Thomas Edison

Watson

Obituary

Thomas Edison Watson, 81, of Tifton died Saturday, September 22, 2007, at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 24, 2007, at Victory Baptist Church. Rev. Jimmie Odum and Rev. Dan Eidson will officiate with burial to follow in Oak Ridge Cemetery. Dan Branch, Earl Branch, Lindsey Evans, Richard Wood, Frank Willis and Tommy Lamb will serve as pallbearers. The family will receive friends on Sunday, September 23, 2007, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.

Mr. Watson was born on October 7, 1925 in Tift County and was the son of James Jackson Watson and Bertie Mae Owens Watson, both deceased. He was owner of the Varsity Drive-In and retired from Curtis Packing Company. He was a Mason and a member of Victory Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon.

Mr. Watson is survived by his wife, Irene Kendrick Watson of Tifton; one son and daughter-in-law, Thomas Jackson Watson and his wife, Debbie, of Hendersonville, Tennessee; two daughters and one son-in-law, Pat Jernigan of Tifton and Sandy Watson Samples and her husband, Paul, of Alpharetta; three sisters, Opal Watson Smith of Tifton, Joyce Watson Barnes of Gray, and Thetis Haire of Tifton; eight grandchildren, Jack Watson, Jr., Carrie Kulesa, Chelsea Watson, Jana Jernigan, John Jernigan, Ivey Samples, Tanner Samples, and Gayton Samples; and one great grandchild, Jackie Watson, III.