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Funeral services for Mayson Thornton Bissell of Cordele will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, November 6, 2019 in the chapel of Rainey Family Funeral Services. The committal service will follow in Evergreen Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends Tuesday evening from 6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mayson left this earth and met her heavenly father on Sunday, November 3, 2019.  Born in Elberton, she was the daughter of the late Benjamin Ivy Thornton and Cornelia Turner Thornton. She was a graduate of Cordele High School and Wesleyan College. She married  the love of her life, Bob Bissell, in 1953 and they were blessed with three children, Lynn, Rob, and Wayne. She spent over thirty years teaching kindergarten at Jack & Jill and Crisp Academy, and was known to many local children as “Miss Mayson.” She was active in the community serving many positions in the PTA, Little League and Crisp County Booster’s Club. She was also a Meals On Wheels volunteer and was instrumental in bringing the Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Shoebox program to Crisp County. For years she was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Cordele and served in many roles including the children’s programs and WMU. In her later years she was a member of Cordele First United Methodist Church and enjoyed her time there.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Spanton Bissell and siblings, Cornelia Thornton Hawley and Benjamin Ivy Thornton, III. Mayson is survived by her three children and their spouses, Lynn and Mark Reed of Raleigh, N.C., and Rob and Helen Bissell and Wayne and Lynn Bissell, all of Evans; a sister and her husband, Becky and Al Shauf of Cordele; a sister-in-law, Patricia Thornton of Cordele; eight grandchildren and their spouses, Bradley and Nicole Reed, Blake and Christine Reed, Alyson Reed, Lindsay and Evan Marko, Ellie and Brian Russell, Ben Bissell, Kate Bissell and Will Bissell; and six great-grandchildren, Connor Reed, Vanesa Reed, Raelynn Reed, Lacey Reed, Hadley Reed and Van Marko.

For those who would like to honor Mayson with memorials,  donations to Cordele First United Methodist Church, Building Renovation Fund, 302 East 12th Avenue, Cordele, GA 31015 or Reflections Hospice, 202 East 4th Avenue, Cordele, GA 31015 would be appreciated. Arrangements are by Rainey Family Funeral Services. An online guest register is available at www.raineyfuneral.com.