Sara Taylor Dukes

Mrs. Sara A. Taylor Dukes, 87 of 1263 Bartow-Dublin Road, Bartow, Ga. 30413, in Washington County, died on Thursday, August 11, 2016. Funeral services will be held at Bartow Baptist Church on Sunday, August 14th, at 3:00 pm. Burial will be in the Bartow City Cemetery.

A native of Davisboro, Mrs. Dukes was the daughter of the late William Grady Taylor and Cynthia Cox Taylor. She was a graduate of Davisboro High School, Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, and the University of Georgia in Athens. Mrs. Dukes taught in public schools in Richmond Hill, Harrison, Wadley, and Sandersville. She retired as the University of Georgia Extension Home Economist in Washington County on January 1, 1989.

Mrs. Dukes earned many distinguished service awards in her professional and community services. She served as Secretary of Georgia Association of Educators in Washington County; District Director and Public Relations Chair of the Georgia Association of Extension Home Economics; and as a member of Extension 4-H Agents, Extension Retiree Association, National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and University of Georgia Ag-Alumni Association. She was a member of “Who’s Who of American Women”.

Mrs. Dukes was also a charter member and past president of the Pilot Club of Washington County; an active member and past president of Town and Country Garden Club of Sandersville; an active member and past Secretary of the Governor Jared Irwin Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; member of the Washington County Historical Society; member of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce; past fund-raising chair of the American Heart Association of Washington County; a past advisory board member of the Regional Youth Development Center in Sandersville; formerly a substitute teacher for Brentwood and the Washington County School System; and was an active participant in the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee work. Mrs. Dukes was a member of Bartow Baptist Church where she had served as a Sunday School teacher and president of the adult Sunday School class. She attended Pleasant Grove Baptist Church for several years.

Everyone will remember Mrs. Dukes for sharing her recipes, her loyalty to her job, her character, integrity, competitiveness, determination, patriotism, and love of family and friends. Mrs. Dukes enjoyed working in her yards, making and sharing jellies and preserves, entertaining, and working cross-word puzzles. She taught her students and 4-H’ers to never give up, believe in themselves, and to strive to be successful because, “It is important what you do.”

Survivors include her husband, Thomas Murray Dukes, Sr.; a son, Thomas M. Dukes, Jr. of Milledgeville; two daughters, Sandra D. Avant of Deepstep and Myra L. Dukes of Denver, CO; daughter-in-law, Gena C. Dukes; son-in-law, David M. Avant, Jr.; five granddaughters, Erica Dukes Hopkins (Clint), Ashley Dukes, Chelsea Avant Dasinger (Jason), April Avant Cook (David), and Cassie T. Avant; five great grandchildren, Wyatt Hopkins, Easton Hopkins, Emma Grace Dasinger, Piper Dasinger and Charlotte Reese Cook; brother, William Grady (Billy) Taylor (Mary).
Preceding her in death were a brother, Raborn Taylor (Martha) of Davisboro; three sisters, Catherine T. Dixon (R. W.) of Thomson, Doris T. William (C.W.) of Augusta, Marjorie T. Mosley (Ralph) of Davisboro; sister-in-law, Jan Taylor of Davisboro.

Pallbearers will be nephews, Ray Taylor, Grady Taylor, Gary Dixon, Bobby Williams, Buddy Mosley, Randy Mosley and Larry Smith.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Pilot Club of Washington County, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Friday Ladies Lunch Club, and members and wives of the Dukes Hunting Club.

Memorials may be made to the Pilot Club of Washington County, P.O. Box 1132, Sandersville, Ga. 31082; Daughters of the American Revolution, % Bernice Strickland P.O. Box 96, Tennille, Georgia 31089; Washington County 4-H Club, P.O. Box 310, Sandersville, Georgia 31082; or Bartow Baptist Church, P.O. Box 118, Bartow, Georgia 30413.

The family will receive friends at May and Smith Funeral Home in Sandersville on Saturday from 6:00pm until 8:00 pm.

May and Smith Funeral Directors in Sandersville is in charge of the arrangements.

www.mayandsmithfuneraldirectors.com