Rebecca Holbrook

HOLBROOK – Rebecca Dozier Holbrook, age 87, of Lilburn, Georgia, passed away on November 25, 2011. She is survived by her son & daughter-in-law, Jim & Rhonda Holbrook of Eatonton; daughter & son-in-law, Laura & Charles Rilling of Stone Mountain; four grandchildren, Jimmy Holbrook, Lisa Holbrook, Jesse Rilling and Jacob Rilling; sister, Edythe Smith, and sister-in-law, Bonnie Dozier both of Cumming; other relatives and friends. Rebecca Dozier Holbrook, the middle child of Bessie Compton Dozier and John Wilmer Dozier, Sr., was born on a hot Sunday morning, July 27, 1924, in Monticello, Georgia (Jasper County). Her mother enrolled her in the Cradle Roll Department at Monticello Baptist Church and she later joined the Church when she was about 12 years old. Rebecca attended Monticello School and lived on a farm. She stated many times that she wouldn’t take anything for growing up on a farm. Rebecca’s brother, J.W., and her sister, Edythe, had the best time playing and doing their chores. They rode a school bus 10 miles to the Monticello School. The family moved to the Atlanta area in 1940, and Rebecca rode the street car to Commercial High School in downtown Atlanta on Pryor Street. After her high school graduation in June, 1943, she got a secretarial job at the General Motors Parts Division located on Sawtell Avenue (old Chevrolet Plant) next to the Federal Prison on McDonough Blvd. She met James Monroe “Jimmy” Holbrook and they married on June 4, 1949. They were both Baptist and Rebecca belonged to the Lakewood Heights Baptist Church and Jimmy belonged to the Baptist Tabernacle on Lucky Street in downtown Atlanta. Rebecca worked at General Motors for ten and a half years. Her son Jim was born on February 1, 1954 and daughter, Laura was born on June 19, 1958. She quit working when Jim was born and was a stay at home mother for seventeen years. She went back to work for Sears, Roebuck & Co. at the Fashion Center in Tucker, GA. She worked there for seventeen years. She had only been working there for nine months when it was found that her husband, Jimmy, had cancer. Jimmy lived exactly eight months from when he went for tests on August 28, 1971 and departed this life on April 28, 1972. Rebecca always said that God had truly blessed her life with good health, she was able to take care of her home and yard (which were always immaculate), and had two wonderful children, grandchildren, and her dear sister, Edythe as her best friend. Rebecca and Edythe quit their jobs so they could take care of their mother until her death at the age of 93 on Christmas Eve in 1990. After her mother’s death Rebecca began doing volunteer working in the Gift Shop at the former Humana Hospital in Snellville in February, 1992. They built the new Eastside Medical Center on Fountain Drive and she continued her volunteer service until March, 2006. Rebecca had been a member of the Beecher Hills Baptist Church and mostly recently was a member of the Mountain Park First Baptist Church. She had served as secretary of Sunday school for years, and also secretary for the Light shine Choir, and assistant Sunshine Fellowship and group captain for years. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, and loyal friend. She will be greatly missed by all that knew this remarkable lady. A Service Celebrating the Life of Rebecca D. Holbrook will be held Monday, November 28, 2011, at 11:00 A.M. at Tom M. Wages Snellville Chapel. Interment Westview Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2PM to 4PM and 6PM to 8PM at the funeral home. Those desiring may make donations to the Mountain Park First Baptist Church. Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.wagesfuneralhome.com. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, LLC, “A Family Company”, Snellville Chapel 770-979-3200 has been entrusted with the arrangementsRead Obituary