Bernice Lillian Ponder
April 21, 1933 – September 17, 2018
Funeral services for Bernice Lillian Sellars Ponder, 85, of Cairo, GA, are at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 22, 2018, at the Chapel of Clark Funeral Home, Cairo, GA. Rev. Ernie Beckwith will officiate. Interment will be in Greenwood Cemetery, Cairo, GA. Mrs. Ponder passed away at Grady General Hospital in Cairo, GA, on Monday, September 17, 2018.
Active pallbearers will be Allen Cliett, Jon Ponder, Christian Ponder, Austin Ponder, Shawn Crawford, Shannon Crawford and Nicklous Cliett.
Mrs. Ponder was born on April 21, 1933, in Cairo, GA, to the late Ira Sampson Sellars and Eva Mae Wilson Sellars. On December 2, 1960 she married Johnnie Ponder, who preceded her in death on October 10, 2001. She retired from the Grady County Board of Education as a bus driver. She was a member of New Covenant Full Gospel Church in Cairo.
Survivors include: her children, Thomas A. Cliett (Laura) of Thomasville, GA, Joey S. Cliett (Marsha) of Branson, MO, David E. Ponder (Christine) of Grapevine, TX, Patricia Crawford (Ronald) of Cairo, GA, Gloria Jean Ponder of Cairo, GA; stepchildren, Frank Ponder (Gloria) of Cairo, GA, Mary Philips of Cairo, GA; grandchildren, Allen Cliett of Thomasville, GA, Jon Ponder (Carla) of College Station, TX, Christian Ponder (Samantha) of Phoenix, AZ, Austin Ponder of Austin, TX, Shawn Crawford of Savannah, GA, Shannon Crawford of Jacksonville, FL, Nicholas Client of Branson, MO; great-grandchildren, Ava Ponder and Hudson Ponder of College Station, Bowden (Scout) Ponder, Robinson True Ponder, and Price Anne-Drew Ponder of Phoenix, AZ, Kelby Cliett, Colby Cliett, both of Cairo, GA; brothers, Buddy Sellars of Cairo, GA, Ronald Sellars (Jo Ann) of Albany, GA, Durwood Sellars (Connie) of Cairo, GA; sisters, Doris Sexton of Whigham, GA, Marlene Ricks of Cairo, GA, Frances Bush of Thomasville, GA; and a host of nieces, nephews and extended family.
She was preceded in death by: her parents; her husband; step-son-in-law, James William Phillips, Jr.; sisters, Gearldean Samples, Annie Bell Bridges, Lochia Roop, Mattie Mae Nix, Mildred Williams, Gladys Proctor, Lennie Singletary; and brothers, Will Sellars, Charles Sellars, Henry Sellars.
The family will receive friends at Clark Funeral Home on Friday, September 21, 2018, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.
