Ms. Carla Amanda Summerville (Hagen), age 70, of Buchanan, Georgia, passed away on Thursday, January 21, 2021.  She was born on March 14, 1950 in Janesville, Wisconsin.  She was the daughter of the late Karl and Irma Cernoia Hagen.

Carla Hagen was a proud Tom boy who grew up picking corn in the fields of Southern Wisconsin with her seven siblings. She was the proud daughter of a strong, first generation, tough-as-nails Italian immigrant mother & towering, stoic German father. Not even five feet tall, but with the vim and vigor of an NFL offensive line, Erma raised Carla to be unapologetically tough, resilient, and hard working. She taught her to never feel sorry for yourself or situation; if you don't like it--change it! She instilled a value for education in her children at a young age which was a guiding principle throughout mom's 70 years on this Earth as she raised bullheaded children of her own. From her days building out the Bowling Green, Kentucky GM plant while negotiating with gigantically powerful labor unions & 100% male assembly line workers, she quickly learned she was a woman in a man's world in an era that just didn't happen. She raised her children to value education as her mom had her so that they could make their ways in this topsy turvy world on their own terms. She marched for Civil Rights & was a true feminist before the hashtags existed. After losing her brother and many childhood friends in Vietnam, she became a lifelong supporter of Veteran's rights, volunteering to drive vets to and from their doctor's appointments at the VA Hospital and orchestrating countless fundraisers.

With the first half of her career marked by high octane stress, fast-paced Corproate ladder climbing, & glass ceiling shattering, once she had her second child, she opted to start her own company so she could be flexible & present as she raised four children all by herself. Understandably, she was typically serious, but her children remember fondly that she'd always find time to let loose if her favorite tunes came on--Tina Turner, Prince, & The Rolling Stones always worked best.

Later on in life, she'd grown an immense love for a quieter, slower pace, spending hours in her garden of potted plants she'd arranged like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and once she became an empty-nester, her kitty fur babies kept her company during Law & Order marathons.

Mom was a trailblazer, never fitting the mould folks thought she ought to & proud-fully made it her full-time job to teach her children as she had been taught: grab life by the you know what and run as hard and straight and fast you can towards your success. She shot you straight & was never short on words to give you her opinion because she was so convicted in feeling like she was helping someone. She loved deeply, profoundly, and without end, and would give you the shirt off her back, coffee in her mug, and last Marlboro red.

Intensely private & endlessly giving, she oftentimes painted herself into a corner, far away from self fulfillment, all in an attempt to make others feel better than she did--she didn't want anyone she knew and loved and cared about to feel as empty as she had since her son died twenty years prior in a Lake Lanier drowning. After Vinnie passed, she tried her best, but she became a shell of herself. She played decades of tough hands and kept dusting off her blue jeans, anteing up and pressing forward--not for her, but for her daughters. What would've broken most folks, Carla pressed forward.

Mom loved animals and nature, always finding joy in her rescue kitties & an old, beautiful oak tree. She was an avid athlete, lettering in swim, track, and road biked thousands of miles as an adult to "clear her mind" when life's fog got too thick. She gave the world so much more than she ever she gave herself; selfless without end because she wanted better for everyone than she had experienced. A soft heart for the "little man", she was always fighting for the wronged; like a bull through a China shop, she'd use her impressive intellect to rattle cages to try and help the less fortunate navigate a complex system of life so they could avoid pain she'd felt. Always one for a new idea, one summer she learned how to get DOT certified so she could become a professional construction directional sign flipper & even looked into courses so she could learn the art of becoming a private defective for hire! She'd sold cars, owned a commercial cleaning business, had done graphic design for a start-up water brand--you name it, she tried it. She was a dynamic, complex, Renaissance woman.

Throwing on her signature red or blue bandana, she loved to work with her hands, but she was also an extremely talented artist as well. She'd beam with pride when she told the story about how her art had been selected to represent the state in the Governor's awards that highlighted youth art at the Chicago Museum of art. The apples not falling from the tree, both of her daughters inherited their mother's knack for marrying colors and shapes. So much so, they got their little sister in trouble in kindergarten & called to the counselor's office when they'd color her weekly school coloring contest submission so they could win free roller skating tickets for the weekend. When she tried to reprimand her daughters for their coloring contest scheme, she laughed under her breath & had to hide her grin when they said they were just "using their talents to help get by in the world."

Mom could identify the year of any Corvette simply with a ruble of its engine. She'd smirk with a knowing grin of undoubtedly endless stories of drag racing her white Vette against fellow speed demons at stoplights. "Oh, that was the year after they stopped doing the split back window." She loved tutoring local children who struggled with their reading & math so they could realize their true potential because she was a firm believer we all had the capacity--it just took the focus, determination, and hard work to get there; what the world threw away & saw as lost causes, mom delighted in supporting and repairing against all odds.

She was never known to have less than three jobs at any given time & no matter the cost, she always found a way to try & make her children's lives better--no matter how difficult. As a single mom of four kids, she'd wake up at 4 am so she could clean the office she worked in doing construction project estimating 9-5, only to run home to quickly change into her Petro's waitressing uniform where she'd work until nearly midnight everyday. Exhausted, she'd stumble home after midnight most days all to do it over again at 5 am the very next day. On Sundays she'd have her best day of waitressing tips so it was a tradition to take her lunch break in between the church crowds to make a "Walmart run." She'd treat her girls to special lotions and shampoos so had nice things so the girls felt pretty and pampered.

Our last Christmas together was amazing as it could be given COVID. Like most, she was struggling with the isolation and fear of quarantine. So to lift her spirits, we picked her up in our doubled up masks, bought a loaf of bread, and did her favorite thing: we drove up to Cave Springs to feed the ducks and fish. Afterwards we pigged out on homemade fudge from the same shop on the square she'd taken us to as kids. Always averse to spending money, we treated her to every flavor her heart desired & we sat on patio furniture from the closed coffee shop next door as we traded fudge reviews and reminisced about memories from decades prior. The weather was beautiful, and the crisp winter air was folded in perfectly with the warm sun shining on faces.

These are just a few of the priceless lessons my mother taught this world: the value of a true friend, never give up, work hard to make your own way so you don't owe anyone anything, enjoy the little things, love your family, and always remember that nice things are only that--nice--because they shouldn't define you when you could lose them tomorrow. She believed life was best anchored to people you can trust & depend on, any day--any time--because true loyalty & support is a rare and precious thing in this world. Our family shares these memories so they can be heard & stored in our hearts long after the last rose of a wreath wilts & final inch of Georgia red clay is spread across her physical body's resting place next to her beloved son. Perhaps you didn't know our mom, but you have a mom, sibling, friend, aunt, cousin or friend who reminds you and touches your heart in the way ours touched those she knew. Carla's surviving daughters, nephews, sisters, & friends encourage anyone reading this to take a moment from this crazy, messed up, incredibly wonky, but oftentimes magical world to let people know how much they mean to you tomorrow isn't promised and you don't want to live with regret. You don't want to take the stage the last time knowing you're married to the wrong man, friends with someone who isn't there for you, or settling as you undersell yourself & your dreams--Mom taught us that. If you owe someone an apology or need to forgive yourself, please do it in the name of her love, spirit, and passion--so you can get on the other side of that canyon in life & set sail for smooth, clear, beautifully happy waters. You deserve it and they do too.

Mom was fiercely loyal to the small group of people she sincerely loved & trusted, and her kids were the blue ribbons of her life. She'd made it her life's work to teach them what she felt they needed to always be able to take care of themselves. She knew what it felt like to feel helpless, sad, and lonely & she wanted better for her daughters so she was very tough on them so she could rest easy knowing they were all going to be ok once her time came. Her tremendously powerful spirit never quite recovered from losing her first born 20 years prior & her loved ones are endlessly thankful they can collectively rest their weary hearts knowing their beautifully imperative, hardworking, tightly wound, loving mother is re-joined with her fantastically funny son, Vincent Boyd "Vinnie", in her kingdom of heaven --along with her tiny little Italian Catholic mother, beautifully kind brother, Vincent "Uncle Moe", other brother, Boyd, who she shared a love for NASCAR with, Aunt Jenny, and beloved Aunt Jackie who she said had "the most beautiful dark hair."

We proudly inherit and will keep alive, mom's profound capacity for empathy, compassion, & fiery love. Love & kindness wins now, always, & forever; Our momma taught us that.

Ms. Summerville is survived by her daughters, Meaghan Wood (Andrew Young), Sarah Weitzel McLendon (Dan), and Krista René Tripp (Scott); seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Ms. Summerville is preceded in death by her parents and son, Vincent Boyd Easton.

A private graveside service for Ms. Summerville will be held for the family.

In accordance with the guidelines and recommendations set forth by the CDC, social distancing guidelines will be in place as well as the use of masks are required for all services provided for Ms. Summerville.

Messages of condolence can be made to the family by visiting our website and signing the online guestbook at gammagefh.com.

The Olin L. Gammage and Sons Funeral Home is handling the arrangements for Ms. Carla Amanda Hagen Summerville.