JULIAN HOUSTON

Julian Wayne Houston, age 80, of Jakin, Georgia, passed away Friday morning January 27^th, 2023, at Southeast Health in Dothan, Alabama.

A memorial service will be held Saturday February 4^th at 2:00 P.M. at Springfield Baptist Church in Jakin, Georgia with Reverend Mark Chapman officiating. Visitation will be in the church sanctuary at 1:00 P.M. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to Springfield Baptist Church or Cedar Springs Freewill Baptist Church.

Mr. Houston was born in Blakely, Georgia to the late Edward Joshua Houston and Birdie Pyle Houston on January 25^th, 1943. He was a member of the Jakin High School graduating class of 1961 where he was on the basketball team, a member of FFA, and president of the senior class. He joined the United States Army in 1962 and served until 1965. He was assigned to the Army Security Agency and deployed to Tokyo, Japan. While in Japan, he was able to attend the 1964 Winter Olympics, learned about Japanese culture and played on his base’s basketball team. After being discharged from the army, he went to work at the paper mill in Cedar Springs where he eventually became an electrician. He retired in 2006 after working for 41 years. Julian was also a member of Springfield Baptist Church where he attended for 40 years and served as a deacon, Sunday school teacher, youth director, choir member and building and grounds committee chairman.

Julian grew-up and lived on the same farm his entire life. Though he worked at the mill, he found time to raise hogs, cows, peas, butterbeans, and all type of vegetables that he readily gave away to his friends and family. He especially loved growing potatoes and he made a tradition of digging them up with his grandchildren. He trained them to keep a close lookout for the small “Pa-tatoes” which were his favorite. He always had a project going on around-the-house and was a jack-of-all-trades that could fix nearly anything. He loved being on his tractor and lawnmower and riding the farm inspecting Phil Buckhalter’s cotton and peanut crop, making sure to share the progress with family. He believed family was very important and he loved and supported his in every way he could. He loved his wife with all his heart, and they shared 57 years of marriage, five children, fourteen grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one on-the-way. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, beloved brother, brother-in-law, uncle, and friend.

Julian is survived by many loving family members, including his wife, Charlotte Whitehurst Houston, his children, Tonja (Chas) Bridges of Damascus, Stacie (Chris) Dowdy of Colquitt, Charla (Jim) Jackson of Lake City, Fl, Heath (Catea) Houston of Bremen, GA. He is also survived by his grandchildren, whom he loved dearly: Jacob (Brittney) Jackson, Ethan (Kaitlyn) Cody, Morgan (Phillip) Jackson, Madison Bridges, Hannah (Christian) Houston, Logan (Garrett) Vann, Dylan Cody, Jasmine (Mason) Stuart, Sutton Bridges, E.J. Houston, Addie Cody, Riley Houston, Kaden Houston, and Audrey Houston and five great-grandchildren.  Mr. Houston is also survived by his loving siblings: Lang Houston of Cocoa, FL, Faye (Philip) Buckhalter, and Jerry (Dianne) Houston, all of Jakin, GA, as well as many loving nieces and nephews.

Mr. Houston was preceded in death by his parents, E.J. and Birdie Houston; his daughter, Julie Houston Childress; his son-in-law, Mark Cody; his brother, Glynn Houston; his father-in-law, Roy Onley Whitehurst; his mother-in-law, Dorothy Johnson Whitehurst; his brother-in-law, Roy Onley (Buddy) Whitehurst, Jr.; sisters-in-law, Naomi and Judy Houston, and nephew Jeff Houston.