Clester Coneway

Clester Coneway's Reflective Obituary, Penned by His Daughter, S. Joiner.
Funeral services for Mr. Clester Coneway, of East Dublin, Georgia, will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 10:00 AM at the Williams Chapel Baptist Church, 1142 HWY 29 South in East Dublin, Georgia. Interment will follow in the Mt. Pullen AME Church Cemetery. Rev. Eddie L. Hixon will deliver the eulogy. Rev. Wilbert Simmons will officiate.
It pains me to admit it, but apparently, I passed away on Saturday, December 7, 2024, at the age of 96. The end seemed imminent more recently; I wasn't meant to become an old person and look anything less than my handsome self.
Given that I've done so much living, I should start from the beginning
On March 3, 1928, my mother, Georgia Mae Coneway, and father, Ennis Taylor, celebrated my birth - Clester Willie Coneway of East Dublin, Georgia. It's astonishing that my birth happened in the first half of the last century, but there are records on file that corroborate this claim.
As a product of the Roaring Twenties, I was born before The Great Depression, The Holocaust, World War II, diesel engines, the invention of the traffic light, Babe Ruth's signing with the Yankees, and KFC becoming a fast food chain.
I was an energetic teenager, so my grandpa, Robert Coneway, stayed on my hiney. In the 1930s, schools were considered a luxury for low- and middle-income children, and due to a lack of funding, most schools were held in local churches. I proudly attended a church school and went on to work at Flexsteel before settling into a 49-year career at Dublin Construction. I started as a truck driver for B.H. Hall Ready Mixed Concrete, but as I eased into retirement, I spent more time making and drinking coffee, and people-watching around the office. I retired in June 2016 at the age of 88 – does that now explain why I spent more time drinking coffee and people watching?
Speaking of titles I held a few in my day. I was a husband, loving father, spoiling grandfather, devoted deacon, and trash-talking, jiving friend. I'm affectionately known as "Papa" to my girls. As a Mount Pullen African Methodist Episcopal Church member, I took pride in being involved in all church-related activities, from serving as Chairman Deacon to ground custodian. However, I could never master the "zero turn mowers."
The memories we leave behind are more precious than all the gold and silver. Left to cherish our time together are my set of twins: Shambreia Joiner, of Silver Spring, Maryland and Shundre' Joiner, of Gainesville, Georgia; sons: Willie Kinsey (Mae), of Miami, Florida and Larry Dixon (Sandra), of Dublin, Georgia; sister: Mary Lee (Lonnie) Thomas, of Dublin, Georgia; bonus daughters: JoAnne Casteel (Gary), of East Dublin, Georgia and Brenda Moore (Melvin), of East Dublin, Georgia, and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, other stepchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.
No buildings were named after me; no monuments were erected in my honor. But, I did have the chance to know and love each and every friend as well as all my family members.
The family will receive visitors on Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the residence of Mr. Coneway (102 West Drive, East Dublin, Georgia).
A Wake Service will be held on Friday, December 13, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Dudley Funeral Home.
Please post your condolences online at ServicesbyDudley.com.
Services by Dudley Funeral Home of Dublin