Services for Archie Woodrow Byrd, 92, of Thomasville are at 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008 at Dawson Street Baptist Church. The Rev. Lee Waller will officiate and will be assisted by Rev. David Miller. Interment will take place at Laurel Hill Cemetery. Mr. Byrd died Dec. 25th at his home in the company of his family. Born May 10th, 1916, in Jeff Davis County, Georgia, he was the son of the late Archie Warren and Vera Andrews Byrd. On June 3rd, 1948, in Hazelhurst, GA, he married Thelma Fussell.
Archie served with the 509 Paratroop Infantry Division in Europe during WWII, in North Africa and Italy. On a night parachute assault in Italy on September 12, 1943, his group was dropped behind German lines to distract the enemy and blow up bridges. After three days of fighting, he and two others were hiding in a barn and were captured by German troops. Archie and other soldiers were marched to railroad stations, loaded into boxcars and transported to prisoner of war camps in Germany. He spent the rest of the war as a POW until the camp was liberated by Russian troops on June 1, 1945. Archie walked three days with his prison group before reaching American lines. He was discharged in 1948 for medical reasons after being seriously injured in another parachute jump.
Archie and Thelma have spent the last 60 years in Thomasville, where he was a member of the Dawson Street Baptist Church. He was the owner of Byrd's Upholstery Furniture Repair and Refinishing. Survivors include his loving wife of 61 years Thelma Fussell Byrd, son Frederick Lynn Byrd and wife, Toby Harlan Byrd of Tallahassee, FL and daughter Vicki Byrd Mims and husband, Oscar M. Mims, Jr. of Habersham County, Georgia; and many grandchildren. His surviving sisters are Carolyn Thomas, Eugenia Wood, Ruby Campos and a brother James Byrd.
Visitation will take place Friday, December 26, 2008 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at ALLEN & ALLEN. Visitors may sign the online guest register at www.allenfh.com ALLEN & ALLEN FUNERAL HOME. Memorial gifts may be given to Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center or Dawson Street Baptist Church.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Archie W. Byrd, please visit our flower store.
Archie served with the 509 Paratroop Infantry Division in Europe during WWII, in North Africa and Italy. On a night parachute assault in Italy on September 12, 1943, his group was dropped behind German lines to distract the enemy and blow up bridges. After three days of fighting, he and two others were hiding in a barn and were captured by German troops. Archie and other soldiers were marched to railroad stations, loaded into boxcars and transported to prisoner of war camps in Germany. He spent the rest of the war as a POW until the camp was liberated by Russian troops on June 1, 1945. Archie walked three days with his prison group before reaching American lines. He was discharged in 1948 for medical reasons after being seriously injured in another parachute jump.
Archie and Thelma have spent the last 60 years in Thomasville, where he was a member of the Dawson Street Baptist Church. He was the owner of Byrd's Upholstery Furniture Repair and Refinishing. Survivors include his loving wife of 61 years Thelma Fussell Byrd, son Frederick Lynn Byrd and wife, Toby Harlan Byrd of Tallahassee, FL and daughter Vicki Byrd Mims and husband, Oscar M. Mims, Jr. of Habersham County, Georgia; and many grandchildren. His surviving sisters are Carolyn Thomas, Eugenia Wood, Ruby Campos and a brother James Byrd.
Visitation will take place Friday, December 26, 2008 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at ALLEN & ALLEN. Visitors may sign the online guest register at www.allenfh.com ALLEN & ALLEN FUNERAL HOME. Memorial gifts may be given to Lewis Hall Singletary Oncology Center or Dawson Street Baptist Church.
Guestbook
Visits: 0
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the
Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors