Obituary of Kathleen Pinckney

Kathleen Ethridge Weldon Pinckney, much loved wife, mother, grandmommy, sister, aunt, cousin, friend and stalwart of the Jackson community, passed peacefully on November 10, 2012 after a full life of 91 years. She was born October 12, 1921 on her parents' dairy farm in Lamar County, Georgia, the oldest of four children born to George Ashley and Clara Ethridge Weldon. This upbringing instilled in her a love of the land and a strong sense of place. After graduating from Milner High School in 1938, Kathleen earned a 4-H scholarship and worked her way through Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and The University of Georgia. She received a bachelor’s degree in Home Economics in 1942. Her first professional position with the Georgia Agricultural Extension Service was as a Home Demonstration Agent in Paulding County. After two years, she was called back to Athens to serve as the Assistant State 4-H Leader. During this tenure she had the unique opportunity to be involved in the planning of what was to eventually become the Georgia State 4-H Center at Rock Eagle. In 1948, Kathleen married Robert Howe Pinckney, a native of Charleston, SC whose postwar position was teaching at Milner High School. They met at her grandparents’ 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration in April and married in December. Immediately after the ceremony, the young couple set out for Chicago where Robert attended optometric school and Kathleen joined the staff of the National 4-H News. In 1951 they returned to middle Georgia and settled in Jackson where over the next 60 years, they built a life centered around family and community service. Four children, Kay, Ellen, Bob and Ed blessed the marriage. For many years, in addition to helping Robert with his growing optometric practice, Kathleen supported her children’s interests in church activities, school, Girl Scouts and 4-H, serving as a local volunteer as well as taking on leadership positions with the Pine Valley Girl Scout Regional Council and the Georgia Master 4-H Club. Kathleen was involved in numerous community projects and took special pride in partnering with Kathryn Haisten to facilitate the building of the first activity center in the area for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Her church home was the Jackson United Methodist Church where she served in many roles including chair of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee. A history and genealogy buff, she was a member of the William McIntosh Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution for over 60 years, serving two terms as Regent (1971, 1989). She was granted Honorary Lifetime Membership in the Butts County Historical Society and enjoyed participating in the Butts County Genealogy Society. A strong believer in the power of education, Kathleen began her formal service to public education in Butts County in the early 1960's when she was hired as a Visiting Teacher for the system, a position to help students overcome attendance barriers. In 1964, Kathleen returned to the University to earn a Master's in Education degree, then used her skills to establish and supervise both the Special Education and the Gifted and Talented programs for the Butts County Schools. Numerous Butts County students credit her with recongnizing their unique strengths and fostering their success. She retired from the school district in 1984. Kathleen was given the State 4-H Alumni Award in 1959, recognized for "Community Service of the Year" by the Butts County Jaycees in 1964, named "Woman of the Year" by the Jaycees in 1971, honored by the Jackson Kiwanis Club with their Spiritual Aims Award in 1986, honored by the DAR in 1995 with the Community Service Award and received the Hall of Fame Award from the Butts County Chamber of Commerce in 2005. In 2009, Robert and Kathleen made the transition together from their long time residence on West Avenue in Jackson to Dream Catcher Farm Assisted Living Community. The family thanks the Dream Catcher staff and residents as well as Eternal Hope Hospice for their care and concern. Kathleen is survived by her husband of 63 years, Robert; children Kay Pinckney Koch of Lithonia, Ellen Pinckney Balthazar and husband Jim of Austin, Texas, Bob Pinckney and wife Patty of Athens, Georgia, Ed Pinckney and wife Nancy of Cincinnati, Ohio; grandchildren Katie Balthazar Ruback and husband Dave, Matt Balthazar and wife Anna all of Austin, Texas, Bobby and Max Pinckney of Athens, Georgia, Ryan, Mollie and Mimi Pinckney of Cincinnati, Ohio; great-grandson, Bennett Ruback of Austin; sister Marinelle Simpson of McDonough; in-laws Betty Weldon of Milner, Alfred and Julianna Pinckney, Harriet Brown and Mary Pinckney of Charleston, South Carolina, Betty Green of Collierville, Tennessee, Lucian and Millie Pinckney of Albuquerque, New Mexico; numerous special cousins, nieces, nephews and friends. “Well done, faithful one.” A service to celebrate Kathleen’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, November 14 at the First United Methodist Church in Jackson, Georgia. The Rev. Phil DeMore and the Rev. Mary Ruth Haisten Davidson will officiate. Friends may visit the family on Tuesday evening from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM at Sherrell-Westbury Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to the scholarship fund of the Georgia Master 4-H Club (c/o Ted Jenkins, Treas., P.O.Box 4721, Eatonton, GA, 31024) or gifts to the newly established Milner Library to provide a genealogy research area (c/o George Weldon,100 Liberty Hill Street, Milner, GA 30257). Sherrell-Westbury Funeral Home, 212 East College Street, Jackson, is serving the Pinckney family. www.sherrell-westburyfh.com