Deloris Strickland

Deloris Edith Brannen Strickland, 88 of Tallahassee died peacefully early Wednesday
afternoon, March 27, 2019. She was born in Glennville, Georgia on April 19, 1930 to
Landis Laren and Lennie Todd Brannen. She was the oldest of five children and grew up
surrounded by two brothers and two sisters, loving parents, and a large extended family.
After she graduated from high school, she attended Georgia Teachers College (Georgia
Southern University). There she met her future husband, Ernest "Gene" Strickland, and
they were married on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1948.
After Deloris and Gene married they moved around a lot because of his job with Life of
Georgia Insurance Company. They lived in Collins, Jeffersonville, Macon, and
Milledgeville, GA before coming to Tallahassee in 1968. No matter where they lived they
were always active in a local church and had the opportunity to make a number of new
friends in each city. Deloris was primarily a stay-at-home mom until they moved to
Milledgeville where she opened a daycare. After moving to Tallahassee, she owned and
operated a daycare named "Happy Time Playschool." She loved children and was very
gifted in taking care of the children that were left in her care. In 1978, Deloris and Gene
purchased a place on a canal at Shell Point (Crawfordville, FL). After several more
moves, they finally settled down and made Shell Point their permanent home.
The funeral services will be held at Beggs Funeral Home - Apalachee Chapel on
Saturday, March 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. with burial at Watermelon Creek Baptist Church
Cemetery in Glennville, Georgia. Visitation will be held at the funeral home on Friday,
March 29, 2019 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Deloris is survived by two sons, Stuart Strickland and Stanley Strickland (Jane). She was
a loving grandmother to four grandchildren: Lauren Akesson (Rickard), Diana Sands
(Luke), Travis Strickland, and Michael Turner. She has four great-grandchildren, Nathan
Sands, Tucker Sands, Taylor Akesson, and Tristan Sands. Deloris has one sister,
Wilmith Craig of Roswell, GA. Also, added to her family are two step-great-
granddaughters, Ingrid and Louise Akesson. She leaves behind many special friends
and extended family that she loved very much.
She is preceded in death by not only by her husband and parents; but her daughter,
Carol Strickland; two brothers, Delbert and Dwight Brannen; and sister, Geraldine
Stallings.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pioneer Baptist Church, 486 Beechwood
Drive, Crawfordville, FL 32327 or to the Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center
Boulevard, Tallahassee, FL 32308.