Funeral program for Sister Lillie Belle Johnson Hayes

Friday, September 13, 2013
1:00 P.M.
Evans County Community Center
720 Church Street
Claxton, Georgia
Minister Vivian Byrd, Presiding/Interim Pastor
Rev. Dr. C. L. Anderson, Officiating
interment:
Charlton Grove Baptist
Church Cemetery
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Sefiteutien E, 2013
Prelude (Meditation)
.Soft Music


Processional and Viewing............................Clergy & Family
Presiding........................................Minister Vivian Byrd
Hymn.
...Father I Stretch My Hands to Thee
Lined and led by Rev. Freddie Hodge,
Moderator of District 3, Claxton District
Prayer of Consolation..........................Rev. Martin Bacon
Old Testament.............................Rev. Michael P. Dickerson
New Testament.............................Rev. Victor Brewton, Sr.
Selection.........................................Combined Choir
Expressions
Former Pastor of Hagan Chapel...............Rev. Craig R. Tremble
Missionary Baptist Church
Chairman of the Deacons Ministry, Hagan Chapel.Dea. Ronald Mikel
As a Classmate.................................Sister Nita B. Baker
As a Friend....................................Sister Earlean Bailey
As a Neighbor...............................Sister Ollie Mae Ricks
Solo.
Brother David Sharpe

Associational Condolences.......................Rev. Sinclair Thorne
Moderator of the Tattnall Missionary Baptist Association, Inc.
Sister Christine Bailey
President of the Womens Auxiliary,
Tattnall Missionary Baptist Association, Inc.
Resolutions...............Tattnall Missionary Baptist Association
Hagan Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
Sweet Evening Breeze, No. 269, Order of the Eastern Star
Acknowledgements........................Sister Louise Wilkerson
Obituary................................Sister Diane W. Holland
Selection.......................Led by Eulogist, Rev. Dr. C. L. Anderson
EulogyWI\^:X.Tlfc(?!)i^.CC>.<^5..................Rev. Dr. C. L. Anderson
Former Pastor of Hagan Chapel
Missionary Baptist Church
Moderator Emeritus,Tattnall Missionary Baptist Association, Inc.

Mrs. Lillie Belle Hayes entered into eternal rest early
Sunday morning, September 8, 2013. She was born to the late
Foster Johnson and Annie Williams Johnson on August 18,1931
in Claxton, Georgia. On August 4,1968, she was united in Holy
Matrimony to Thomas Hayes, who preceded her in death. To this
union, no children were born. Though Mrs. Hayes had no biologi-
cal children, many young people were nurtured and inspired by
her and have ventured into various walks of life. To quote Mrs.
Hayes, she would state,
I have children all over the world.
She attended the' public schools of Evans County and
graduated from Evans County Training School in 1947, graduat-
ing as valedictorian of her class. She received her Bachelor of
Science Degree in English Education in 1951 from Savannah
State College, and while at Savannah State, she was initiated as a
member into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She did further
study at New York University, Tuskegee Institute, and Georgia
Southern College. She was an educator in the Evans County
Public School System for 36 years. Prior to teaching at Claxton
High School,
Mrs. Hayes was a teacher at Evans County High School,
the home of the mighty, mighty Longhorns. She left a legacy in
light of having served as Senior Class Sponsor for a number of
ECHS senior classes; she was known then as Miss Lillie Belle
Johnson. She was one of the founding members of ELITE, an
organization formed to improve the job performance of the ECHS
educators. Mrs. Hayes was a very vibrant and charismatic person
who loved her Master, family, church, friends, and community.
When asked about her years of service in the many roles she
assumed in her church and as an educator, she would readily
quote Ecclesiastes 11:3, Cast thy bread upon the water: for thou
Shalt find it after many days. In the Christian community, Mrs.
Hayes was a devoted and dutiful member of the Hagan Chapel
Missionary Baptist Church for more than 67 years.
con^.
She served as church secretary for over 40 years. She
was president of the Deaconess Ministry, served as Sunday
School teacher for a number of years, sang in the church choir,
and was adamant about the the role of the Mission Ministry being
a means of outreach to the community, thus fulfilling the mis-
sion of Jesus and Matthew 5:16. She was the second oldest
member of her church, helped to establish a scholarship in mem-
ory of her husband. Deacon Thomas Hayes, and loved Holy
Communion. Mrs. Hayes was very active in the Tattnall
Missionary Baptist Association, serving as a faithful delegate to
the association from Hagan Chapel. Mrs. Hayes was President of
the Women Auxiliary for the Third District, the Claxton District.
She served on the Tattnall Missionary Baptist Association
Scholarship Committee.
She was very active in civic organizations in the commu-
nity. She was a charter member of Evans County Afro-American
Society and the second president of the organization, serving in
that capacity for 18 years. She was a member of Sweet Evening
Breeze, Chapter No. 269, Order of Eastern Star and was a Past
Matron of the chapter. She was a member of the local chapter of
the NAACP, No. 5181. Mrs. Hayes helped to organize the Tri-
County Chapter of the Savannah State University National
Alumni Association, and she was a member of the Georgia
Retired Educators Association.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Foster and
Annie Johnson; her husband, Thomas Hayes; a brother, Willie
Belle Johnson; and her sister, Eloise Johnson. She leaves to
cherish her memory a devoted cousin and caretaker, Pauline
Golden, other cousins, relatives, friends, her church family, and a
host of former students and co-workers.
\ expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be
any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any
fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I
shall not pass this way again.
-William Penn

t
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want; He maketh me to lie down
In green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still
waters, he restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of
righteousness for his names sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
for thou art with me.
Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me;
Thou preparest a table before me
In the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil,
my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,
all the days of my life; and I will dwell
in the house of the LORD
for ever.
P
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Gary M. Holland
Ryan Tomblin
Gregory Stewart
Anthony Byrd
Marvin Welch
Linnex Hines
Deacons and Trustees of Hagan Chapel Missionary Baptist Church
Ushers and Friends of Family
The family of the late Sister Lillie Belle Johnson Hayes expresses sincere
appreciation for every act of kindness shown during the illness and demise
of their loved one. May Gods richest blessings be yours is our prayer.
Repast
Evans County Community Center
Professional Services Entrusted to:
Moodys Funeral Home
201 Church Street
Claxton, Georgia
(9121 739-4932
Owner Waymon Moody Manager Greg Stewart
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