY: Holly Creek.
UNION: Cooper Creek.
***NOTE: Information
is subject to change. Please
call the hatchery at 706-8384723 for questions. The
hatchery also provides trout
for the state. Please contact
Georgia DNR for information on sites stocked by the
state.
Blue Ridge; brothers, J.L.
Tanner of Blairsville and
Glenn Tanner of Gainesville,
GA; sisters, Tutie Donaldson,
Louise Hughes, and Eloise
Millsaps, all of Blairsville;
grandchildren, Terry Caulder
of Blue Ridge and Tonya
(Jeremy) Nicholson of
Emigrant, MT.
Funeral services were conducted on Sunday, April 17,
2016 at 2:00 p.m. from the
Akins of Blue Ridge Chapel
with Rev. Leonard Hunter
officiating. Pallbearers were
Larry Nicholson, Michael
Wat-kins, Bobby Watkins,
Junior Cornette, James Taylor,
and Will Donaldson. Honorary
escort was Stan Wylie, Amber
Wisdom, and employees of
Pruitt Healthcare. Interment
followed in Ozion Church
Cemetery.
Condolences
may be sent to the family at
www.akinsfuneralhome.com.
Akins Funeral Home of Blue
Ridge was in charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be held at the
Akins of Blue Ridge Funeral
Home on Tuesday, April 19, 2016
from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Donations
in memory of Mr. Patterson may
be made to help defray final
expenses. Condolences may be
sent to the family at www.akinsfuneralhome.com. Akins Funeral
Home of Blue Ridge is in charge
of arrangements.
Harold Lloyd Hulsey
Harold Lloyd Hulsey age
79, of Blue Ridge GA passed
away Saturday, April 9, 2016
at his home after a four year
battle with cancer. He was
born on July 28, 1936 in White
County GA and later moved to
Gainesville, GA. Mr. Hulsey
had made his home in Fannin
County, GA since 1964.
He served in the United
States Army and served in the
United States Coast Guard.
He worked at the Georgia
Department of Labor for 35
years. Mr. Hulsey was a very
honest and humble man, who
always had a smile on his
face. He was a man of the
Baptist faith; loving father
and husband. He was preceded in death by his father and
mother, Henry O. Hulsey and
Rosie Belle Satterfield Hulsey
of Gainesville, GA; brothers,
Gene Hulsey of Gainesville,
GA and Gilmer Hulsey of TX.
Survivors are his beloved
wife of 24 years, Linda Sue
Mull Hulsey of Blue Ridge,
GA; son, Christopher (Kelly)
Hulsey of Blue Ridge; sisters-in-law, Betty Hulsey of
Gainesville, GA, Jane Hulsey
of Dallas, TX, Virginia Gray
and Evelyn Young both of Blue
Ridge, GA, Mildred Stuart of
Clarksburg, TN, Pauline Cobb
of Marietta, GA, Nina Gatch of
Mableton, GA and Dot Mull of
Blue Ridge, GA. Nieces; nephews and other relatives also
survive.
Funeral services were conducted on Wednesday, April
13, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. from the
Akins of Blue Ridge Chapel
with Rev. Claude Mathis and
Rev. Edmund Miller officiating. Music was by Brian
Huffman. Pallbearers were
Tim Cobb, Tony Mull, Michael
Mull, Channing Johnstone,
Gerald Young and Brian Bell.
Honorary Pallbearers were
Carl Cobb, Blannie Gray,
James Young, Dewayne Mull
and Randy Stuart. Interment
followed in the Copper
Ridge Memory Gardens with
full military honors by the
North Georgia Honor Guard.
Condolences can be made to
the family at www.akinsfuneralhome.com. Akins Funeral
Home of Blue Ridge was in
charge of the arrangements.
Reel Memories
NO. 418
Shirley Jean Rickert
By William V. Reynolds
What do Our Gang, burlesque, truck driving, and
Western movies have in common? You might be surprised
to learn that Shirley Jean
Rickert is one correct answer.
This lady had a career that
was as checkered as you can
imagine. A Hollywood writer
could not have dreamed up
her life in a million years.
Shirley Jean was born in Seattle, Washington, March 25,
1926. When she was about 18
months old, she won a baby
beauty contest. According to
Shirley, “I won a baby contest, back when the contests
were for babies and not miniature hookers…” Her mother
wanted her in show business
so she arranged to take her
to Hollywood where Central
Casting immediately enrolled
Shirley and the family packed
up and moved lock, stock and
barrel to Los Angeles.
It wasn’t long before ShirOH\ ODQGHG KHU ¿UVW SDUW LQ D
short called How’s My Baby
(1930) with Monte Collins.
Almost immediately she
went for an interview with
Hal Roach and became a
member of Our Gang. After
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this group, she moved to the
Mickey McGuire group to
play Tomboy Taylor.
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‘Neath the Arizona Skies
(1934) with none other than
John Wayne and Gabby
Hayes. She remembered John
U.S. Senator
David Perdue
(202) 224-3521
Fax: (202) 228-1031
Wayne as being a nice person
and said that Gabby
Hayes looked old even
then. They made Shirley up
to look like a little Indian girl
and the story revolves around
her.
This was pre-stardom for
John Wayne because the
movie was a “B” picture and
John Wayne would not be recognized as a star until 1939.
Later Shirley worked with
KLPLQWKH¿OP,Q2OG2NODhoma a.k.a. War of the Wildcats (1943). Shirley recalls
that some of the Cowboys in
this picture were astonished
that the language of Shelley Winters was equivalent
to that they used when they
weren’t around the ladies.
When Shirley was asked
about some of the stunt riding in her pictures with John
Wayne, she said she was right
there holding on to him. But
for some of the more dangerous stunts, they used another
dummy. Shirley also said that
the best she could recall, Yakima Canutt didn’t double for
John Wayne in any of the riding stunts, except maybe going over the cliff.
6KLUOH\ DSSHDUHG LQ ¿OPV
for the next 20 years, often
as a dancer. One of her last
pictures was Singing in the
Rain (1952). She soon turned
her talents in other directions,
becoming an exotic dancer
named Gilda and appearing
on a television documentary,
“The ABCs of Love.” Some
of the other interesting jobs
that Shirley held from time
to time included bartending,
secretary, theatre sales director, truck driver for the Air
Force and jewelry designer/
painter. Shirley Jean died at
82 on February 6, 2009 in
Sarasota Springs, New York.
Here’s a Reel Memories
salute to Shirley Jean Rickert and a thank you for her
contribution to the Western
genre.
William V. Reynolds is a
local author and his novels
are available at The Curiosity
Shop in Murphy, Pat’s Country Kitchen in McCaysville,
Mercier Orchards in Blue
Ridge, and Book
Nook in Blairsville. Review
all of his books by going to
www.doubleeagleenterprises.
com and reading an excerpt
from each one of his books.
You may order on-line also.
His latest books “Murder on
the Altamaha”and “Murder
in the Okefenokee” are now
available online in eformat
and print.