Grace (Piland) Langford

Mrs. Grace Langford of Warrenton, a retired seamstress and garment worker, died Wednesday at Thomson Health and Rehabilitation Center after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. She was 92.

Mrs. Langford was an expert at sewing and, prior to her retirement, made clothes and children's shoes at garment factories around the area, including at Health-Tex in Warrenton; at the former Uniroyal plant (now Shaw Industries) in Thomson; and at facilities in Union Point, Greensboro, Stapleton and her hometown of Woodville in Greene County.

She and her late husband, James H. Langford Sr., moved to Warrenton from Greensboro, Ga., in 1952 and raised two children who both graduated from the Warren County public schools. Mr. and Mrs. Langford were involved parents who fondly recalled chaperoning dances at "Teen Town" events in the 1960s and traveling with the high school band and football team.

Mrs. Langford was born in Dawson in southwest Georgia, the child of Claud Gilreath, originally from Union County, and the former Sallie May Evans of Morgan County. Both of Mrs. Langford's biological parents died of illness when she was a small child, and she was adopted and raised by her biological uncle and aunt, Charlie and Mildred Evans Piland, who later adopted her.

The family lived in several locations around Georgia and northern Florida during the hard times of the Great Depression, including Morris Station in Quitman County, Forsyth and Ty Ty. They finally settled in tiny Woodville, where Charlie Piland was employed as manager of a lumber mill.

Mrs. Langford was a 1945 graduate of Union Point High School in Greene County.

She loved cooking and experimenting with new recipes, gardening, reading, crossword puzzles and the fabric arts. Her primary technique was crochet.

She was preceded in death by her husband, the late James Langford Sr. of Warrenton, a longtime employee of Jebco and a captain on the Warrenton volunteer fire department; her daughter, the former Frances (Fran) Langford Peebles of Warrenton; her biological parents; her adoptive parents; and by her siblings, Charlie Piland of Union Point, Ga., and Sara Piland Hunnicutt of Macon.

Survivors include her son, James (Jim) Langford Jr. of Bogart, Ga.; his wife, Lynn; and one granddaughter.

Graveside services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, at Woodville Cemetery.

Lowe's Funeral Home in Warrenton is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Parkinson's Foundation, 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018 (www.parkinson.org).

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