Ag News
GFB mourns loss of Dollar, former state president
Posted on Aug 18, 2021 at 0:00 AM
Wayne Dollar, who served as Georgia Farm Bureau president from 1994 to 2006, died Aug. 16. He was 89. Dollar was a diversified row crop, cattle and timber farmer from Ochlocknee in Thomas County.
“Wayne Dollar loved Georgia agriculture and he loved Farm Bureau,” GFB President Tom McCall said. “The whole GFB family extends our thoughts and prayers to Wayne’s family at this time.”
Dollar, who never met a stranger, was sociable and loved to laugh.
He was born in Climax, Ga., to W.B. and Marie Dollar and was raised by his grandparents after his mother died when he was two. After graduating from Climax High school in 1951, Dollar joined the U.S. Air Force and served until 1955 as a cryptographer during the Korean War.
After returning home from Korea, Dollar worked for Mineral and Chemical in Decatur County before enrolling at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he earned an associate degree in 1959. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and economics in 1961. He served as an Extension agent in Bulloch County from 1961 to 1968. Dollar served as director of the GFB Field Services Department from 1969 to 1971.
Dollar was first elected to the GFB Board of Directors in 1988 as a GFB 9th District director, representing 14 counties in Southwest Georgia. GFB voting delegates in the organization’s southern region elected Dollar as their GFB South Georgia vice president in 1992, and GFB voting delegates from across the state designated him GFB 1st vice president the same year.
During the 12 years he served as GFB president, Dollar led Farm Bureau in securing the elimination of state ad valorem taxes farmers paid on equipment used to produce their crops as well as those once levied on fruit and nut trees, ornamental trees and shrubs, and livestock as inventory.
Dollar was a strong believer in the programs the UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension carry out for Georgia farmers and 4-H youth. During his presidency, GFB supported national conventions for Extension agents & 4-H youth, the renovation of the Rock Eagle 4-H Center, the 4-H Equine program and a CAES lecture series.
Dollar is survived by his wife, Jean Betts Fuller Dollar; son, Mike Dollar (Jan); daughters: Patsy Booth Wester; Mary Booth Smith (Ed); Ann Fuller Slocumb (Jerry); Beth Fuller Smith (Don); grandchildren: Michala Dollar, Shelby Dollar, Alyssa Dollar, Rusty Smith (Jennifer), Shane Slocumb (Katie), Kelli Wesler (Rich), Jesse Miller (Terra), Suzanne Barfield, Donnie Smith (Shannon), Nick Smith (Tia), and Amber Conoly (Brett); and 17 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years Odessa Griffin Dollar and grandson Jason Wester.
Visitation will be Friday, Aug. 20 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Allen & Allen Funeral Home in Thomasville, Ga. Graveside services will be held Saturday, Aug. 21 at 10 a.m. at the Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church Cemetery located at 1757 Beeline Rd., Coolidge, Ga., 31730. Memorial donations may be made to Big Ochlocknee Baptist Church.
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