Earl Oran Towery

Mr. Earl Oran Towery, 86, of Whitestone, passed away peacefully Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.

He was born Dec. 29, 1935, the youngest of four children born to Clara Moses and William Marshall Towery.

He grew up in Whitestone. The summer he turned 15, he left for Marietta to work. After finishing school, he joined the United States Navy and served aboard the USS Dixie. Upon returning to Ellijay, he reconnected with Maxine Dale and the two married. Together, they had three children, Holly, Doug and Joe.

He is preceded in death by wife, Maxine Towery.

He is survived by children, Holly, Doug and Joe; grandchildren, Clay, Kate Ellie, Mack, Ben and Luke; six great-grandchildren.

He could be a quiet man, but his voice was loud in the Whitestone Baptist choir. In his prime, he was known to shake the first pews with his deep bass voice, especially when he sang, “Have a Little Talk with Jesus.” Earl was a devout Christian, dedicated to his faith and his church.

Anyone familiar with Earl understood that you really got to know him in the hayfields of Whitestone. In these fields, with his cows, you’d hear stories of walking over the mountain to catch the school bus, and the McCravy’s welcoming him with a hot biscuit or stories of his own family and siblings. Whitestone was always his little piece of heaven, and he could be found in the fields, finishing his fence, right up to his passing.

To know more about him and the kind of man he was, all you had to do was look at his hands. Calloused, crooked and strong, his hands told the endless hours of work he engaged in his entire life. Psalm 128:2 states, “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.”

He lived this, and both his work and his faith led to a life filled with these fruits. He was a faithful, funny, kind and hardworking man.

He will be dearly missed, and neither Whitestone nor Ellijay will be the same without him. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will miss his “therapy” and being greeted with “hey, kid” or “hey, little lady.” His children will miss his stories, his advice, running errands around town and checking out car shows. Ultimately, they will miss their best friend. Earl Towery was an incredible man who represented the silent generation, and his lessons on humility, humor and hard work will outlive him.

Funeral services were held Tuesday,  Aug. 16, 2022, from Whitestone Baptist Church with the Rev. Harold Nelson and the Rev. Billy Dotson officiating.

Interment was in the church cemetery.

Pallbearers were Mack Towery, Luke Towery, Clay Towery, Ben Boothe, Cody Newton, Matthew Kenner and Adam Kenner.

Bernhardt Funeral Home was in charge of  arrangements.