Ocie James Surrency Stephens

Ocie James Surrency Stephens, age 91, of Homerville, Georgia, passed away Monday, July 19, 2022, at the Fellowship Home at Brookside in Valdosta, Georgia. Born in Ware County to Leona Lee James and James T. (Jim) James, Mrs. Stephens was the eighth child of twelve, a family of seven sons and five daughters. When she was two years old, the family moved to Clinch County, where her father had bought a farm, the old Dickerson Place. The family planted cotton and tobacco, and she remembered vividly working in the fields, picking cotton and working the tobacco. She attended the county’s public schools and was the first in her family to graduate from high school. She was a daddy’s girl, depending greatly upon her father. She said that she listened to her mother, who had good common sense. Even though she grew up during the Depression, which she spoke of as hard times, she said her parents made sure that there was plenty to eat and were generous in giving food to others, often bartering garden produce for canned goods, like trading a bunch of collards for a can of salmon, which at the time sold for 10 cents. She spoke of her childhood as a happy time and often told stories of how much fun she had with her younger brothers (Gene, Jimmy, and Richard). She also enjoyed her father’s foolishness, like the time when she was in elementary school and he put lipstick on her before sending her to school—an action that deeply embarrassed her older sister Ruth.
She married David Surrency in 1950, and together they had two children: Phyllis Dallas (Mark) and David, Jr.
She proudly referred to herself as a home-engineer, a role in which she kept her eye on her two children and the old man. She worked to maintain an organized, clean home and to provide good food to her family. She was particularly known for her fruit cake and date-nut cake, always Christmas specials. As a military wife, she followed her husband during his tours-of-duty and lived in Arkansas, Maryland, Florida, Germany, and Oklahoma. There were three tours in Georgia—one in Albany and two in Valdosta at Moody Air Force Base. While moving around, she liked meeting different people, visiting with other military wives, and entertaining.
During their stay in Germany, she had two cousins stationed there—Lamartine and Roger James. They enjoyed visiting together, and in later years, talked about the coincidence of being there together and the good times they had. During those years of moving around, she explored various interests, serving as a substitute teacher, babysitting, and learning to make ceramic pieces.
After returning to Clinch County in 1982, she volunteered with the Pink Ladies at Clinch Memorial for 24 years and valued the opportunity to help others and to say a kind word to the patients. She served as the president of the organization 3 times. In later years, she enjoyed reading, listening to old-fashioned country and gospel music, and playing cards. Before her health began to fail, she loved to walk and credited the daily walking she started before her daughter was born with helping her to stay healthy for so long. Even in her 80’s, she tried to walk every day, even if it was only around her home so that she could keep moving and could enjoy the flowers in the yard.
Her second husband, William Stephens, whom she married in 1990, also originally from Ware County, was a good companion.
Mrs. Stephens is preceded in death by her parents and both of her husbands.
Along with her children, she is survived by two siblings - Jimmy James (Sally) and Ellen Carmichael - and a sister-in-law, Audrey James, many nieces and nephews and their children. The family appreciates the loving care given by Charlene Mathis, Katarina Lynch and Carrie Rewis of The Fellowship Home and by the nurses and staff of Hospice of South Georgia.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock am, Friday, July 22, 2022, at Music Funeral Services, Lakeland Chapel. Interment will follow in Pine Forest Cemetery, Homerville, Georgia. The family will be receiving friends one hour prior to the service on Friday, July 22, 2022, at the funeral home. Kind words and expressions of sympathy can be left for the family at www.musicfuneralservices.com . Flowers will be accepted or memorial donations may be made to the Hospice of South Georgia, 2263 Pineview Drive, Valdosta, Georgia 31602. The Ocie James Surrency Stephens family is being served by the professional and caring staff of Music Funeral Services, Lakeland.