The Antioch Baptist Church

has built a memorial garden for one of its faithful, the

late Jerry Branch.

He died this past June at

the age of 65. He was born and reared in Baxley, Ga. and

moved to Fayette County in 1972. He and his wife, Maxine,

became active members of Antioch Baptist in the mid

1980s.

Mr. Branch served as a

deacon in the church and was always there when anything

needed to be done.

As a memorial to his

faithfulness to the church, a memorial garden was created

and dedicated. The committee chose to place it under a

dogwood tree that has a hanging branch. A plaque was

made, along with installing several benches on which to

sit and meditate.

The scene looks over a

cemetery filled with cedar crosses marking the site of a

formerly overgrown gravesite. Branch was very active

during the year before his death, working to clear the

land over the grave site.

His children include Ellen

Branch Bolton, Brent Branch, Lore Beth Branch Adams and

Scarlett Branch Godwin.

Anyone needing a quiet

moment is invited to sit and meditate in the Jerry Branch

Memorial Garden, to the left of the Antioch Baptist

Church, 144 Woolsey-Brooks Road.

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