Lillian Leigh Bembry

Lillian Leigh Bembry of Jasper, FL. passed away on March 20, 2022 at Suwannee Valley Nursing Center. A quote by Robert Heinlein seems to be appropriate, "May you live as long as you wish and love as long as you live." Lillian knew that only our maker knows the time and day of our passing from this world to the next but after she celebrated her 80th birthday and skated past her 90th birthday, it became her dream that she might make it to her 100th birthday. On July 18, 2021 she became a Centenarian and celebrated her 100th birthday with her children by her side. She did indeed live to see that major milestone and she most certainly loved as long as she lived.
Lillian was a native and lifelong resident of Hamilton County born on July 18, 1921 to the late Cossie and Blanche Roebuck Leigh. She attended school in Hamilton County and was Valedictorian of her graduating class at Jasper High School. Around that same time, Lillian was being courted by a young man by the name of Payton Bembry and in 1937 she became his bride. She worked several years as City Clerk for the City of Jasper but motherhood was always her priority and she was always involved in the education and activities of her children. Lillian was also involved in community activities one of which included being a member and chaplain of the Jasper Woman's Club. She enjoyed cooking, gardening and traveling all in addition to being a talented artist. Anyone that knew her, knew that leading her children in the path that they should go was not only by word but more importantly by example. Worshipping in the house of the Lord and being part of her weekly prayer group was not a past-time for her, it was the example she felt she owed her children. It is because of that example that each one of her surviving children can testify to what an amazing woman and wonderful mother she was and that they know without question that she is in the arms of our Lord watching over and now waiting for that time when they will all be together again in heaven.
Another credit to Lillian's incredible faith could be summed up in the words of lyricist Irving Berlin when he wrote "Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent of how you take it." Over the many years, Lillian displayed incredible strength as she watched her immediate family, one by one pass away. She was preceded in death by her father, Cossie Leigh and her mother, Blanche Jones; her husband, Payton Bembry Sr.; sons, Payton Bembry, Jr. and Wilmer Bembry; her son-in-law, Ralph Gay; grandsons, Chet Bembry and Jeffrey Burnam; sisters and brothers, Geraldine Fisher, Faye Anne Godwin, Albert Jones and Clayton Jones.
Survivors include her son, Irvin C. Bembry and his wife Charleen; her two daughters, Sharon Bembry Gay and Marilyn Bembry Burnam and her husband Farrell, all of Jasper, FL.; her two daughters-in-law, Alma Bembry of Cherokee, NC and Sharon Bembry of Crown Point, Indiana; 11 grandchildren, 21 great grandchildren and 7 great great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at her home church Bright Pond Baptist Church with Pastor Gerald Smith officiating. Interment followed at Evergreen Cemetery with Pastor Roger Hutto leading the committal service.
Memorial contributions may be made to Bright Pond Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1414, Jasper, FL. 32052.
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