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She grew up in the small town of Kingsland and attended the local school system. After graduating from high school she attended the University of Georgia. Cleo graduated with the Class of 1950 with a major in Spanish and was a member of the Spanish club. Education was very important to Cleo. She always encouraged her family to attend college. She was especially instrumental in her brother Jimmy attending the University of Georgia with encouragement and a little cash along the way.
After graduating from UGA, she went to work for Delta Airlines in Sales at Miami, Florida. Though she had suffered most of her life with rheumatoid arthritis, she was an outstanding employee for Delta Airlines and received recognition for her loyalty and service to both Delta and its customers.
Cleo loved the finer things in life, such as music, fine art, good books, travel, and high fashion. Music helped her to relax and brought her much pleasure. She played the piano most of her life and later tried her talent with the guitar. She traveled abroad and in the United States as much as her health would allow. Cleo spoke fluent Spanish and had a great interest in the Mexican and Hispanic culture. Her taste for fashion was always up to date. Her choice of bright and jewel toned colors was a definite display of her bold and independent personality.
Cleo loved for her friends and family to visit. She would treat her younger sister Helen to the adventure of travel by having her flown to Miami on Delta Airlines. Helen said she most remembers dining at Howard Johnson Restaurant and Cleo taking the time to do her nails and hair. At the time, Helen had the habit of biting her fingernails. Cleo promised her she would buy her a red dress if she would stop biting her nails. Well, Helen let her nails grow out and Cleo bought her the red dress.
Cleo enjoyed sharing some of the funny but embarrassing times with her friends and family. Two of her most often told stories were:
When she came home one weekend from UGA, she and her friends went for a Sunday afternoon ride. Upon leaving, she was instructed not to use all the car's gas. Therefore, she and her friends went to the gas station and Cleo asked the attendant for "A" gallon of gas. He misunderstood and gave them "8" gallons. She could only pay for one gallon, so all her friends pooled their money to pay for the 8 gallons.
Cleo was living in Miami and was working with Delta Airlines and feeling quite sophisticated with her lifestyle. Her older bother N.A. came to visit. Cleo, her roommates and N.A. were sitting around chatting about growing up, college etc., when N.A. jokingly mentioned he could remember when Cleo ran in the chicken yard barefoot! She often laughed and said this brought her down a notch or two.
Cleo was an animal lover and always had a dog, cat or both. She cared for all her pets but she especially loved her poodle Pero. Her younger brother Ed said when he would go and visit Cleo, her dog Pero always knew when it was time for Cleo to come home. About five minutes before her arrival, Pero would go to the window to sit and wait for her.
In the early 70's, due to Cleo's health, work became increasingly difficult and she retired from Delta Airlines. In spite of the disabling arthritis she suffered with she always had a smile and was fun to be around. She many times expressed her gratitude to all the friends and family who were there for her.
Cleo died unexpectedly October 1, 1982 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Delta Airlines, who first flew her to Miami, provided the final transportation back home where she now rests at Longwood Cemetery in Kingsland, Georgia.
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