Antionette King Fisher

Antoinette (King) Fisher, affectionately known as "Nettie" by her friends and family, passed away in her Decatur home from complications of Parkinson's disease on Christmas Day 2010. Nettie was 91 years old, born January 9, 1919, in the southwest Georgia town of Fort Gaines. Except for one year in Columbus, Ohio, in 1940, she was a lifelong resident of Georgia, living in Decatur with her loving husband, Ronald, for over 70 years. After attending Fort Gaines High School, Nettie enrolled at North Georgia College in Dahlonega, graduating in 1938. She took NGC by storm. She was a cheerleader, member of the YWCA and other campus organizations, voted best dancer and most popular coed in her class, and Miss NGC of 1938. She still found time to teach Sunday school at the Dahlonega Methodist Church. Despite her many accomplishments in college, the pinnacle of her collegiate experience was meeting Ronald Fisher in the fall of 1937. They were married on July 29, 1939. During the next 71 years, the two of them were inseparable except for two years during World War II when Ronald served in the Navy. Even then, with the "can do" spirit that was to be a hallmark of her life, Nettie found a way to meet Ronald in California for a brief visit by traveling across country and back by train with a three year old child in tow. Following one year of employment with the Clay County School System, Nettie earned her Georgia Teaching License in 1939. Her first child Judy was born in 1941, followed by Linda in 1945, and Fred in 1949. For three decades, Nettie remained a "stay at home" mom, nurturing her three children and instilling in them her love of God, family, nature, community, honor, and country. Always a successful multitasker, she did much more. For 15 years she was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Georgia Baptist Children's Home, serving as chairperson of that Board in 1968. During her tenure she was instrumental in the successful sale of the Hapeville campus, and the move of the home to its new facilities in Palmetto, Georgia. There she served as a housemother and with the assistance of her friends at the Decatur First Baptist Church, she established a new library for the children's use. She also traveled across Georgia visiting churches to acquaint their members with the mission of the Children's Home and its many needs. Her sincerity, enthusiasm, and eloquence assured an abundant fund raising effort. She also served on the Board of Directors of two assisted living facilities in the Atlanta area. Throughout her adult life, Nettie remained an active member of Decatur First Baptist Church, serving on many committees. She was also the Director of the Primary Department and taught Sunday school for many years. Until becoming disabled in the early nineties, she collected and arranged flowers left over from Sunday church services and delivered them to homebound members, as well as to those in hospitals and nursing homes throughout the area. In 1950 she established the Scott Valley Garden Club. One of their many projects was the creation of a picnic area adjacent to Dekalb General Hospital so employees would have a place to relax during breaks. In addition to her husband, Ronald, Nettie is survived by three sisters, Eleanor Coleman of Fort Gaines, Georgia, Elizabeth (Bit) Folger of Fort Gaines, Georgia, and Gabie Chambers of Columbus, Georgia; three children, Judy Collins of Concord, Georgia, Linda Strange of Huntsville, Alabama, and Fred Fisher of Atlanta; seven grandchildren, Nick Collins, Natalie Collins, Jeannine Roberts, Patrick Collins, Christi Nouraee, Ron Fisher, and Lucinda Sellers; seven great-grandchildren, and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. Special thanks should be given to Nettie's devoted caregivers, Pat Lane, Helen Antoine, April Callaway, and Lessie Callaway, who provided loving support in her later years. The family will receive friends from 12:00 to 2:30 pm on Tuesday, December 28, 2010, at A. S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home in Decatur. Funeral services will follow at 2:30 p.m. with interment immediately afterwards in the Decatur Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Decatur First Baptist Church or to Homestead Hospice of Crabapple, Georgia.

Funeral Home:
AS Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033