Bolton Newland Lunceford

Bolton Newland Lunceford, 87, of Washington, died Sunday, January 11, 2009, following a long illness.

A memorial service to honor her life and the many lives she touched will be held at the Church of the Mediator, Washington, Saturday, January 24, 2009, at 11:00 a.m. A visitation with the opportunity to share personal memories will follow in the Parish House of the church.

Mrs. Lunceford was born in Kwangju, Korea, daughter of Presbyterian missionaries LeRoy Tate and Sarah Louise Andrews Newland. She came to America to attend college, including Agnes Scott, Peace Junior College, and the University of North Carolina Women's College. She completed her undergraduate degree at Georgia State University and her master's degree at the University of Georgia. She was the widow of A. Mell Lunceford Jr. of Crawfordville.

Throughout her long career, Mrs. Lunceford was a businesswoman and teacher in Colorado, Oklahoma, Atlanta, Saudi Arabia, Crawfordville, and Washington-Wilkes. She received many honors, especially for her teaching. She was runnerup for Georgia Teacher of the Year and was named the first recipient of the Sarah Louise Capen award by the Georgia Council of Teachers of English. She established the first adult education program in Taliaferro County, taught an Extension course for Truett-McConnell College, and under the auspices of the University of Georgia, created the first English as a Second Language program for adults in Wilkes County.

Mrs. Lunceford created the Taliaferro County Labor Day Fair and the Christmas Dinner in the Park in Crawfordville. She and her late husband were among the pioneers who established the Washington Little Theater Co. This year the theater Playhouse was named the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse in her honor. She was a longtime active member of the Church of the Mediator in Washington.

Married to Paul F. Clark and George Keyser, both deceased, she is survived by a daughter, Dale Clark Farran, and her husband Christopher of Nashville, Tenn., a son, Robert Cottle; two grandchildren, Alice Zillah and her husband Bryce Brown of Olympia, Washington, Brendan Carroll Farran and his wife Nicole of Nashville, Tenn.; two great-grandsons, Jon and David Brown; and two siblings, Maie Minnick of Black Mountain, N.C., and Keith McDaniel of Brookhaven, MS.

Memorials may be made to the Washington Little Theater Company, P.O. Box 803, Washington 30673; or to the Church of the Mediator, P.O. Box 716, Washington 30673.

Hopkins Funeral Home of Washington is in charge of arrangements.
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