The Poindexter Family

James H. Poindexter

(From The Press-Sentinel, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2001, p. 2A)

Jesup--James H. Poindexter, 88, of Jesup died Saturday, Dec 30, at Wayne Memorial Hospital after an extended illness. The Murray County native lived and attended schools in Chattanooga, TN, before moving to Wayne County.

He was the son of William Thomas Poindexter and Hettie Evelyn King Poindexter. He married Irma Strickland on Dec. 8, 1940.

In 1942, he was the first married man with a child to be drafted into active duty from Wayne County. He served as a corporal in the United States Army from 1943 to 1945 as a member of the 739^th Anti-aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion in the South Pacific. He received the Philippine Liberation Ribbon with a Bronze Star and the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal with one Bronze Star. He received a honorable discharge on Oct. 12, 1945.

He co-founded and managed the Jesup Packing Company and was named Wayne County's only deputy sheriff by Sheriff George O'Quinn in the early '50s. For the next 37 years, he served in law enforcement. He ultimately served as the Chief of Police and as the Wayne County sheriff.

He was a graduate of the Clayton County Regional Police Academy and earned certification by the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council. He was a member of the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council, the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the Advisory Board of the Coastal Georgia Police Academy as a representative to the Georgia Sheriff's Association, the National Association of Chiefs of Police, the First Baptist Church of Jesup, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4583, the Masonic Lodge of Jesup, Chapter 70 (where he was a Royal Arch Mason), the Jesup Kiwanis Club, and the Town and Country Coffee Club.

He was the recipient of an award for outstanding service as police chief in 1980 by the city of Jesup, the 1986 Distinguished Service Award and the 1987 Distinguished Humanitarian Award by the Georgia Sheriff's Association and the 1984-85 Distinguished Service Award from the Jesup Jaycees.

He is survived by his wife, Irma Strickland Poindexter of Jesup; a daughter and son-in-law, Janice and Tom Faircloth of Thomasville; a son, Jim Poindexter, Jr. of Tallahassee, FL; a grandson, Gary Poindexter of Wichita, KS; a brother, Charles Poindexter of Boise, ID; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brothers, John Poindexter and Earl Poindexter, and his sisters, Audia Yarborough, Pearl Gray, and Estelle Groover.

Funeral services were held Tuesday at the First Baptist Church of Jesup with the Rev. Felix Hayes and the Rev. Julian Tucker officiating. Interment followed at the Jesup Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Freeman Bacon, Bill Bird, Charles Brannen, Roschel Davis, John Hammock, David Herrin, Herschel Hires, Ted Hires, Gene Lyons, Harry Mathis, Bill Moseley, Jim T. Poindexter, Joe Pritchard, Riley Reddish, Wesley Strickland, and Al Szoke.

Honorary pallbearers were the members of the L.D. Husbands Sunday School Class of the Jesup First Baptist Church, the Jesup Kiwanis Club and the members of the Town and Country Coffee Club.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the building fund at the First Baptist Church of Jesup, P. O. Box 1115, Jesup, GA 31598-1115.

Gordon-Harrison Funeral Home of Jesup is in charge of the arrangements.

Jesup Loses Former Police Chief, Sheriff

(From a front-page article in The Press-Sentinel (Jesup, Georgia, Wednesday, January 3, 2001. Sentences that were identical to the obituary were deleted. )

By Tracy Goodwin, Staff Writer

                Local law enforcement officers wore black bands across their badges Tuesday in honor of the late James H. Poindexter who died Saturday after an extended illness at Wayne Memorial Hospital.

                Poindexter, 88, of Jesup, was the only man named deputy sheriff in Wayne County by Sheriff George O'Quinn in the early '50s. For the next 30 years, he served in law enforcement. He ultimately served as the Jesup chief of police and as the Wayne County sheriff.

                "I knew him through his work in law enforcemnt," said John Hammock. "He really cared about other people and wanted to motivate people to stay out of trouble." Hammock first met Poindexter when Hammock taught him during his first year of school in the Police Academy.

                One of his former partners, Riley Reddish, said he did not know of a better partner. "He was the best backup man around," he said. "He loved working in law enforcement." When Poindexter originally ran for Wayne County sheriff, he ran against his longtime partner, Reddish. "In the first election I won by three votes," Reddish said. "Three and a half years later he won by 12 votes." Reddish said that the two made a pact that "their friendship would come first and we weren't going to let politics come in between us."

                Town and Country Coffee Club member David Dent said he is going to miss seeing Poindexter's smiling face at the coffee shop. "He is definitely going to be missed," Dent said.

                Hammock said, "He could make anyone around him laugh. He always loved a good joke and wouldn't mind playing them either."

                "Wayne County will miss him," said Reddish. "Everybody knew him and loved him. It was a privilege and a pleasure to know him."

For additional information on the Poindexter family, see the Hill Family page.