Kenneth Boyd Boswell: Obituary

The Cochran Funeral Home of Hiawassee announces Funeral Services for Kenneth Boyd Boswell, age 79 of Hiawassee who passed away on March 4, 2018 at his home.

Kenneth Boswell’s love of writing led to his career as a newspaper reporter and communications specialist. As a reporter for the Atlanta Journal in the 1970’s, he reported on many events, including the Civil Rights movement and the Vietnam War. Ken loved to cover the trials and human interest stories in the Atlanta and Fulton County courthouses.

Kenneth Boyd Boswell, a native of Register, Georgia, was born March 9, 1938 in Statesboro, Ga. He graduated high school from Gordon Military College and joined the United States Army. Always interested in technology, he was assigned to the Army Security Agency in an elite unit that intercepted Morse Code messages between diplomats of cold war nations. Upon discharge Ken enrolled in the University of Georgia with a major in Journalism and minors in Political Science and English. He was especially proud of serving as managing editor and reporter for the UGA Red and Black newspaper. He graduated in 1963 and remains a rabid Bulldawg!

He was Assistant Editor and State Editor of the Augusta Chronicle, as well as a news reporter for the Athens Daily News. He was a general assignment reporter and Fulton County reporter for the Atlanta Journal. Ken covered the court martial of Lt. William Calley, for the My Lai, Viet Nam Massacre at Fort Benning, Ga. in 1970, and the Capt. Ernest Medina court martial, in 1971.

Upon retiring from his newspaper career, he became an Assistant County Manager for Fulton County in Atlanta. He was an administrative liaison officer for the County Housing Authority and the Atlanta-Fulton County Public Library System. He was also the communications director for the State v. Wayne Williams trial, known as the “Missing and Murdered Children” trial.

Ken married Celia Cole Gettle on April 10, 1976. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Chattahoochee Nature Center, in Roswell Ga., and assisted in creating policies for the Center. Ken and Celia moved to Cashiers, N.C, where he became a member of the Board of Directors of the town park, The Village Green. There, he established a fund raiser for the park, an annual juried arts and craft event. He also worked on the first Highlands-Cashiers Cancer Relay for Life which earned him the highly coveted “Public Relations Society of America” national award. His love for writing was shown in his many volunteer activities, including editing directories and recipe books for his church.

Kenneth Boswell was a faithful member of Union Hill United Methodist Church in Hiawassee, Georgia, where he served as Lay Leader for over fifteen years and represented the church at the Methodist Annual Conference for a number of years as well. His was a life well lived.

He is survived by Celia Boswell, his beloved wife of 41 years, daughters Janice Boswell Baldowski (Darryl), Amy Boswell Moore (Larry), Laura Boswell Flanders (Richard), son Kenneth Boyd Boswell, Jr, stepdaughter, Margaret Gettle Washburn, eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. He is predeceased by grandson Jeffrey Alan Flanders, his father Boyd E. Boswell, mother Rudy Dell Rushing Motes and stepfather Lloyd J. Motes.

Funeral Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 7, 2018 at Union Hill United Methodist Church with Dr. Charles Wilson and Rev. Katie Strahls officiating. Special music will be presented by the Union Hill UMC Choir. The family will receive friends on Wednesday from 1 p.m. until the service begins. Interment will follow at Burch Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Union Hill UMC, P.O. Box 691, Hiawassee, GA 30546.