Willie Edgar Thurmond

A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but he is a guiding light whose love shows us the way... Willie Edgar Thurmond, affectionately known as Pete, was that father.

The only child of the late JK and Vemma Kinney Thurmond, Willie (Pete) was born November 12, 1933 in Statham, Ga. In 1958 he united in holy matrimony with Pearlie Sims Thurmond, and to their union Linda, Anthony and Brenda were born.

Along with his wife Pearlie who preceded him in homegoing, Willie owned and operated Willie Thurmond Construction and Willie Thurmond Poultry and Cattle farms. He eventually retired from the construction and poultry businesses, but he continued his passion for cattle farming until his homegoing, thanks largely to his farm overseer James and a couple of special friends and fellow farmers who helped or advised him when needed.

Willie was born and raised in Statham, Ga, and while working alongside his father, he learned to be a carpenter at an early age. It was during his work as a young carpenter that he dreamed of being able to build for himself the beautiful things that he was being paid to help build for others. After years of being a carpenter, Willie started the Willie Thurmond Construction and Concrete Finishing business where he taught his sons Anthony (Spank) and Randy the skills that inspired and equipped them to have a profession in the concrete finishing business. Being constantly inspired to do and create more, Willie, along with his wife Pearlie, started Willie Thurmond and Sons Poultry Farm, where Pearlie was the chief operator and they were contractors for Harrison Poultry, Bethlehem, Ga.

Willie was a faithful member of Fairfield Missionary Baptist Church, Statham. He served as chairman of the Deacon Board and chairman of the Trustee Board and served on the Usher Board and in the Male Chorus.

One of several contributions he made to the Barrow County community was he provided employment and training to many current and former concrete finishers in the Barrow County area. And most of them would affectionately say, “Pete was tough, but I learned a lot from him.” Several have claimed that because of him, they were inspired to start their own concrete business or other forms of entrepreneurship.

To his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, fellow construction workers and farmers, Willie was neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but he was a guiding light whose love will continue to show us the way.