Mrs. Ella June Wyles, 101, of Sylvester died Thursday, February 7, 2019 at Pine Shadows Retirement Manor, Sylvester, GA. The funeral service will be held at 1:30 PM at Evergreen Funeral Home and Cemetery in Jacksonville, FL. Interment will follow. The family will receive visitors prior to the service at 1:00 pm.
Ella June Wyles, affectionately known as Tiny, was born June 26, 1917 in Arkansas to the late George Robert and Jennie Mae Dodd. While still a very young child, the family moved to Belhaven, North Carolina before settling in Palatka, Florida. In 1933, Tiny married the love of her life, Carl Eugene Wyles. Soon after they were married, they moved to Jacksonville, Florida and welcomed their first and only child into the family, Eugene H. Wyles. Several years after the death of her husband in 1977, she moved back to Palatka to be closer to family. In 1996 Tiny moved to Sylvester, Georgia to be with her son, Gene, and her daughter-in-law, Gail, of whom she thought of as a daughter. She was able to continue to live independently until the age of 96.
Tiny was a simply woman. She loved life, and she loved people. She never met a stranger and served as confidant and counselor for many of her friends and family. Her advice often encouraged others to “not sweat the small stuff” and to remember that in everything they were “making memories.”
In her 101 years, Tiny never complained. Even though the world around her drastically changed, Tiny stayed steadfast in her faith. It was obviously throughout her life that she lived by the “Serenity Prayer.” While she knew that there many things in life she could not change, she had the courage and wisdom to accept that they were God’s plan. Even when times were tough, Tiny chose to make each day count. She filled her days crocheting and crafting, and she ended each night with a passage from her Bible that she kept tucked under her pillow.
Survivors include her sister, Harriette Howerin of Orange Park, FL, her grandchildren, Julie Gunn (Chester) of Worth County, Chris Wyles (Gail) of Sylvester, Sheri Wyles of Tifton, Eric Wyles (Jennifer) of Statesboro, and Pam Moyer (Greig) of Jacksonville; 7 great-grandchildren, Jennifer Gunn, Chesley Gunn (Krysten), Gene Wyles, Derek Wyles (Mallory), Ian & Dane Wyles, and Mallory Moyer.
In addition to her parents, Mrs. Wyles was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Eugene Wyles; her son, Eugene H. Wyles; and her daughter-law, Gail R. Wyles.
A Celebration Memorial for Granny will be held on Thursday, Feb 14th from 5-5:30pm at Pine Shadows Retirement Manor in Sylvester, GA.
Those desiring please make checks payable to Eugene H. Wyles Music Scholarship/ABAC Foundation, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, 2802 Moore Highway, ABAC 54, Tifton, GA 31793, ATT: Kyle Basko.
Please sign our online guest registry at www.banksfh.com. Banks Funeral Home P.O. Box 550 Sylvester, GA 31791 229-776-2055 Phone 229-776-5400 Fax www.banksfh.com