Winifred Zeches

1939 - 2024

Winifred "Winnie"
Eleanor Damon Zeches,
age 84, went to be with the
Lord on Thursday, April 4,
2024.
She was born in
Jamestown N.Y., Aug. 16,
1939, the third of five
daughters of Merle and
Mary Damon. The family
had a small dairy farm
and feed store in Ran-
dolph, N.Y. Winnie's early
school years were in Ran-
dolph Central School. She
was active in the school
band, playing bass clar-
inet, and singing in the
chorus.
Her family later moved
to Dunkirk, N.Y., where
her father owned a laun-
dry service. She graduated
from Dunkirk High School
in 1956. After graduation
she attended The State
University of N.Y., Fredo-
nia College. Unfortunate-
ly, Winnie was never able
to finish her first year of
college as she was very
sick with rheumatic fever
and had to drop out of col-
lege. During her senior
year in high school as
young music major at Fre-
donia, Clarence Zeches
came to be their choir di-
rector at Dunkirk Baptist
Church. They were mar-
ried Aug. 23, 1958. Winnie
sang in the choir at First
Baptist Church, Toccoa,
for 40 years. She also led
pre-school music at St.
Matthias Episcopal
Church, First Alliance
Church, and First Baptist
Church, all in Toccoa.
In 1985, Winnie was
elected Toccoa's first fe-
male City Commissioner,
and because of the rota-
tion system of the Com-
missioners, she became
the first woman Mayor of
Toccoa. She served 14
years on the City Commis-
sion.
Winnie was preceded in
death by her parents, two
brothers-in-law, LeRoy
Archer of Avoca, N.Y. and
Bill Little of Buffalo N.Y.,
a daughter-in-law, Susie
Zeches of Toccoa, Ga., her
sister and brothers-in-law
Patricia and Gene Fitch of
Youngstown Ohio.
She is survived by her
husband Clarence Zeches;
her son Jon, his wife
Cheryl of Toccoa, Ga., her
son Jim, his wife Oonagh,
of Roswell Ga.; seven
grandchildren, Clayton,
Savannah, Luke,
Jonathan, Noah, Megan
and Isabel; three sisters,
Murial Archer of Thou-
sand Oaks, Calif., Dorothy
Little of Rochester N.Y.,
and Loretta Hiller and her
husband Ron of Michigan;
a number of nieces and
nephews.
For many years Winnie
was active with the
Stephens County Gideon
Auxiliary. Memorials may
be made to the Stephen
County Gideon Auxiliary,
P.O. Box 663, Toccoa,
Georgia 30577, Toccoa
Falls College School of
Nursing, 107 Kincaid
Drive, Box 809, Toccoa
Falls, Georgia 30598 or to
the First Baptist Church,
475 E. Tugalo Street, Toc-
coa, Georgia 30577
A memorial service will
be held at First Baptist
Church Chapel April 27,
2024, at 11 a.m. with the
Rev. Brett Sanders and the
Rev. David Ritcey officiat-
ing.
The family will receive
friends at the First Baptist
Church Chapel from 10
a.m. until the service time.
Online condolences may
be left for the family at
www.acree-davisfh.com.
Inurnment will follow
at the Stephens Memorial
Gardens with the Acree-
Davis Funeral Home and
Crematory in charge of the
arrangements for Mrs.
Winifred "Winnie" Zech-
es.