Willie A. Whitten, Jr.

Willie A.Whitten, Jr., 87, died Saturday, April 22, 2017, at the Legacy Personal Care Home in Loganville, GA, following complications from pneumonia. He leaves his wife of 68 years, Lucille (Stinnett) Whitten; his son, Warren Allen Whitten;hisbrother, Rev. Charles William Whitten; grandson Wade Allen Whitten; grandson Travis Ryan Whitten; granddaughter Casey JoAnne Whitten;and many nephews, nieces, cousins, and close friends. Bornand raised in Weir, MS, the son of Willie Amzie and Velma Elizabeth (Eddleman) Whitten, he spent his retirement years in Norcross and Sugar Hill, GA. In his early years, Mr. Whitten helped on the family farm. After graduating from Weir High School in 1946, he met his wife, Lucille Stinnett, at her church in Kentucky, where W.A.'s brother Charles served as pastor, and they were married in 1948.He attended Mississippi College, graduating in 1951 with a B.A. in Sociology. Following his receipt of a B.D. from Southern Seminary in 1954, he served for seven years as the associate director of the Southern Baptist Seminary Extension Department in Nashville, TN. In 1966 he earned an Ed.D. in Adult Education from Indiana University. Dr. Whitten retired as a commissioned officer from the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in 1987, with a 24-year career spent in Liberia, Tanzania, Afghanistan, and parts of Asia. He was also a former pastor of the First Baptist Church, in Richland, MS. Artifacts from their time in Liberia are in collections at Indiana University and Mississippi College. Dr. Whittenwas an active and beloved member for many years at First Baptist Church of Chamblee, GA, which later became Johns Creek Baptist Church, inspiring others through his service as a deacon and Sunday School teacher. In retirement, he enjoyed serving as a chaplain for the local chapter of the Good Sam R.V. Club. His interest in genealogy and photography culminated in the 2000 publication of Beulah and Beyond: A Story of the Beulah Baptist Church and Community in Historical Perspective, 1835-1999, about the people, church, school, and land of Choctaw County, MS. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, April 25th at 7:30 pm at Flanigan's Funeral Home, 4400 South Lee Street, Buford, GA, preceded by a visitation at 6:30 pm. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, April 27th, at 10:00 a.m. at Weir Cemetery, Weir, MS. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Johns Creek Baptist Church, 6910 McGinnis Ferry Road, Alpharetta, GA 30005 or the W. A. Whitten, Sr. Memorial Endowment Fund at Mississippi College, Attn: Barbara Brown King, Box 4005, Clinton, MS 39058.