Rachel Young Vansant Daniel

Rachel Young Vansant Daniel, 104, of Covington, passed away April 1, 2015. Mrs. Daniel was born in Douglasville, and was 1929 graduate of Metter High School. Following graduation, she had several jobs, in Atlanta, as the nation recovered from the depression. In 1939, she joined Liberty Mutual where she worked as a claims adjustor and later a Fleet Manager for their leased vehicles. She and her first husband, Ralph Linch, were married only nine years before he was killed, in action, on Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion of Normandy. She later married Alton Daniel, in 1948, and together they moved to Covington in 1970. They joined the First Baptist Church of Covington, in 1970, and shortly thereafter she began teaching Sunday school and continued to do so until 1997. Additionally, she served as the president of FBC's Fidelis Sunday School Class from 1997-98. Following Alton's death, she and her close friend, Nell Nixon, together with other friends, took to the road almost daily. They sought out new restaurants, revivals, tent meetings, start-up churches and new preachers. Furthermore, they would deliver food to those that were shut-in. Over a period of several years, Mrs. Daniel crocheted over 50 lap robes and delivered them to the residents living in nursing homes. She was a selfless woman and the epitome of a God-fearing Christian. She believed her long life could be attributed to her commitment to faith. She not only prayed many times each day and night, but she would often have long conversations with God. She rarely prayed for herself, but instead would pray for her family and for people in need all over the world, especially children. Sometimes during her barely audible conversations with God, her pauses during the prayer, and her facial expressions, seem to indicate that she was in two-way conversation! Mrs. Daniel was loved by all who knew her and will be greatly missed by her family, church family and many friends. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Ralph Linch; second husband, Alton Daniel; parents, William Young and Ellen Victoria Walden Vansant; sisters, Jimmie Mae Vansant Baggett, Bessie Ruth Vansant Dodson; and her brothers, Hugh Ray Vansant, Claude Franklin Vansant and Ralph Walden Vansant, her twin brother.

Mrs. Daniel's great-grandfather and great-uncle were Young Vansant (1816-1904) and Ruben Vansant (1814-1877). On January 9, 1871, these two gentlemen held a pre-planned, organized fist fight that was well attended, to determine which brother would have the privilege of donating 40 acres of their own property for the establishment of the town of Douglasville, Georgia. Young was awarded the honor. There is a large bronze plaque on the front lawn of the old courthouse museum, in old town Douglasville, which commemorates this event. Sometime prior to 1848, Young, Ruben and their brothers, along with their father, Nicholas Vansant (1772-1850), are in the early census of Lexington County, South Carolina, where they lived prior to moving to a part of Georgia which was then known as Cherokee Indian Territory. Also, in the records of the Holland Society of New York City, Nicholas Vansant's father, another Nicholas Vansant (1737-1805), was the son of Bernardus Van Sant (1700-1778) of Blauenberg, New Jersey, who was the son of Johannes Van Sant (1657-1724), the infant son of Adam Wensel Van Santen (1628-1658) who came to the Americas from Arnhem, Holland, in 1658, on the sailing ship "Brownfish". Adam's father, Wensel Michels (1600-1671) was born in Rhineland, Germany.

Mrs. Daniel's family had moved to Hapeville, Georgia, from Metter, to stay with relatives because weak cash flow from their farm efforts and other goods sold forced them to give up their farm. Following their 1929 graduation from Metter High School, Rachel and her twin brother, Ralph, loaded up their 1922 Ford Model T with their belongings and started driving to Hapeville. After more than 8 hours of driving, and several flat tires (which required patching, not changing), they rejoined their family in Hapeville.

Rachel and her first boyfriend in Hapeville, who owned a biplane (open cockpit with two sets of wings), would take off from Candler Field (now Hartsfield-Jackson) and fly around the area to advertise his airplane sightseeing business. Because there were no seatbelts, she would sit on a metal bench, in the rear cockpit, and hold onto two handles.

During the late seventies, just prior to Christmas, First Baptist - Covington would provide their senior members a bus trip to Callaway Gardens to see the flowers and Christmas lights. On one particular trip, a member brought a Bible Trivia game to help with the long ride there and back. After several games, the last two players were Miss Rachel, a self-made bible scholar, and the church's pastor. When the game ended, some members were not surprised that she outscored the pastor and took the game. She never mentioned her win to anyone, but she wore a very noticeable smile for several days!

Surviving Mrs. Daniel are her daughter and son-in-law, Joellen and Terry Bryant of Covington; grandson, Joel Bonds and his wife, Shelia, of Mansfield; great-granddaughter, Amanda Bonds Dwiggins and her husband, Joshua, of McDonough; great-grandson, Joshua Paris Bonds of Oxford; nieces, Grace Ellen Baggett Cadora of Springfield, MA, Martha Victoria Vansant Reed of Stone Mountain; great-niece, Victoria Cadora Pharr of Springfield, MA; and great-nephew, Allen Thomas Cadora of Atlanta.

A Memorial Service for Mrs. Daniel will be held Saturday, April 11, 2015, 11:00 AM, at First Baptist Church of Covington, with Pastor Charles Reynolds and Dr. Robert Faulkner officiating. Interment will be held in Lawnwood Memorial Park at a later date. The family will receive friends at the church, in the Callaway room, Saturday, prior to her service, from 9:30 - 10:45 AM. Flowers are accepted, or donations may be made to the First Baptist Church Missions Fund, 1139 Usher Street, Covington, GA 30014.

Mrs. Daniel's family would like to express their utmost gratitude to the caring staff of Abbey Hospice, as well as her entire church family at First Baptist! Three words that sum up her life: FAITH, DETERMINATION & MODERATION

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Visitation

APR 11. 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM (EDT)

First Baptist Church (Covington)
1139 Usher Street
Covington, GA, 30014

Memorial Service

APR 11. 11:00 AM (EDT)

First Baptist Church (Covington)
1139 Usher Street
Covington, GA, 30014