Mrs. Nona Hillis Mims

April 5, 1926 - April 30, 2017

Mrs. Nona Hillis Mims, 91, peacefully passed away on April 30, 2017. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday May 4, 2017 at Historic Hopeful Baptist Church, 2973 Winter Road, Blythe, Georgia with Reverend Gregg Glover officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Nona was born April 5, 1926 in Dyes Crossroad, Burke County, Georgia. After graduating from Waynesboro High School, she lived at the YWCA on Broad Street in Augusta and worked as an operator for Southern Bell. In 1944 Nona married her soul mate, Watson and they shared 40 wonderful years together in Hephzibah, Georgia. After working for the Department of the Army at Fort Gordon as a budget analyst for 25 years, Nona retired. Staying active, she served as Chairman of the Hephzibah City Commission in 1985. She then worked for the Judicial System of Augusta as assistant to the Chief Probation Officer for several years. Nona’s joy in life was her family, especially being “Mama Nona” to her grandchildren. She was a wonderful cook; an abundance of love and laughter was shared over her delicious meals. Very dear to her heart were her friends; she looked forward to their weekly get-togethers and card games. Nona was dedicated to her lifelong church home, Hopeful Baptist Church. She served as Church Clerk and spent many hours diligently researching archives in Augusta, Waynesboro, and Atlanta, compiling documentation required to list Hopeful Baptist Church in the National Historic Register, which she accomplished with a dedication ceremony in 1993. Nona was preceded in death by her husband, T.W. (Watson) Mims, Sr.; a son, Charles Ray Mims, Sr.; her parents, Charlie and Mattie Broxton Hillis; a brother, Rasmus Hillis; and sisters, Wilma Tyler, Sarah Poole, and Pauline Poole. She is survived by her son, Thomas W. Mims, Jr, and his wife Pat; daughter-in-law, Nancy Mims Cochran; grandchildren, Watson Mims, III (April), Ray Mims, Jr. (Tanya), and Nick Mims; step grandchildren, Amber Reed Davis (Daniel), Scott Hutto, John Holhwein (Janet); four great grandchildren, Aaron Mims, Alex Mims, Preston Mims, and Veronica Mims; brothers, Miller Hillis (Blondine) of Waynesboro, Tom Hillis (Ann) of Wilmington, Illinois; sister, Ann Dickey of Evans; nieces and nephews, all of whom were very special to her. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Watson Mims, III, Ray Mims, Jr., and Nick Mims, and nephews, Keith Dickey, Rick Tyler, and Tommy Poole. The family will receive friends and loved ones at Poteet Funeral Home, 3465 Peach Orchard Road, Augusta, Georgia from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM on Wednesday May 3, 2017. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully request donations be made to Hopeful Baptist Church, P.O. Box 132, Hephzibah, GA 30815, or The Alzheimer’s Association, 106 SRP Drive, Ste A, Evans, GA 30809, or Trinity Hospice, 2803 Wrightsboro Road, Ste 38, Augusta, GA 30909.