Fannie Mae Boynton, 83

Fannie Mae Boynton, age 83, passed away Tuesday, April 8, 2025. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 19, at 2 p.m. at Williams Grove Holiness Church with Bishop Clyde Fowler, Jr. presiding. Family will receive friends Saturday, April 19, from 11 a.m. until the time of service at Williams Grove Holiness Church.

On a beautiful Saturday in 1942, April 4, in Swainsboro, the late Mother Sadie and Deacon Clifton Hampton, welcomed their new baby girl to the family and named her Fannie Mae. Fannie grew up at Williams Chapel Holiness Church in Swainsboro and embraced her faith early on. She attended Emanuel County Public Schools. She later gave birth to six beautiful children that she so lovingly called her “Sexy Six.”

In the early 1970s, Ms. Fannie moved her young family from Swainsboro to Brooklyn, New York. She continued her Christian journey at The Church of the Living God United under the leadership of Bishop Robert Littlejohn, Bishop Armstrong and Bishop Marvin Ryles. She later joined Wayside Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor Joe L. Parker. While there, she s with the church choir and was the Director of the youth choir called the Wayside Angel Choir. Ms. Fannie worked for Boy Scouts of America and at JP Morgan Bank as a wire transfer clerk. She really enjoyed talking about and “going to Wall Street.”

In the late 1990s, Ms. Fannie retired from the corporate world and later returned home to Swainsboro. Upon her return, she quickly reunited with her original home church, Williams Chapel Holiness Church, under the leadership of the late Chief Apostle Clyde Fowler Sr and current Pastor, Bishop Clyde Fowler Sr. She was a faithful member who served as Sunday School teacher, choir member, pianist, avid fund raiser and deaconess. Ms. Fannie also went back to school and got her degree in Early Childcare.

Ms. Fannie loved children. She felt that knowledge and education were the best assets a person could possess. She spent countless hours tutoring children so that they would be able to keep up in class. She loved them so much that she became a substitute teacher in Emanuel County Public School System. Ms. Fannie had a no-nonsense reputation. Teachers would call back-to-back, one after the other trying to get her to sub for their classes— they loved her, and students got nervous when they saw her coming.

Ms. Fannie loved music. She sang in with various choirs and played piano for local churches. In addition to singing and playing, Ms. Fannie was a much sought-after MC for gospel programs. She could really add that extra “something” to the program and people were more than happy to have her lead their services.

“Have ticket, will travel” was one of her favorite sayings. There was nothing Ms. Fannie liked better than to let people know she was about to “beat the streets, again!” She really loved getting those tickets from New York for the holidays or Florida for those much-anticipated trips that “you get to take when you’re SPECIAL”. Yes, she surely was THAT woman! Ms. Boynton is preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Sandra Boynton; grandsons, Omar Boynton, Donta’e Arnold and Jaden Hennegan-Boynton; brothers, John Powell, Roosevelt Hampton and James Hampton Sr.; and sister, Sara Outler.

Left to cherish her memories are her children, Janice Heath (Jasper) of McDonough, Troy Boynton (Deborah) of Brooklyn, NY, Michael Boynton (Millicent) of Lawrenceville, Tresa Boynton (Jerome Hairston) of Far Rockaway, NY and Betty Boynton-Arnold (David); sisters, Lady Mary Ellen Fowler of Summertown, Alpha Johnson and Pearl Boykins (Thomas) of Swainsboro and Doris Hargrove (Calvin) of Philadelphia, PA; extended sisters, Doris Davis (Joe) and Lorene Peeples (Sammy); bonus nieces, Trina Brown (Michael) of York, SC and Gloria Jackson of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 26 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Chapman Funeral Home of Swainsboro is in charge of arrangements.