Walker H.S. Class of '69 (Atlanta, GA)

Ben “Benny” Madison Gresham, III, a beloved husband, father, brother, and papa, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2025 at the age of 73. He was born on July 17, 1951, in Atlanta, Georgia to the late Ben and Grace Gresham. He was also preceded in death by his son, Ben Gresham, IV.

He is survived by his loving family; wife, Cathy Brooks Gresham of Grayson; sons, Greg Gresham of Grayson, Ben (Katy) Smith of Social Circle; grandchildren, Carissa (Austin Seling) Gresham, Zoie Gresham, Raegan Gresham, Levi Smith; great grandchildren, Skylar and Melody; sisters, Diane Earnest, Gail (Scotty) Parks, Sonya Allen; brothers, Mike (Lynn) Gresham, Jeff (Michelle) Gresham and many nieces and nephews.

Benny was the owner of G & G Grading for many years. Upon retirement, he enjoyed cruising with his wife, and spending time playing and fishing with his grandchildren, who will miss him dearly. His family will always remember his contagious laugh and mischievous sense of humor. Grief is the last act of love we have to give. Where there is deep grief, there was great love.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, May 16, 2025 at 1:00pm at Fairview Memorial Gardens, Stockbridge, Georgia.

From Sara Frazier Ross: It’s with so much sadness and shock that I let you know that my sister, Peggy Frazier, has passed away. It was sudden and very unexpected. We had a great Christmas and she was really happy. Please keep us in your prayers.
Celebration of Life is Sunday Jan. 19 at her little country church that she loved so much.
Island Ford Baptist church
850 Island Ford Road, Buford, Ga
Visitation is at 2:00 with service at 3:00. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Island Ford Baptist.

I learned today that Carol Diane Ledbetter Keeney (Class of 1969) passed away on August 25, 2024 at age 73. No services are planned at this time. Sending prayers for her family.

May 5, 2024

To All Classmates of 1969,

IT’S ONLY 13 DAYS UNTIL OUR 55TH CLASS REUNION!

This is our final reminder about our get-together being held on Saturday, May 18, at Hard Labor Creek State Park’s Group Shelter #1. This group shelter is enclosed, has air conditioning, attached restrooms and is wheelchair accessible. There is a large deck attached to this shelter, so bring your lawn chairs.

Starting time is 11:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. Lunch will be served around 1:00 p.m. Please join us! It’s free other than the $5.00 fee per car state park entrance fee. Food and drink are included.

We now need to finalize our list of attendees so we have the appropriate amount of food and drinks prepared. If you haven’t already responded and do plan to attend our reunion, please let us know now by sending a message on Facebook or by return e-mail.

If you have any questions, please contact any one of the reunion committee members listed below:

Gale Joyner McFarland 770-401-9524

Danny McFarland 404-406-7793

Jimmy Watson 478-397-7880

Sara Frazier Ross 678-614-2435

Ellen Carlan 678-203-5819

For those classmates who listed "interested" in the 55th class reunion, could you please let us know if you have decided to join us? Thanks so much!

Dear Class of 1969 Classmates,

Our 55th class reunion is only 2 months away! Date of our event is May 18, 2024.

The group shelter #1 at Hard Labor Creek State Park will hold 120 people, so let’s fill it up!

It’s free other than the $5.00 fee per car state park entrance fee. Food and drink included – what better deal can you ask for?

There’s a large deck attached to the shelter, so bring your lawn chairs.

We will be here all day so come when you can and stay as long as you like.

The reunion committee has gratefully received many responses from classmates regarding our event. However, we still haven’t heard from numerous people. In order to prepare the appropriate amount of food, etc., we must get responses from the remaining classmates.

Please respond to this post/email stating whether or not you will attend and if you will be bringing a guest. Please also include your current address and phone number(s).

If you have any questions, please contact any one of the reunion committee members listed below:

Gale Joyner McFarland 770-401-9524
Danny McFarland 404-406-7793
Jimmy Watson 478-397-7880
Sara Frazier Ross 678-614-2435
Ellen Carlan 678-203-5819

From Ellen Carlan to all classmates of the class of 1969, in preparation of our 55th reunion this year please send send me your current email address by private message or post here. Thanks so much!

Susan Ann Earnhart Babb, Class of 1969, born on August 8th, 1951, to Dorothy and George Earnhart, peacefully said goodbye on January 3, 2024, surrounded by loved ones. She was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved husband, Charles Babb.

Susan, known affectionately as "Nana," embraced the joys and challenges of life with excitement, laughter, and unwavering love. On July 3rd 1969, Susan and Charles Babb said “I do” in the back of a sporting goods store and forever bound their lives together in a partnership even death could not break. Their union was blessed with a beautiful daughter, Rebecca Denise, born on April 5th, 1971.
Susan's house was never quiet, filled with the laughter of her grandchildren, Elizabeth, Hannah, and Charlie, and later, the pitter-patter of four great-grandchildren, Emmy, GradieMae, Elliot, and Hudson. Nana's home was a place where rules were made to be broken, and bedtime was a suggestion, not a requirement.

Nana liked to tell stories of her life with Papa and my mom growing up. My personal favorite was the time Mom asked Nana and Papa to watch her ice cream while she stepped away. Well, they watched it alright- They watched the cat eat it! Another favorite of mine was the reason she hates chocolate-covered cherries since she was small. Lesson learned, don’t hide and eat a whole box of them by yourself! Nana was also not a fan of coconut, though I very much remember a time she took a big bite of a cookie when out to eat and it was coconut. She made the funniest noises as she wiped and wiped at her tongue.

Nana was a collector of cranberry glass and all things hummingbird. She also loved coloring with her babies. We took road trips and went to the beach. Once we went on a trip to Virginia and Nana and Papa took all three of us grandkids by themselves. In the car, we drove her so crazy she told us not to speak again until we got to Virginia. That backfired when we LOUDLY cheered as we crossed the state line and woke her from a deep sleep. I’ll never forget the scolding we got. (It was worth it!)

In this time of grief, let us remember the joy she brought to our lives, the laughter she shared, and the love that will continue to live on in our hearts. May she find peace, reunited with her beloved Charles, in the soothing embrace of eternity.

There will not be a gathering for Susan, as she didn’t care for all the fanfare and pomp. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Fighting for Dawn Rescue and Senior Sanctuary, Denise’s rescue Susan was forever proud of, in Susan's honor.

As we say goodbye to Nana, let's remember not only the tears but the laughter, the quirks, the unexpected dirty jokes, and the moments that made her one of a kind. May her spirit continue to inspire us to live authentically and embrace the unconventional journey that is life.

Written by grandaughter, Elizabeth Stubbs

I just learned that the Class of 1969 lost classmate Kenneth Arlen Davis on May 23, 2023 at age of 71 from Auburn, GA. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Sperbeck Davis, and siblings Wayne Davis and Brenda Davis Bonner. Prayers going out to his family and friends.

Charles "Bo" Bohannon, Class of 1969, passed away on December 8, 2023 at age 72. He was born on July 31, 1951 to the late James & Ella Bohannon. Charles was a law enforcement officer of 15 years for different agencies. He retired from Greystone Power Corp after 30 years. After retirement, he worked at D&R Processing deer cooler, paper service & gathering scrap metal. Charles coached little league early on & then coached recreational football when his grandson, Graham, played on the Sharpsburg Stallions. He was preceded in death by his sister, Beverly Findley, & is survived by his wife, Patsy Bohannon; his children, Leah Kearns, Shane Hart (Donna); Waynette Downs (Tim), Chris Bohannon (Kimberly); grandchildren, Shayna Hart, Alex Hinton, Bailey Hinton, Kendra Kearns, Tucker Kearns, Lilly Kearns, Reese Peek, Riley Peek, Graham Peek; great grandson, Trey Campbell; sister, Dianne Barfield; nieces & nephews. Funeral service is to be held Wednesday, December 13th, at 4 o'clock at Southwest Christian Church, 3836 Hwy 29 North, Newnan, GA 30265, with visitation from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm.

Cancellation of 70th Birthday Party for Walker High School Class of 1969 !
We unfortunately are cancelling the party scheduled for October 23rd at Hard Labor Creek State Park due to many class member's uneasiness about current health issues or concerns. Sara Frazier Ross, Gale Joyner McFarland, and myself have made this decision after hearing from several classmates who no longer wanted to attend.