Mr. Fillmore Woodard
Mr. Fillmore Woodard of the Funns Branch Community died at 12:45 a.m. Thursday morning at the Quality Center for Rehabilitation and Healing in Lebanon where he had made his home since June 22, 2016. Mr. Woodard was 89.
Funeral services from the Hackett Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home will be conducted Monday afternoon December 28th at 1 p.m. with Bro. Frank Bratcher officiating. Burial followed beside his brother Whitey Woodard in the Gene Butler Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers are: Jeffrey Woodard, Chad Woodard, Chris Woodard, Chase Woodard, Carl Gilbert, Jeff Woodard, Ethan Woodard, Matthew Woodard.
The youngest of seven children born to the late Lemuel Bates Woodard who died at the age of 71 on November 8, 1964 and May Belle Sircy Woodard who died at the age of 57 on April 18, 1954, he was born James Fillmore Woodard in the Funns Branch Community of Jackson County on March 19, 1931.
The four sisters preceding him in death were, Kathleen “Dean” Woodard Duke who died on January 13, 1995 at the age of 75, Golden Cleo Woodard Campbell Hines who died on July 1, 2002 at the age of 87, Eva Avo Woodard Sircy who died on September 9, 2006 at the age of 89; Minnie Belle Woodard who died on July 29, 2011 at the age of 89; two brothers, W. G. Woodard who died December 14, 2005 at the age of 81 and Edgar Lee “Whitey” Woodard who died March 9, 2009 also at the age of 81.
A son, Tony Mikell Woodard, preceded Mr. Woodard in death at the age of 57 on April 27, 2016.
He was also preceded in death by the mother of their children, Nellie Pearl Givens Woodard Carver who died at the age of 77 on August 16, 2013.
Mr. Woodard was a member of the former Ensors Chapel United Methodist Church in the Funns Branch Community.
Most of his life he was engaged in farming but he also worked for a period of time at the Texas Boot Co. in Lebanon.
Surviving are his two children, Dianne Woodard Gilbert and husband Carl of Smithville, James F. Woodard Jr. and wife Edna of Hartsville; four grandchildren, Jeffrey Woodard and wife Amanda, Chad Woodard and wife Tracey, Chris Woodard, Cassandra Woodard; step-son, Carl David Gilbert and wife Cecelia of Smithville, step-grandson, Sonny D. Gilbert; five great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation at the Hackett Chapel on Sunday afternoon from 1:00 PM until 6:00 PM and on Monday from 11:00 AM until service time at 1:00 PM.
