William Lovel "Bill" Lanier

William Lovel "Bill" Lanier, Sr., died Tuesday, March 17, 2015, his 88th birthday, in Quitman, GA. The Candler County native was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, serving in the Seabees in the Philippine Islands. He had a life-long love for farmers and the land. After college, he began farming row crops, trees, and livestock in Candler County, and was a veteran farm-training instructor. Mr. Lanier was elected to the Georgia General Assembly at age 22, served for six two-year terms, and was Chairman of the House Agricultural Committee from 1954-1958. He is credited with introducing and passing more farm and consumer protection legislation than any legislator in Georgia history, passing 33 farm bills in one legislative session alone. From 1961-1964, he served as State Executive Director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and represented the United States and President John Kennedy on a government exchange mission to the Soviet Union in 1962. He was elected President of the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation and Affiliate Companies in late 1964 and served in this capacity until 1970. While Farm Bureau President, he also served on President Lyndon Johnson's Consumer Advisory Board. Beginning in 1970, Mr. Lanier served in many United States Department of Agriculture programs in Washington, DC, and for many years was Director of the nation's Tobacco, Peanut, and Agricultural Policy Analysis Programs. He later served as Assistant Administrator for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, predecessor to the current Farm Service Agency. He served on the Board of Directors of the National Cotton Council of America, and was a member of the Tobacco Stabilization Corporation. Mr. Lanier was a graduate of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the University of Georgia, majoring in agronomy. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from ABAC in 1978, and in 2004 was inducted into the Georgia Agriculture Hall of Fame, given by the College of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Georgia. Progressive Farmer Magazine named him Man of the Year in Service to Georgia Agriculture in 1966. In 1994, he received the Georgia Farm Bureau Commodity Award "in recognition of a lifetime spent in service to agriculture in Georgia and on the national level." In 1995, the Georgia Forestry Association recognized him as Georgia Tree Farmer of the Year. Mr. Lanier was named Candler County Citizen of the Year in 1991, and in 2002, the State of Georgia named Georgia Highway 121 north of Metter the William L. Lanier, Sr., Highway.

Mr. Lanier served on the Board of Directors for Pineland State Bank and the Candler County Hospital Authority, and was President of Candler County Farm Bureau for many years. He also served on the Altamaha Georgia Southern Planning and Development Commission. Mr. Lanier was a member of the Metter First Baptist Church and the Antioch Sunday School Class. He is survived by his wife, Jean Sheffield Radford Lanier of Metter and Quitman; children William L. Lanier, Jr. (Mary), Rochester, MN, John Lanier (Judie), Stone Mountain, GA, and Melodie (David) Mobley, Birmingham, AL; step-children, AJ. Radford (Molly), and Susan Radford, Quitman; two sisters, Margie Brown, Baxley, and Marie Kemp, Savannah; four grandchildren, Brooke Lanier (James Rocco), Philadelphia, PA, Hudson Lanier, Austin, TX, Jessica Lanier, Boston, MA, and Jennifer Lanier, Atlanta, GA; and nieces Gwen Collins, Yvonne Jett and Mary Harrell. He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Zebedee Lanier Sr., and Audrie Lanier; a brother, T.Z. Lanier, Jr., and four sisters, Mattie Lanier, Maggie Spivey, Myrtice Lanier, and Mary Lanier. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, 2:00 p.m. March 21, 2015, at Metter First Baptist Church with Dr. William Perry officiating. Burial will be in the Rosemary Cemetery with Rev. Grady Collins officiating. Visitation will be Friday evening, 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Pallbearers will be Mr. Lanier's nephews, Bryan Brown, William Lanier Brown, Ken Kemp, John Kemp, Lynn Lanier, Tom Lanier, Jim Lanier, Scott Lanier, Jimmy Jett, and Robert Collins. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Antioch Sunday School Class, Candler County Farm Bureau, Bill Patterson, and Terry Manual.

Remembrances may be made to The Guido Evangelistic Association, PO Box 508, Metter, GA 30439-0508. A guest book can be accessed at www.kennedyfuneralhomechapels.com. A separate memorial service will be held in Quitman, Georgia at the Presbyterian Home where Mr. Lanier was a resident at the time of his death. The memorial service will be Tuesday, March 24, 2015, at 11:00 am.

Kennedy Funeral Homes, Hooks Chapel, of Metter is in charge of arrangements.