Thelma Buie Redd Copeland

June 2, 1922 – April 10, 2018 (95+)

Thelma Buie

This little lady's story is wonderfully summed up in her name.  Born a Buie on a Georgia farm, her mother would take the little toddler into the cotton fields with the rest of her family and sit her under a cotton plant, shaded from the sun, and give her a doll to play with while the rest of her siblings worked the earth.  While small of stature, she grew up strong, honest and clear-minded, with a love for the life that grew from properly tended soil.  Throughout her life, Ms Buie would work her gardens and yards.

Thelma Buie Redd

After graduating from high school, Thelma married the beau of her youth, David Redd, and together set off for Jacksonville, Florida.  As a loving and devoted wife, she brought two girls into the world and set about to build a traditional home.  After less than fifteen years, she found herself a widow and a single mother.  She left the comfort and safety of her carefully crafted nest and took two jobs to complete raising her "crop" of two girls, Mary Lee and Betty.

Thelma Buie Copeland

Two grown girls and many years later, Thelma married her life-partner, George Copeland.  She inherited a new crop of three boys that needed her attention.  Many more years of working life's fields led to three grown men striking out in life with a good foundation – Arthur, Blair and Mark.

Thelma Buie Redd Copeland

For the past eight years, Thelma has lived alone with her final child, Katie (dog).  Twice widowed, she remained devoted to the memories of David and George.  She was happy with the calls and visits from her "brood*."  As she witnessed the passing of her lifelong friends and siblings, she took solace from her many close friends, Gayle, Wendy, Teresa, Steve and Linda, Pat, Mark and Susan, Debbie, Donna and many, many others.  She was fond of her Sunday lunches after Church, especially when she would sit in the back seat of the car next to her great-grandson, Noah, and talk to him about life.

Her days here on this earth ended as they began - a strong, honest and clear-mind little woman.  Thelma has heard His call, and has been harvested by her Lord Jesus.

*Children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that you make donations in her name to the NorthEast Florida Community Hospice.