Mrs. Bernice Ryals

1941 - November 11, 2021

MRS. BERNICE SPIRES RYALS, age 80, of Rhine, GA, died Thursday, November 11, 2021, at Bryant Nursing Home in Cochran.

Obituary for Mrs. Bernice Ryals

MRS. BERNICE SPIRES RYALS, age 80, of Rhine, GA, died Thursday, November 11, 2021, at Bryant Nursing Home in Cochran.

 Funeral services will be held at 2:00PM Sunday, November 14, at Southerland Funeral Chapel, with Mr. Gary Ryals and Rev. Dewayne Burney officiating, with interment in Bay Springs Cemetery in Rhine with Mr. Bobby Ryals officiating.

 Mrs. Ryals was born in Milan and was a dedicated member of Fair Haven Baptist Church. After high school she married the love of her life and they moved to Savannah in the mid-1960s to begin their family. The family moved to Rhine in the early 1970s and she went to work at Goody’s Manufacturing and later at Standard Candy Company as a Candy Packer, where she worked for many years before retiring. She was a dedicated wife, and a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She loved her family and her church and spent lots of time with her grandchildren. Bernice enjoyed cooking, watching the Hallmark Channel on television, and loved riding the Mule with her husband. She was the daughter of the late Aileen Lowery Spires and Eschol Spires and is preceded in death by her Husband of 58 years, John William Ryals and two Brothers, Eschol “Junior” Spires, and Roy Spires.

 She is survived by her Daughter – Jannie Ryals Lamb (Chad) of Eastman; 2 Sons – Gerald Ryals (Connie) of Rhine and Jeff Ryals (Tina) of Eastman; 6 Grandchildren – Hillary DeVane (Ricky), Katie Burnham (Kaleb), Trevor Ryals, Madison Ryals, Luke Lamb, and Will Lamb; 5 Great-Grandchildren – Raylan DeVane, Jakob DeVane, Lydia Burnham, Mira DeVane, and Liam Burnham; Brother – Rayford Spires (Emma Jean) of Perry; 3 Sisters-in-law – Lillian Purvis (Clinton), Janette Hardeman both of Eastman, and Dale Hulett of Rhine; 4 Brothers-in-law – Thomas E. “Tommy” Ryals of Eastman, Bobby Joe Ryals (Lutricia), Gary Ryals (Cecilia) both of Rhine and Dennis Dixon of Albany; Numerous Nieces, Nephews, and Cousins.

 The family may be contacted at the residence of Jannie and Chad Lamb, 115 Campbell Road, Eastman, and will receive friends in Southerland Funeral Chapel from 5:00PM-7:00PM Saturday, November 13.


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