Melba D. (Baggs) Walters

Mrs. Melba Baggs Walters, 75 of Ringgold, formerly of Blackshear, passed away Tuesday, January 12, 2021, at the Parkridge East Hospital in Chattanooga.

Born in Townsend, GA on April 27, 1945, she had lived in Pierce County most of her life prior to moving to Ringgold, GA in 2016 to live with her daughter.  Mrs. Walters was a 1963 graduate of Blackshear High School.  She enlisted in the US Navy following her graduation and went on to serve 3 years.  She was a bookkeeper and over the years had worked for Hobbs Auto Parts, Gilmore’s, Western Auto, and Gillis Brother’s.  She loved the Atlanta Braves and Andruw Jones was her favorite player.  She did get to meet him and, thankfully, wasn’t thrown out of the stadium for doing it!  She had a deep fondness for giraffes and carousels, and enjoyed traveling, oatmeal cream pies, and diet Dr. Pepper.  Mrs. Walters dearly loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren and would always enjoy sitting in the floor playing with them.  She was a member of Blackshear Presbyterian Church and the American Legion.

One of her nephews, Norman Baggs, summed her up perfectly on a family Facebook post when he said that “she liked to laugh and to make others laugh.”  She “was a deep and powerful bedrock of love for family.”  Oh how her family will miss her.   

She was a daughter of the late Ralph Leonidas & Cleo Davis Baggs.  She was also preceded in death by her husband, Benjamin Clyde “Rudy” Walters, Sr.; three brothers, Emory Baggs, Marion Baggs, and Stanford “Stan” Baggs; two sisters-in-law, Latrell Baggs and Maxine Baggs; a brother-in-law, Denver Waters; and a dear family friend, Grant Whitfield.

Survivors include her daughter, Linda Baggs of Ringgold; three sons and daughters-in-law, Ben & Paula Walters of Lancaster, OH, Rocky & Nancy Walters of Warner Robins, and David & Angela Walters of Blackshear; three sisters, Joyce Waters of Brunswick, Glenda Baggs of Blackshear, and Barbara (Doug) Maple of Cedar Key, FL; two brothers, Gerald Baggs of Griffin and Lawton Baggs of Jasper; two sisters-in-law, Sherleen Baggs of Newberry, FL and Yvonne Baggs of Brunswick; 12 grandchildren, Katie (John) Kirkland, Benjamin Walters, Nathan Stromley, Ashley Harrell, Krisan (Stephen) Herbst, Jordan (Jessie) Walters, Alyssa Stromley, Olivia Walters, Shelby Walters, Alaina Joyner, Cameron Lovell, and Hunter Walters; 13 great grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, other relatives, and her life-long best friend, Jeri Eaton Pearson of Waycross.

Funeral services for Mrs. Walters will be held Saturday evening, January 16, 2021, at 7:00 o’clock from the Pearson-Dial Chapel.

Visitation will be held in the chapel one hour prior to the service.

Memorialization will be by cremation.

Mrs. Walters’ nieces and nephews will be serving as honorary pallbearers. 

Memorials may be made to the Blackshear Presbyterian Church, PO Box 607, Blackshear, GA  31516.    

Due to COVID-19, social distancing guidelines and the wearing of facemasks are mandatory for all in attendance.

Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online register at www.pearsondial.com.

Pearson-Dial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

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