Mr. Charles W. Gardner, 80, of Harriman, Tenn., went to the loving arms of his Savior from his home following a stroke on Oct. 28, 2009, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Gardner was born Aug. 6, 1929, in Elkhart, Ind., a son of the late Dorsey Mason and Daisy Velma Gardner. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Franklin Coleman Gardner. Mr. Gardner was retired from Dupont and Lockheed, and a longtime beef and chicken farmer in the Adairsville and Gordon County area.
He was a member of Swan Pond Baptist Church in Harriman, Tenn.
He proudly served his country in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War.
He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 56 years, Carolyn P. Gardner; son and daughter-in-law, Austin and Betty Gardner, pastor of Vision Baptist Church in Alpharetta; daughter, Felicia Gardner, still residing at home; son and daughter-in-law, John and Donna Gardner, Edward Jones financial adviser; daughter and son-in-law, Vicki and Bob Orfield, school nutrition manager and Walmart customer service; grandchildren, Chris and Andria Gardner, Stephanie and David Young, Joy Soncco, David and Katie Gardner, Amanda and Jon Wade, Beverly and Jeff Tubb, Jenny Dickey, Chris Dickey, Marcus Orfield and Megan Orfield, great-grandchildren, Jacob, Hannah and Andrew Gardner, Philip, Dave, Ronnie, Andrew, Matthew and Jonathan Young, Benjamin and Lelia Soncco, Jonathan and Hannah Wade.
He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, George and Charlotte Gardner, and his brother, Richard Gardner.
Services to celebrate the life of Mr. Charles W. Gardner will be held Friday, Oct. 30, 2009, at 1 p.m. from the Whitfield Baptist Church with Pastors Austin Gardner, Wayne Cofield and Gary Neal officiating. He will be laid to rest in the Gordon Memorial Gardens with David Gardner, Jon Wade, Jeff Tubb, Marcus Orfield, Mark Coffey and Steven Baker serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be David Young, Trent Cornwell, Billy Lumpkin, Robert Oglesby, John Pearson and Chris Dickey. Special music will be provided. Military graveside honors will be provided by the American Legion Post 112.
The family will receive friends at the Calhoun Chapel of Ponders Funeral Home from 5 until 9 p.m. Thursday. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to the Peru Bible College via Macedonia World Baptist Missions, P O Box 519, Braselton, GA 30517.
Messages may be sent to the Gardner family at www.pondersfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements by locally owned and operated Ponders Funeral Home, 675 Jolley Road, Calhoun, GA 30701; (706) 625-7577. Your selected independent funeral home.
