Veda Iris Long Manley

Mrs. Veda Iris Long Manley, age 88, passed away peacefully Wednesday morning, August 21, 2024. Services will be held Sunday, August 25th, 2024, in the Great Hall of Eatonton Methodist Church. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM until service time at 3:00 PM. A burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery. Mrs. Veda Manley was born July 14, 1936, in Putnam County to the late Carmen McCarty “Mac” Long and the late Lucille Angeline Turk Long. Veda grew up on the family dairy farm with sister, Angie, and brother Shannon in the Lower Harmony Community. She attended Phoenix School and then on to Putnam County. She married the late Larry Gregory Manley, Sr. in September of 1954 during her senior year at Putnam County High School and graduated in 1955. Veda held many jobs throughout her lifetime, she worked at Rock Eagle, worked for the tax commissioners Pete Rice and later Powell Griffith. Veda and Larry had a 200 cow/calf beef herd, Pine Crest Farms, until 1972. Veda started (with the help of Larry) Manley’s Pinecrest Shop, one of the first convenience stores on Lake Sinclair. She was a member of several organizations in the community. She was heavily involved with the formation of Gatewood School, such as working as secretary in the beginning, substituting for teachers and working in the library at Gatewood, donating many of her personal books. She worked for several local attorneys at times during her lifetime. She also went into real estate and worked with Joe Ashurst at Century 21. She opened her own real estate company RAM Realty. She always had a garden as it was her thought that we all needed to know how to grow our food and milk a cow. Veda loved plants of all kinds and enjoyed landscaping. She would can or freeze almost everything from the garden and make butter, cottage cheese, and buttermilk. Veda could sew, cook, entertain, babysit any age child, paint, hang wallpaper, do carpentry work, but most always preferred to be outside working on a project, especially if she was the boss. She could prepare a meal for fifty people at a moment’s notice effortlessly and most importantly she knew Emily Post’s Book of Etiquette from cover to cover (her grandchildren called her “The Manners Lady”) and wanted all her children and grandchildren to know it as well. Her most favorite place to go for vacation was the Golden of Isles of Georgia. Although her fair skin was not a fan of the sun, she would sit for hours under an umbrella on the beach reading books. Veda’s favorite book of all time was “Gone with the Wind”, she read it numerous times over her life. A close family friend of Veda and Larry’s, Dayton Malone, wrote the poem “This Golden Isle”, Veda loved it. Although Veda was involved in lots of activities, she said her greatest accomplishment was creating a home for Larry and their four children, Greg, Robin, Van, and Leon. And from that union the size of the family has grown to 59 with another addition due in September 2024 Veda is preceded in death by her parents, her sister, and her husband of 70 years. Mrs. Manley is survived by her children, Larry Gregory Manley, Jr (and wife Brenda), Robin Manley Rainey (and husband Bill), Emory Van Manley, II (and wife Lisa), Leon Winfield Manley, II (and wife Tammy),grandchildren, Madison Manley Fitzgerald (and husband Adam), Larry Gregory Manley III (and wife Gloria)William Cooper Rainey, Jr. (and wife Marie), John McCarty Rainey (and wife Libby), Charles Rossee Rainey (and wife Codee), Elise Rainey Collis (and husband Preston), Emory Van Manley, III (and wife Sandra), Kiernan Manley Pinkerton (and husband Breck), Gavin Thomas Manley, Garrett Clements Manley (and wife Brittany), Ashley Manley Lewis (and husband Drew), Leon Winfield Manley, III (and wife Rachel), John Gregory Manley (and wife Renee’), Harley Ritch (and wife Taylor), great grandchildren, Scarlett Iris Fitzgerald, Amelia Jane Fitzgerald, Greer Golden Manley, Margo Virginia Manley, William Cooper Rainey, III, Lilly Kent Rainey, Parker McCarty Rainey, James Aidan Rainey, Sadler Gage Rainey, Piper Rose Rainey, Cash Kennedy Dixon, Vaida McCoy Rainey, Beckham Rossee Rainey, Truett Allen Collis, Rainey Angeline Collis, Nicole Cañizalez, Nick Suarez, Wylder Manley Pinkerton, Breck Edward Pinkerton, Jr., Ferryn Meadows Pinkerton, Vyvian Moore Pinkerton, Garrett Clements Manley, Jr., Lynnie Mae Benton Manley, Dayton Jefferson Manley, Nolan Jax Lewis, Chloe Ritch, and brother Shannon McCarty Long and nieces, Lisa Townsend and Tracy Long and nephew, Shan Long. Memorial Donations can be made to Gatewood School, Wesley Chapel Church, or Bible Fellowship Church

Veda Iris Long Manley

July 14, 1936 - August 21, 2024