Gideon Farmer

GIDEON FARMER Mr. John Gideon Farmer, Jr., 80, retired president of Farmer Construction Company and longtime resident of Columbia, died Tuesday, October 7, 2003 at Maury Regional Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 P.M. Friday at Highland Park Baptist Church with Rev. Robert Adair officiating. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 4:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home and Friday from 12:00 noon to 2:00 P.M. at the church. Memorials may be made to National MS Society, 4219 Hillsboro Road, Suite 306, Nashville, TN 37215 (please designate "research"). Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania native was the son of the late John Gideon Farmer, Sr. and Magdalena Harvey Farmer. He was married to Maysel Johnson Farmer who preceded him in death May 10, 1982. He was a 1942 graduate of Central High School where he was captain of the football team. He was a member of Highland Park Baptist Church since 1938 and taught Sunday School for thirty years. He was a member of Kiwanis Golden Key and was an avid fisherman and hunter. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Elaine (Rick) Sellars of Greenwood, South Carolina, Mrs. Anita (Tom) DuBois of Columbia; two sons, John Gideon (Pam) Farmer, III of Williamsport, Alan (Dyan) Farmer of Waverly; three sisters, Mrs. Lois (James) Williams of Franklin, Mrs. Harriet Eddlemon of Red Wing, Minnesota, Mrs. Trula (Knox) Surles of Columbia; two brothers, Rev. Dan (JoEllen) Farmer of Greenbrier, Gary (Barbara) Farmer of Muscle Shoals, Alabama; and ten grandchildren, John Gideon Farmer, IV, Benjamin Neal Farmer, Gideon Sellars, Alex Sellars, Richard Farmer Sellars, Candi Swearingen, Caitlin Farmer, Whitney DuBois, Sam DuBois and Ryan DuBois. He was preceded in death by one brother, Glenn Farmer and two sisters, Peggy Church and Emily Crea Farmer. Pallbearers will be John Gideon Farmer, IV, Ben Farmer, Gideon Sellars, Alex Sellars, Richard Sellars, Sam DuBois, Ryan DuBois, Harvey Church, Benny Williams, Jimmy Williams, Ricky Farmer and Keith Farmer. Honorary pallbearers will be former employees of Farmer Construction Co., Cam Hales, Leon Billingsley, Fred and Cynthia Prince, John Lynn, Herman Lewis, Jessie Sharp, George and Sara Pilkinton, David and Caroline Cheek, Edwin Derryberry, Steve Jones and caregivers at NHC Hillview.