Mary "Goldie" McDonald

Goldie Etterle McDonald

Hephzibah, GA  –       Mary “Goldie” Etterle McDonald,75, loving wife of the late Jerrell J. McDonald Sr. and the late Les Wooten, entered into her eternal rest Sunday morning, July 31, 2016 at Augusta University Medical Center in Augusta. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday morning, August 3, 2016 in the James Funeral Home Chapel with the Reverend Elliot Fulmer officiating. Interment will follow in the Wrens Memorial Cemetery.

One of fourteen children born to the late Josie Edgar Etterle and the late Frank Etterle, Goldie grew up in Richmond County, was Valedictorian of her Hephzibah High School graduating class, and was a member of Mt. Lebanon Baptist Church. She met Jerrell at church and upon their marriage, she moved to Jefferson County where she was a homemaker, taking care of her children and husband. After the death of her husband, she moved in 1986 to Hephzibah where she enjoyed her life with Les. Goldie liked to stay busy travelling, going to flea markets and yard sales where she collected all sorts of trinkets, shopping with her coupons, watching tennis and golf on TV as well as her daily soap operas, drinking her coca colas and iced tea, playing cards and doing cross-word puzzles, and watching the humming birds.  Her favorite thing to do was cooking for her large family, making her famous cornbread and supplying them with her canned goods. She had an absolute, unconditional love for her family and was most content in their presence. Being plain-spoken, she was a sweet, humble and kind person who will be missed by her family and many friends.

Goldie is also preceded in death by her daughter, Mary “Lynne” McDonald Hunley; and ten siblings, Lily Dargen, Violet Bailey, Katie Mae Ashley, Frances Wilds, Jimmy Etterle, Henry Etterle, Franklin Etterle, Johnny Etterle, Marion Etterle and Buddy Etterle. Survivors include her son, Jerrell “Jerry” McDonald (Vicky) of Wrens; three siblings, Libby McDonald (S. J.) of Wrens, Betty Day of Augusta, and Miller Etterle of Keysville; six grandchildren, Jennifer Davis (Steve) of Wrens, ‘Lil Jerry McDonald (Amanda) of Wrens, Tori Harkins (Ryan) of Jacksonville FL, April Stapleton (Pete) of Avera, Alisha Kitchens (Robert) of Mitchell, and Jacob Hunley of Wrens; five great grandchildren, Ashlyn Kitchens, Amber Kitchens, Kaitlyn Hampton, Brooklyn Davis and Wyatt Harkins (her ‘lil man); and a multitude of nieces and nephews. Serving as pallbearers will be Russell Clark, Tracy Dixon, Jimmie Etterle, Greg McDonald, Michael Thompson and Barrow Walden.  Honorary pallbearers will be Sport Wiley and Rick Greiner.

The family will receive friends at James Funeral Home from 6:00-8:00 P.M. Tuesday evening, August 2, 2016.

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The Day God Called You Home