A celebration of life to honor Vivola Smith Jester, 94, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 6, at Ivey Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Paul Medley officiating and concluding at the chapel.

Private interment will be in Oak City Cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately following the service in the chapel.

Mrs. Jester was born Aug. 5, 1916, in Harrison, Ga., the daughter of C.T. Smith and Mabel Chivers Smith.

She died Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010, at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, Ga.

She lived an exciting and fulfilling life. She experienced a variety of events in life, from being a USO girl during World War II, to being a grade school teacher for more than 36 years, and was active in her church. Some of her former students are now prominent residents of Bainbridge.

After retirement, she would frequently have business and social interactions with them. Some of her happiest moments in life were being with family, telling funny stories of childhood experiences and taking trips with friends to exciting places such as Alaska, Canada and England.

One of her fondest memories was traveling by train from Milledgeville to New York City with other GSCW students to attend the Worlds Fair in 1939. When she told stories of her experiences, it was as if you were reading your favorite book.

She was a graduate of Dublin High School Class of 1933. She attended Norman Park College and graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville (now Georgia College and State University). She started her teaching career in Centerville during the late 1930s, teaching multiple grades in a small school. Later she attended summer school and earned her bachelor’s degree.

Viola was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, a sorority for educators, serving as president of the local chapter in the 1980s. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Bainbridge for 72 years, and a member of the Mamie Nordan Circle.

Mrs. Jester lived the past three years in Marietta, after residing in Bainbridge since the early 1940s.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas W. Jester, who died in 1984.

She is survived by her son, Victor Jester and his wife, Patricia, of Marietta; her nephews, Ken Smith and his wife, Annie, and Jack Smith and his wife, Linda, of Tallahassee, Fla., Fain Smith and his wife, Ruth, of Sopchoppy, Fla., and Charles A. Smith and his wife, Towana, of Ocean Springs, Miss.; and many great nieces and great nephews.

She will always be in our hearts and will be remembered with a smile.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Julia White Scholarship Fund of Alpha Delta Kappa Teachers Sorority, c/o Martha Todd, 1702 Culbreth St., Bainbridge, GA 39819.

Ivey Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.