Mr. Ernest Lamar Haygood, Sr., age 86, of Thomaston, died Sunday, March 31, 2024, at Providence Health & Rehab.

Mr. Haygood was born Jan. 22, 1938, in Upson County, to the late Thomas Haygood and the late Eva Mae Carter Chambley. He served his country in the Georgia Army National Guard and worked as an instructor at Gilmore Center. Earnest worked for years in the newspaper industry with The Thomaston Times and was crucial in helping start The Upson Beacon.

He could build anything and loved working with wood. He adored his family, especially his grandchildren, and was a great friend to many. He was a member of Zion Chapel Methodist Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Peggy Fossett Haygood.

Survivors include his daughters, Shannon Haygood, Cynthia Farrell, Karen (Dennis) Holmes, and Susan (Paul) Collins, all of Thomaston; sons, Lamar Haygood and Randal Gene Carr, both of Thomaston; sister, Kathleen Blackmon of Thomaston; 10 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

Graveside services will be held Wednesday, April 3, at 11 a.m. from Zion Chapel Methodist Church Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Wednesday, April 3, 2024, from 10-11 a.m. at Coggins Funeral Home.