Betty Smith Gooding (MARTINEZ, Ga.)

MARTINEZ, Ga. - Entered into rest Monday, January 5, 2009, Mrs. Betty Smith Gooding, 76, wife of the late William H. Gooding, Sr. Mrs. Gooding was a native of Tatnall County, GA but resided most of her life in the Augusta area. Early in her business career she worked for the FBI as a stenographer in Savannah where she met her late husband William H. Gooding, Sr. In 1968 they moved to Augusta where she began an 18 year career with IBM. She worked for almost 20 years in the scoring center at the Masters Tournament. Mrs. Gooding was a 40 year member of the First Baptist Church of Augusta where she was a member of the Friendship Sunday School Class. Mrs. Gooding was also a member of the Green Meadows Country Club and loved golf. She was a devoted daughter and doting grandmother. Family members include her son: William Henry Gooding, Jr. (Nancy) of Evans; daughters: Elizabeth Gooding Reiss of Charleston, SC, Gilda Gooding Curry (Nathan) of Woodstock; 6 grandchildren; Alan Craig Musser, Jr., Benjamin Rogers Gooding, Nathan Charles Curry, Jr., Matthew William Gooding, Kyle Patrick Curry, and Madeleine Grace Curry; great-grandson: Curren Musser and brother: Larry Smith of Hahira, GA. Funeral services will be held Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 11:30 A.M. at First Baptist Church of Augusta with Dr. Jake Malone officiating. Pallbearers will be grandsons. Interment will follow at 4:00 P.M. Thursday at Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery near Claxton, GA. Memorials may be made to the Parkinson's Foundation, 2708 W. Terrace Dr., Augusta, GA 30909. The family will receive friends Wednesday evening, January 7, 2009 from 7:00 until 9:00 P.M. at Thomas Poteet & Son Funeral Directors, 214 Davis Rd., Augusta, GA 30907 (706) 364-8484. www.thomaspoteet.com . Sign the guestbook at AugustaChronicle.com

The Augusta Chronicle-January 6, 2009