Bobbie Adams Sandefur

After 95½ years of a life richly lived and deeply loved, Bobbie Adams Sandefur passed away peacefully Thursday evening, October 1st, with loving family members by her side.

Born in Thomaston, Georgia to the late Edgar Brown Adams and Florence Wilson Adams, she loved her hometown community and her large extended Adams/Wilson family so much that she often declared “I was born in Thomaston and I will die in Thomaston” and so she did.

Shortly after graduating from Robert E. Lee Inst., she married the love of her life, Clarence Lee Sandefur, Jr. and moved to Wichita Falls, Texas where he was stationed with the United States Air Force. After making many life-long friends there, they returned to Thomaston, happily expecting their first child, Deborah, soon followed by the birth of their son, Nathan. They established a home known for its hospitality, blessing generations of family, friends and neighbors with summer evenings swinging on their front porch after a dish of homemade peach ice cream to Christmas Eve gatherings crowded into their home enjoying Clarence’s barbeque, Bobbie’s homemade cakes, gift openings and carol singing.

Bobbie was born with an entrepreneurial spirit and in addition to being an excellent baker, seamstress and gardener, she worked with her husband in many of his business ventures including The Little Garden Center and North Creek Service Center. She also worked for Thomaston Mills managing the sewing room office until she was 72. After retirement, she established her own business, BAS Rental Properties, even purchasing one house on the courthouse steps during a lightning storm after everyone else had taken shelter.

In her spare time, she volunteered in her children’s schools and served in her church choir, children’s ministries and the pastoral search committee while also chairing the bereavement committee until her mid 80’s. Early each morning she could be found listening to the radio for the morning news of local deaths so she would know “how many chickens to fry and cakes to bake.” She also regularly visited the elderly at West Villageand Riverside, delivering flowers from the church even after she became one of the elderly.

However, she may be best remembered as the lady who walked every morning often beginning at 5:30am, walking from Christmas Lane down Hwy 19 around the square and back home. Her family members were always amazed by messages from her walking friends who had missed her a day or so whenever she was out of town or possibly ill. Her walking habit continued until the Covid Pandemic caused her to slow down.

Bobbie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and her older brother, Edgar L. Adams, and her baby sister, Essie Adams Sims. These three siblings had an enviable bond in life and now they are together for eternity.

She is survived by her “baby girl” Deborah Sandefur Nash (Tom) of Savannah and her “favorite son” Charles Nathan Sandefur (Teresa) of Mooresville, NC, as well as by her beloved grandchildren, Lindsey Nash Hardy (Tim) of Lawrenceville, Jessica Nash Ackel(Andy) of Atlanta, Laura Hill Nash Keller (John) of Austin, Texas, Leia Sandefur MacEachern of Denver, NC, and Charles Nathan Sandefur, II (Ashley) of Mooresville, NC, and by her pride and joy, her great grandchildren, who lovingly called her Gran Gran: Jackson, Will and Anna Leighton Hardy; Thomas and Addison Ackel; Weezie, Nash and Hill Keller; Mekaila MacEachern and Ava Sandefur.

Gran Gran’s family have hearts full of gratitude for the loving care shown to her by Gwen Copeland, who has become a much loved and appreciated member of our family and the staffs of West Village Retirement Community, Riverside Health and Rehabilitation and Affinis Hospice of Columbus.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, October 8th at 11:00 am at Coggins Funeral Home with the Memorial Service to follow at 11:30 a.m. A private family burial will be held at a later time.

Mother’s deep faith in God and love for her Savior, Jesus Christ, motivated her to be generous in her giving to His missions here on earth. If you wish to make a donation in her memory, please consider Samaritan’s Purse (online at samaritanspurse.org or by mail, Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607) or International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (online at IFCJ.org or by mail International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, P.O. Box 96105, Washington, DC 20090-6105) or you may donate to AffinisHospice by sending a check payable to Community Health Foundation, 1005 Boulder Dr., Gray, Georgia 31032 and designating your donation for Affinis Hospice.