Obituary posted on Legacy.com by Elmore-Hill-McCreight Funeral Home on December 3, 2023.
Georgia Elizabeth Jeffords Elmore, 99, widow of Robert Carroll Elmore, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 1, 2023 at Covenant Place Nursing Center. She and Carroll were married 25 days shy of 60 years when he died on June 26, 2011, he was the love of her life.
She was born December 18, 1923 in Florence, South Carolina, the daughter of the late Samuel King Jeffords Sr. and Josie Mae Smith Jeffords, and was a stepdaughter of Mary Juanita Sumner Jeffords.
Ms. Elmore was a member of First Baptist Church of Sumter, having been a member of Elliott Baptist Church while living in Elliott, SC. She graduated from Elliott High School. She had worked as a telephone operator for Southern Bell Telephone until she became pregnant with her daughter. She then worked for her mother-in-law, Johnsie Smith Elmore, who founded and owned the Jo-El Sandwich Company. Georgia later purchased the Jo-El Sandwich Company and ran the company for 19 years until she retired and sold it to Perfection Baker. Georgia loved gardening and baking and decorating cakes for family birthday parties.
She is survived by her daughter Josie Mae Elmore of Sumter, a sister Mary Jeffords Hoyt of Sumter, a brother Arthur Sumner Jeffords (Jean) of Knoxville, Tennessee and a sister-in-law Jean Elmore Smith of Charleston, brother-in-law Len Caughman of Bishopville, sister-in-law Francis Smith Norris (Edward) of Greeleyville, numerous nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews and great-grandnieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, stepmother, brother and sisters-in-law, Samuel King Jeffords Jr. (Margaret) and William Quincy Jeffords Sr. (Hazel). brother-in-law George Edward Smith and Major Richard Alan Hoyt. sister-in-law Virigina Elmore Caughman. Brother-in-law and sisters-in-law, Roland Goff Elmore., Jr. (Carolyn), Stephen Goff Elmore (Delores), Vivian Smith Davis (Olin).
The family would like to thank the staff at Covenant Place Nursing Center for their kind care of Georgia for nearly two years and the staff at Tuomey Hospice for the past four months.
Funeral services will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at Sumter Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home on Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to the Connie Maxwell Children's Home, 810 Maxwell Ave. Greenwood, SC 29626 (where her mother Josie and uncle Ira Smith lived).
Online condolences may be expressed at www.sumterfunerals.com
Elmore Hill McCreight Funeral Home & Crematory, 221 Broad Street, Sumter, is in charge of arrangements (803) 775-9386.
