Lavada Edna Bell Aldridge

May 24, 2017

Lavada Edna Bell Aldridge, 82, of Bainbridge, Ga., formerly of Valdosta, passed away Wednesday, May 24, 2017.

The funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 27, 2017 at Ivey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Roy Matthews and Rev. Ricky Kohl officiating. Interment will follow at Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery with her grandsons, Travis Carver, Scott Aldridge, John Wheeler, Mike Dodson, Garrett Dodson and Dustin Dodson, serving as active pallbearers.

The family received friends from 6-7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2017 at Ivey Funeral Home. Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.iveyfuneral.com.

Memorial donations may be made to: Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 216 Bethany Church Road, Brinson, Ga. 39825.

Lavada Edna Bell was born December 1, 1934 in Brantley County, Ga., the daughter of Leon and Edna Griffin Bell. She married Earl Aldridge and started her family. In 1973, they moved to Decatur County. Lavada was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church, the Saddle Club, the Bainbridge Trailblazers and the Bowling League. The only job that she ever had outside of the home was as a crossing guard for school children in Valdosta.

Known as “Nanny” to a community of children, “Tater” to her childhood friends and “Mama” to her friends, Lavada never met a stranger and made each person feel extra special. Her sweetheart, Earl, was the rock of the family and she was the glue that held them together. Lavada believed in working hard and enjoying life. Some of her favorite pastimes included riding horses, barrel racing, baking, making jelly and preserving vegetables. Strikes were her specialty whether on the softball field or in the bowling lane. Many thought of Lavada as a “fisher of men” because of her kind spirit and ability to love unconditionally. Some will remember her as quite the fisherman and knew she would reel in the most fish on any excursion. Late in life, Nanny learned the game of gin rummy and provided a challenge to anyone who would sit for a game.

Survivors include her husband of 65 years, Earl Aldridge; her children, Gwen Carver and her husband, Billy, of Bainbridge, Hubert Aldridge and his wife, Louise, of Lake Park, Ga., Bernice “Bea” Bush, Cindy Dodson and her husband, Gary, and Audrey Lynn, all of Bainbridge; her sister, Iva Harris of Nahunta, Ga.; her fourteen grandchildren and her twenty two great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Lavada was preceded in death by her siblings, Valley Haywood, Alice Hale, Edith Jones and Mitchell Bell; and her great-grandson, Austin Edenfield.