Earl Oran Towery, age 86 of Whitestone, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 13 ^th , 2022.

Earl was born on December 29 ^th , 1935, the youngest of four children born to Clara Moses and William Marshall Towery. Mr. Towery grew up in Whitestone, Georgia. The summer Earl turned 15, he left for Marietta to work. After finishing school, he joined the United States Navy and served aboard the USS Dixie. Upon returning to Ellijay, he reconnected with Maxine Dale and the two married. Together, they had three children, Holly, Doug, and Joe.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Towery is preceded in death by his wife, Maxine Towery.

Survivors include: his three children, Holly, Doug, and Joe; six grandchildren, Clay, Kate Ellie, Mack, Ben, and Luke; and six great-grandchildren also survive.

Earl could be a quiet man, but his voice was loud in the Whitestone Baptist Choir. In his prime, he was known to shake the first pews with his deep bass voice, especially when he sang, "Have a Little Talk with Jesus." Earl was a devout Christian, dedicated to his faith and his church. Anyone familiar with Earl understood that you really got to know him in the hayfields of Whitestone. In these fields, with his cows, you'd hear stories of walking over the mountain to catch the school bus, and the McCravy's welcoming him with a hot biscuit, or stories of his own family and siblings. Whitestone was always Earl's little piece of heaven, and he could be found in the fields, finishing his fence, right up to his passing. To know more about Earl and the kind of man he was, all you had to do was look at his hands. Calloused, crooked, and strong, his hands told the endless hours of work he engaged in his entire life. Psalm 128:2 states, "You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you." Earl lived this, and both his work and his faith led to a life filled with these fruits. He was a faithful, funny, kind, and hardworking man.

Earl will be dearly missed, and neither Whitestone nor Ellijay will be the same without him. His grandchildren and great-grandchildren will miss his "therapy" and being greeted with "hey kid" or "hey little lady." His children will miss his stories, his advice, running errands around town, and checking out car shows. Ultimately, they will miss their best friend. Earl Towery was an incredible man who represented the silent generation, and his lessons on humility, humor, and hard work will outlive him.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, August 16 ^th , 2022 at 2:00 p.m. from the Whitestone Baptist Church with Rev. Harold Nelson and Rev. Billy Dotson officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. Pallbearers include: Mack Towery, Luke Towery, Clay Towery, Ben Boothe, Cody Newton, Matthew Kenner, and Adam Kenner.

The family will receive friends on Monday, August 15 ^th , 2022 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

The family will be accepting flowers; however, they respectfully ask that no food be brought to the funeral home.

Bernhardt Funeral Home of Ellijay is in charge of the arrangements.