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Former GFB President Wayne Dollar passes

Posted on August 26, 2021 12:00 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 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. He graduated from Climax High school in 1951, then 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 served 18 years on the GFB Board of Directors: from 1988- 1992 as a GFB 9th District director; from 1992-1994 as the GFB South Georgia vice president & GFB 1st vice president and 12 years as GFB president.

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 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); 11 grandchildren; and 17 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years Odessa Griffin Dollar and grandson Jason Wester.

-GFB-