M.D. Akridge

Mr. M. D. Akridge, 92, of Stillmore passed away Thursday, January 21, 2021 at AU Medical Center in Augusta following an extended illness.

Mr. Akridge was born December 24, 1928 in Tom to the late Jim Lewis Akridge and Trudie Stapleton Akridge. He was preceded in death by his parents; wives, Betty Akridge and Ann Akridge, brothers, James Akridge and Alvie Akridge; sisters, Katie Canady, Annie Marsh, and Leona Jones.

As a young boy, the family moved to Stillmore, where M.D. would make his permanent home, where he would find love, marry his sweetheart, and begin his family.

Born to a farmer, he began his life in Stillmore as such.  M.D. was plowing behind a mule, when he couldn’t even see over the bar between the handles.  As he grew older, his farm family would help fellow farmers, and in doing so, a young, blue eyed girl caught his eye.

As she was watching him one day, M.D. “turned a flip” out of the back of the truck, and that is when Betty Jean Jones said, “Yep, that’s the one I’m going to marry.”  And so she did.  This was the beginning of his legacy, which would title him the patriarch of the Akridge family.

M.D. and Betty were married on November 29, 1947. And began their life together as sharecroppers.  M.D. would come to farm tobacco, corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat, and peanuts, and his children would recall, “He grew everything we ate, except for the dry goods.”

Their first child, a girl was born on September 23, 1948, with 10 other siblings to follow.  6 girls, 5 boys total.  M.D. raised his family on $25 a week, yet would still give anyone the clothes off of his back, literally.  A man brought a load of fertilizer to the farm one day, and before he left M.D. told Betty, “Go fix him up a bag of my clothes and give to him.”

The children recall their daddy getting off of his tractor after plowing the field, and picking or gathering whatever was ripe at the time….plums, bullises, berries, and he would bring that harvest home to them in his hat.

M.D. was a family man, but he did love to fight.  He was scrappy fella at one time, so scrappy that sometimes, if he and Betty were walking down the street, he would sort of push her into a man walking by, just so he could fight.  Boy, you sure knew that Jerry belonged to him, two peas in a pod!

The fighting and scrapping ended in 1952, when M.D. was in a car wreck.  The wreck broke his back and severed his left ear.  He didn’t let that bother him though, he would slap that ole brown hat on his head, tilt it to the left, and keep on going.

M.D. was a drinker too (although he made WAYYYYY more than be drank)! When he had that wreck, he told God if He would let him live, he would not drink again, and he NEVER had another drop.

Back to making more than he drank—it’s told that he made enough moonshine to fill a pond, maybe even a lake.  On one of his trips from town, hauling sugar back for his batches, he was pulled over.  It may or may not have been obvious since the back of his car was nearly touching the dirt.  The cop told M.D. “If you will tell me what you’re gonna do with that sugar, you can keep it.” in which M.D. replied, “You can keep it.”

When M.D. and Betty’s marriage of 29 years came to an end, he remarried Ann, and gained another son, and raised him as his own.  M.D. had nicknames for all 12 of his children.  All  12.

Jane (Pig), June (Bug), Peggie (Pud), Lewis (Scrap), James (Knothead), Mop (Mop)…..(Jimmy—has anyone ever known his as Jimmy?), Frank (Nink), Ricky (Knockerhead), Janet (*****)----well, her nickname rhymes with wuss, Tammy (Little Doll), Jerry (Little Man), Joe (Hoss)

M.D. loved his children. He loved life. He loved Jesus.

M.D. was born a twin, a little 2 pound boy with a twin brother named R.T.  R.T. has been reunited with M.D. now 92 years later.

M.D.’s nickname was PeeWee, because he was so small.  M.D.’s family was the third family in his area to get television. He had two mules, named PeeWee and Smutty.  He liked PeeWee the best because he was wild and spunky.  M.D.’s favorite muse was bluegrass and old country.  M.D. loved to dance, especially “buck dance”.  He danced with all six of his girls on his 90th birthday.  He loved to watch westerns.

Everyone said how kind and humble M.D. was, but Little John said there was DEFINITElY another side to him—especially if you cropped the tobacco too short, or rode your dirt bike across a newly planted field.

M.D. had spend the night parties with his daughters.  His last two Father’s Days were doing just that, with the girls.  He loved to fish and loved to catch fish.  He loved to eat fish, his favorite was mullet eggs.  There were too many fishing trips to even talk about.

He was the best tooth puller this side of the Mississippi, just ask Baylee and Aaralyn.  Hey he was called M.D. for a reason!

Unconditional love-something he showed everyone, all the time, every day.  He was always smiling, always hugging, and NEVER complained.

M.D. loved his children.  It didn’t matter whose they were, or how many there were.  He loved each and everyone of them, and each and everyone of them loved M.D.

“He’s always been good, always been special”, says his siter, Jean.  She wouldn’t snitch out any bad stories!  She’s going to miss the peanuts he would always take her.

If you ever saw M.D., you saw him in boots.  Those boots were the BIGGEST boots ever…..and they will never be filled.

There’s a sign in his home that reads, “I have a hero, I call him Dad.”….. his grandchildren call him “Daddy Deebie”.

Survivors include his companion, Alma J. Kersey of Stillmore; sons, James (Teresa) Akridge of Twin City, Lewis (Joan) Akridge, Jimmy “Mop” (Donna) Akridge, Ricky Akridge, Jerry (Ashley) Akridge, all of Stillmore, Joe (Jessica) Akridge of Oak Park; daughters, Jane (Tony) Garris of Adrian, June (Wayne) Cowart of Garfield, Frances (Bill) Akridge of Statesboro, Janet (Kenny) Wilburn of Canoochee, Peggie Akridge, Tammy (Darrell) Green, both of Stillmore; brothers, Ralph Akridge, Elzie Akridge, both of Swainsboro; sisters, Martha Nell (Dent) Beasley, Jean (Colon) Henry, both of Swainsboro; 40 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, several great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends.

Graveside Service will be 2 p.m. Sunday, January 24, 2021 at Mt. Shady Baptist Church Cemetery with Mr. David Gorham and Reverend Rusty Moore officiating.

The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, January 23, 2021 at Chapman Funeral Home.

Pallbearers are Lee Smith, David Deloach, Eddie Ellis, Jeff Partridge, Jack White, and Matt Jones.

In compliance with the guidelines set by the CDC, 6 feet rule will be enforced during visitation and service.

Condolences may be expressed at www.chapmanfhofswainsboro.com

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of the arrangements for Mr. M. D. Akridge, 92, of Stillmore.