Mrs. Oleeta James Sanford, 90, of Ellijay, passed away peacefully in her sleep Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2021, at Pruitt Health Care Facility in Jasper.
Named in honor of her two grandmothers and a family friend, Dovie Addie Oleeta James was born April 22, 1931, in Gilmer County, the sixth of 10 children to William B. James and Ethel Ray James.
She was born at the height of the Great Depression, but she and her family were lucky because they lived on a farm and could grow and raise their own food. They were poor like most of the country, but they did not starve. Everyone worked together on the farm and soon learned a strong work ethic that would carry them, all into adulthood. She learned the value of saving and not wasting anything.
Growing up in rural north Georgia during the 1930s and early 1940s was an alien world to what we know today. There were no paved roads, very few telephones, no electricity, no indoor plumbing beyond Ellijay city limits. Most people walked everywhere — to church, to school, to work, to visit neighbors. There were so few cars that she and her sisters made a game of keeping count of the cars going by the field where they worked. The one who guessed the right number was the winner. It was a much simpler life, but from all the stories, it was a good life centered around church and family.
Liberty Baptist Church is where her grandparents, parents and close neighbors, Tom and Grace Webb attended. Her loving grandmother, Dovie Ray helped gently guide young Oleeta to the Lord. At the age of 10, during the summer revival of 1941, she was saved and baptized becoming a lifelong member. It must have been a glorious revival because her father, Will James, was baptized at the same time. The strong ties to Liberty would continue down the generations as she and her siblings grew up and had families of their own that would be saved and join the church. The cemetery bears witness to that; Oleeta’s grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, brotherss-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, husband, daughter and nephews rest peacefully there. She loved school and played on the basketball team, but in her teenage years, she began to feel some pressure to work outside the farm to earn money for the family. With a heavy heart, she quit school at age 16, crying all the way down the school hallway as she left that last day. She would say later that dropping out of school was her greatest regret in life. But she would not be defeated, in a few years she would earn her GED and later two years college credit from North Georgia College.
She married Avery Sanford in 1947; they would have three daughters, Cathy born in 1949, Peggy born in 1951 and Pam born in 1957. They lived a simple and pleasant life in a small house on Tails Creek Road where they taught their daughters the importance of faith, church and getting a good education.
In 1966, she was hired as a paraprofessional teacher’s aide with the Gilmer County School System. She was assigned to Ellijay Elementary School where she worked many years in fifth grade with wonderful people like Mildred Parks, Mary Bailey, Louise Mosley and Principal Walter Pettit.
She loved the 31 years she worked for the school system and would be in different grades as educational mandates changed. She especially enjoyed working in fourth grade with good friend, Teresa Woody.
Over the years, she helped train others at educational workshops and always tried to improve her own skill levels. She cherished working with Gilmer County Schools and was glad she worked when school and learning could be fun for both students and faculty. Dressing up for fall festivals and school plays always made learning more fun and drew the students, faculty, and staff closer. During one big production in 1990, the students, faculty and staff performed songs and skits in a Hee Haw type show in the auditorium. She enjoyed opening the show dressed as Minnie Pearl and yelling a friendly “Howdee!” to the crowd. While working in the library, students loved Miss Oleeta to read aloud to them at storytime. Some former students out there may remember the story, “The Golden Arm.”
After retiring from school in 1997, she enjoyed a quieter life attending church, singing with the Glory Singers, traveling, attending retired educator meetings, gardening, visiting friends and family. She especially loved seeing her children and being “Gran” to her grandchildren and later her great-grandchildren.
After her health started to decline, she still loved going to church and seeing family and friends. As her beloved grandchildren grew up and married, she was proud of the beautiful great-grandchildren they would bring to see her. It always thrilled her heart to hear them say, “Love you, Gran!”
The last two years, she could no longer walk and was confined to her bed or wheelchair. Attending church became almost impossible, and she really missed it. She always prayed she would be well enough to get back to church full time. Thankfully, she was not forgotten and friends, family and church members would visit her, pray with her, sing to her and bring her something special to eat. Those visits meant the world to her.
She was a faithful Christian, a loving aunt, wife, and mother. She was an adoring grandmother and great-grandmother and a truly honest and dependable friend. Those of us who can call her sister, aunt, mother, gran and friend are better for knowing her and we will surely miss her.
She is preceded in death by husband, Avery Sanford; daughters and son-in-law, Cathy and Rick Cochran and Peggy Arbucci; eight brothers and sisters, Carl James, Claudia McVey, Coy James, Audrey Fouts, Lois Newton, Ray James, Max James and Shirley Sams.
She is survived by daughter, Pam Sanford, of Ellijay; brother, Dencil James (Rhonda), of Florida; son-in-law, Tony Arbucci, of Ellijay; granddaughters and husbands, Amanda and Scott Hrovat, Jessica and Jeremy Vielmas, Rebecca and Jason Pancoe; and grandson, Caleb Cochran; great-grandchildren, Elizabeth and Shiloh Cochran, Bristol, Bree, and Broden Hrovat, Milo and Leo Vielmas, and Avery Pancoe; and many cherished nieces and nephews.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, from the chapel of Bernhardt Funeral Home with the Rev. David Nicholson, the Rev. John Reece and the Rev. Michael Smith officiating.
Her beloved nephew, Bill McVey, sang some of her favorite hymns.
Interment was in the Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery.
Pallbearers were Scott Hrovat, Tony Arbucci, Tracy James, Ronald Colwell, Dink Lanning and James Lanning.
Bernhardt Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.