Jane E. Conger

Published 3:17 pm Monday, December 30, 2024

We regret to announce the passing of Jane E. Conger, age 69, Tuesday, December 24, 2024, in Bainbridge, Georgia.  Services for Jane will be held at 11:00 a.m, Monday, December 30, in the Cadwell Chapel of Cox-Ivey Funeral Home.  Pastor Melissa Traver and the Rev. Stephen Webb will officiate.

David Dobbs, Charles Walker, Charles Wayne Griffin, Joe Livingston, Keith Griffin, and Craig Griffin will serve as pallbearers.  The members of The Book Club will serve as honorary pallbearers.  Mrs. Conger will be privately interred in Oak City Cemetery.  The family will receive friends Sunday, 4:00-5:00 pm, at the funeral home.

Jane Elliott Conger was born June 26, 1955 in Homerville, Georgia to Ava  Joy Herndon Elliot and Ernest T. Elliott. The family moved to Bainbridge when Jane was ten. They joined Bainbridge First Methodist Church, where Jane was a faithful and hard working member until this year, when she became one of the founders of Christ United Methodist Church.

As a child Jane was a tomboy, and suffered various injuries including broken wrists incurred when she tumbled off the top of a sliding board while peering over the fence at the boys next door. Each summer she spent a few weeks with her beloved grandparents Coris and Jane (for whom she was named) Herndon. Granpa was an apiarist, and Jane spent many happy days riding to go tend the bee yards. At close of day there would often be ice cream, or a trip to the creek to “go in a-bathein”. She helped in the Honey House when the honey was gathered. Her favorite was clover. She spent much time with Granma, helping her bake (which she liked) and put up pickles (not so much). There was lots of tree climbing and playing with cats. Granma often took her cane pole fishing in the Oke-fenok.

Jane loved books, and spent many happy hours reading. She was very smart and hard working, and graduated from Bainbridge High a tenth of a point below the top of her class.

She began her work life as a secretary at the industrial park. During this time Jane was a member of civic groups, including Junior Women’s Club, of which she was president, and a social club called the Bitch Bunch, the less said about which the better. She soon became a legal secretary at Conger and Conger. After Willis Conger died, his son (her future husband Jim) formed a new firm, and she joined him there.

On July 28, 1984, Jane and Jim were married in the Reynolds Chapel at First United Methodist Church, and for the rest of her life she and Jim “lived in each other’s pockets,” never separated day or night except for a few days occasionally when he would go hunting. Jane was honored to be asked to join The Book Club, and enjoyed the intellectual atmosphere, observance of the social niceties, and close friendships she formed there. Jane loved the beach. A kitchen master, she baked the best almond pound cake ever. People requested and sought it out at covered dish events, and it was Jim’s annual birthday cake. (Ava thinks the chocolate pound cake was actually her best, and this was Ava’s annual birthday cake). She baked a coffee cake she called Candy Cane Braid at Christmas, another of her signatures.

On June 9, 1988 she gave birth to Ava Joy Conger (see a pattern?) whom she loved more than life and of whom she was overwhelmingly proud. Her happiest moments were the day Ava married her soul mate Eddie, and the day Ava was elected to partnership in her law firm Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton.

Jane ran their law firm (as office manager, head paralegal/legal secretary, and CFO) until she and Jim retired in October of 2023.

She is survived by her husband James W. Conger, Jr., daughter Ava Joy Conger, son in law Edward (Eddie) McCall Benham Farr, family and friends. Although taken too soon, Jane lived a long, full life, loving her Lord, her church, her family and friends. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Christ United Methodist Church.

On-line contributions may be sent at www.Coxiveyfuneralhome.com. Cox-Ivey Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.