James T. Duren, 88, of Lithia Springs, Ga. passed away Oct. 20.

He was born on Feb. 8, 1926, in Chilton County, to the late Edgar Duren and Fannie Mae Scott Duren. He was the seventh of 10 children born to Edgar and Fannie.

He was married to his beloved wife, Mary Ann Supplee Duren, for 46 years at the time of her death on Oct. 20, 1997.

Duren worked miscellaneous jobs including driving the equipment truck for a short time for Roy Acuff when he was only 14. He attempted to join the Navy in WWII when he was 16, and he was at the recruitment center in Birmingham when his mother found out and asked the local sheriff to get him sent back home.

When he was 17, he joined the Navy and served on several ships and was honorably discharged in March of 1946. He then found work in Kansas City, Kan. where he met his future wife, Mary Ann Supplee.

They were proud parents of their daughter, Barbara Ann Duren and son, Royce Tyler Duren.

They moved to Georgia in 1956.

Duren retired from Southeastern Elevator Company as a welder, worked for Cobb Hospital as a maintenance man, and retired from there in 1995 to care for his ill wife.

Duren is survived by his daughter, Barbara Duren Witcher and husband, Bill of Lithia Springs, Ga.; son, Royce Duren of Powder Springs; grandson, Corey Witcher of Lithia Springs, Ga.; grandson, Jason Witcher and his wife Amy of Villa Rica, Ga.; a sister, Faye Duren Ramey of Buchanan; and many nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at Sunrise Memorial Gardens in Douglasville, Ga. with the Rev. Bryan Alexander officiating and Alexander Witcher singing.

Donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Arrangements handled by White Columns Chapel, Mableton, Ga.

Condolences at www.gendedavisfuneralhome.com.