Cover photo for Mary "Frances" Channell's Obituary
Mary "Frances" Channell Profile Photo
1927 Mary 2019

Mary "Frances" Channell

June 24, 1927 — January 5, 2019

Stapleton, GA

Mary "Frances" Smith Channell

Stapleton, GA  –         Frances Smith Channell, 91, loving wife of 63 years to Joe Thomas Channell, entered into her eternal rest Saturday morning, January 5, 2019 at Gibson Health and Rehabilitation Center.  Services to celebrate her life will be held in the James Funeral Home Chapel at 3:00 P.M. Tuesday afternoon, January 8, 2019 with the Reverends Stan Littleton and Chad Watkins officiating.  Interment will follow in the Wrens Memorial Cemetery.

One of four children born to the late Mamie Lou Crutchfield Smith and the late Albert Smith, Frances was a lifelong resident of the Wrens/Stapleton area.  She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at an early age, serving Him at Wrens United Methodist Church where she was a member of the Griswell Sunday School Class. She was a 1947 graduate of Wrens High School, worked eleven years as a bookkeeper at Floyd L. Norton Lumber Company, then as a factory worker at Uniroyal for eleven years, and then as a grader at Atwell Pecan Company.  She met the love of her life when he was serving in the Air Force and started correspondence with her to learn the whereabouts of Ben, her brother, who he met in boot camp. Shortly after he returned home from service, they were happily married in November of 1955.  Frances loved to fish and work outside in the yard and her flowers.  A great cook, she was known for her lemon meringue pie. She and Joe would travel on vacations, and especially enjoyed going to the mountains and picking apples. Frances loved to read her Bible, which is well-worn with verses underlined and marked with her notes.  All through the years, even up to the end, you could hear her singing or humming her favorite song--"Jesus Loves Me". Her family being her first priority, she made their home a loving, comfortable, safe haven. She stored her “treasures” in her family and loved them unconditionally.  Frances has completed her life’s work and is now in Glory with her Lord. Her sweet, loving, gentle spirit will be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Frances is also preceded in death by her three siblings, Grover “Buddy” Smith, Marjorie Rowland and Ben Smith.  Other survivors include her son, Kenneth Channell (Linda); granddaughter, Mary Lynn Channell; in-laws, nieces, nephews, church family and friends.  Pallbearers will be Steve Anderson, Ed Chance, Bennett Clark, Raley Clements, Jerry Gage, and Alex McNeely.

The family respectfully requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials in her honor be made to the Wrens United Methodist Church Kitchen Fund, 202 Russell Street, Wrens, GA 30833.

Heartfelt thanks and appreciation are expressed to the staff of Gibson Health and Rehabilitation Center, Affinis Hospice, and to Ruth and Charlie Baker for their compassionate, loving care given to Frances.

The family will receive friends at James Funeral Home from 6:00 – 8:00 P.M. Monday evening, January 7, 2019.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mary "Frances" Channell, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Visitation

Monday, January 7, 2019

6:00 - 8:00 pm (Eastern time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Funeral Service

Tuesday, January 8, 2019

Starts at 3:00 pm (Eastern time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Guestbook

Visits: 23

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors

Send Flowers

Send Flowers

Plant A Tree

Plant A Tree