Deacon Jethar Burkett

JETHAR BURKETT was born on December 25, 1925 in Surrency, Georgia. He was the son of the Milus Burkett and Coree Hayes Burkett Harding and the step-son of Will Harding. Two sisters, Gladys Barfield and Catherine Howard. Gussie Mae Alderman Burkett, Wendell D. Burkett and Lawanna Burkett all of whom proceeded him in death. Jethar attended school in Appling County. At the age of 18, he was drafted into the Army of the United States during which time he received the Bronze Star, Good Conduct Medal, European African Middle Eastern Service Medal with Asiatic Pacific Service Medal, and World War II Victory Medal. He participated in the wars European Theatre in 1944, the Pacific Theatre in 1945, United States in 1946 in Company B 1318th Engineer Regiment at Ft. Benning GA. Jethar attended Ga State College vocational school in Savannah where he received a certificate for auto mechanic in 1949. He later joined the Farmer Home Administration where he was certified as a farmer. Because of his love for working with wood he decided one day to build a cabinet shop, he read all the book he could find and would attend seminars about carpentry. Thus, Burkett's Cabinet shop was open. He began working with Surrency Union Camp a Paper Mill out of Savannah, which was located on highway 341. Where he worked until the business relocated. He was an active member of Surrency Grove Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher, a member of The Gideon's International Prison Ministry and a volunteer with the Appling County Jail Ministry. He later moved his membership to the First African Baptist Church in Baxley. He was a true and faithful servant in spreading the Gospel of God's Word. He was also a big part of Bethel A.M.E. Church as well as Second Pleasant Hill Baptist Church. On February 24, 1953 he was united in matrimony to Gussie Mae Alderman Burkett. He has six children; Milus; Wendell (Doris); Lawanna, Reba, Simeon (Lillie) all of Surrency, Georgia and Phyllis Cray Grady of Wilmington, Delaware. He also have 12 grand-children; Denise, Stephanie, Andre, Candace, Crystal, Sylvia, Isaiah, Christopher, Whitney, Khaila, Eugene and Amy. Nine great-grand children; Keith Pierce, Christorian Grady, Tiara Lewis, Alex Lewis, Xavier, Brooklyn, Destiny, Jeremiah and Elizabeth Blaine. And a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.i

---