Miss Mattie Bell Gammage, age 97, of Sylvester, Georgia, went to be with her Lord and Savior Saturday, December 19, 2009. She was born on November 15, 1912 in Worth County, Georgia to the late Dock Lamar Gammage, Sr. and Mary Hart Gammage.

During World War II, she worked with the Selective Service. She worked for Haley Farms many years serving in many capacities. She was a bookkeeper and retired from the Worth County Board of Education.

Miss Mattie Bell joined The First Baptist Church of Sylvester in 1925 and was an active member of the Sunbeams, GA's, YWA's, BYPU and the Bykota Sunday School Class. She was a member of the Barnard Trail Chapter of the Daughter's of American Revolution, Sylvester Woman's Club, the Worth County Historical Society and the Monday Afternoon Bridge Club.

Miss Mattie Bell truly loved her church, her family, and her many friends. She enjoyed coming to Cedartown back in the days where she would visit all of the Cedartown Gammage family.

She is preceded in death by parents, Dock Lamar Gammage, Sr. and Mary Hart Gammage; brothers, William Franklin Gammage, Emil Gammage, Dock Lamar Gammage, Jr., Olin L. Gammage Sr., Harold Gammage, Vernon Bius; sisters, Ella Mae Folsom, Lois Gammage, Sarah Gammage; nephews, Lamar Gammage, Sam Gammage; niece, Trelle Gammage Green.

Miss Mattie Bell Gammage is survived by sisters-in-law, Glenda M. Gammage of Sylvester and Jessie Gammage of Columbus; Zan Gammage of Cedartown; nieces and nephews, Mary King Givens, Lila (Jim) Phelps all of Sylvester; Deirdre (Phil) Troyer of Bradenton, FL, Mary Louise (Kerry) Thomas of Albany, Lynn (June) Gammage, Elliott (Lee) Gammage all of Cedartown, Philip Gammage of Augusta, Larry Gammage, Tommy Gammage, Jessica (Everett) Powell all of Columbus and Harold (Cindy) Gammage of Denver, CO. She is also survived by many great nieces and nephews including two special great nieces, Dot (Michael) Rutherford of Elberton and Heather (Bubba) Robbins of Sylvania; great-great nieces and nephews; great-great-great nieces and nephews.

The funeral service for Mattie Bell Gammage will be conducted on Monday, December 21, 2009 at the First Baptist Church in Sylvester, GA at 2:00 p.m. with Dr. Ben Bush officiating. The interment will follow in Hillcrest Cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the church on Monday, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. prior to the funeral service.

Memorial contributions may be made to The First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 309, Sylvester, Ga. 31791.

The Olin L. Gammage and Sons Funeral Home is making this local announcement for the family of their beloved Miss Mattie Bell Gammage.

The Banks Funeral Home, 208 N. Main Street, Sylvester, Georgia, 31791 is handling the funeral arrangements.