Elizabeth Weldon McCollum, age 89, of Carrollton, Georgia, passed away peacefully on December 16, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

Born on December 7, 1935, in Cartersville, Elizabeth was the cherished daughter of the late Paul Weldon and Annie Adams Weldon. After graduating high school, Elizabeth attended Georgia State College for Women, in Milledgeville, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. While at GSCW, she also sang in the college choir and trained in both piano and organ performance.

While working as a lifeguard at the Cartersville pool during summer break, Elizabeth met Ted McCollum, another lifeguard, and began a relationship that lasted fifty years. After she graduated from GSCW, Elizabeth and Ted were married and moved to Wake Forest, NC, for Ted to attend seminary. While he studied, Elizabeth taught school to support them.

Following Ted's graduation from seminary, the couple began a twenty-year ministry serving churches in Concord, Dahlonega, Columbus, Baxley, and Carrollton. While Ted preached, Elizabeth served as choir director and taught people of all ages to enjoy singing. One of her greatest joys was teaching children, youth, and adults to read music and sing in a choir. Across the years she also taught private piano lessons to more than a hundred students.

When the family moved to Carrollton, Elizabeth returned to teaching general music and leading the Middle School Chorus. Over the next 22 years she introduced thousands of Carrollton children to singing, playing an instrument, and enjoying music. She also served as organist of First Baptist Church for more than 30 years, and taught hundreds of aspiring school teachers the basics of music education at West Georgia College and State University.

After Ted passed away in 2004, Elizabeth was instrumental in forming the Yo-Yo Sisterhood, a support group for widows in Carrollton. The group was active for more than ten years, bringing comfort, connection, and fun to many dealing with great loss. Elizabeth also led the Women's Tuesday Morning Bible Study at First Baptist Church for many years, offering wisdom, faith, and fellowship to all who attended.

Throughout her life, Elizabeth was a loving and supportive wife to Ted, a caring and encouraging mother to David and Kay, and a doting grandmother to Luke and Anna. With Ted and the children, Elizabeth encountered snowstorms in Colorado, whitewater rafting in the Grand Canyon, bears in North Carolina, and numerous sporting and band events. In later years, she and Ted visited the Holy Land, Canada, Austria, Scandinavia, and Russia.

She will be dearly missed by her family, friends, and all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, David and Kathy McCollum of Macon; daughter and son-in-law, Kay and Glenn Rigby of Powder Springs; grandson, Luke Rigby; granddaughter, Anna Rigby; sister-in-law Frances Weldon (Bill), sister and brother-in-law, Polly and Buddy Kirk, brother and sister-in-law, Jim and Lyn Weldon, and numerous nieces and nephews. Besides her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, C.D. "Ted" McCollum; brother, Bill Weldon, and brother and sister-in-law, John and Louise Weldon.

The family will receive friends at Almon Funeral Home on Friday, December 20, 2024 from 5 pm until 8 pm.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, December 21, 2024 at 11am at First Baptist Church with Dr. David Hughes officiating. Her body will be placed in state from 10am until the service time.

Interment will be in Sunset Memory Gardens, Cartersville, Georgia at 3pm.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Elizabeth Weldon McCollum Endowed Music Scholarship, C/O GCSU Foundation, Office of University Advancement, Campus Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061 or First Baptist Church, 102 Dixie Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30117.

Messages of condolences may be expressed to the family online at www.almonfuneralhome.com.

.

Almon Funeral Home of Carrollton has charge of arrangements.