Mr. Dannie Gene Ponders, age 68, of Dalton, Georgia, departed this life Thursday, December 29, 2016 at the Murray Medical Center in Chatsworth, Georgia. Dannie was born February 28, 1948 in Jasper, Georgia. Dannie attended Dalton High School and graduated from Valley Point High School in 1967. Dannie was a pipefitter by trade and installed fire sprinkler systems for many years. Dannie was a hard worker and strong as an ox.

He was preceded in death by his father, Willard James "Mutt" Ponders and his mother and step-father, Marie (Dixon) and Charles Tipton, also a brother, Randall Ponders.

He is survived by his daughter, Mandy Ponders; son and daughter-in-law, Bart and Tara Ponders; step-son, Jody and Renee Buckner; grandchildren, Trevor Ponders, Kaylee Ponders, Justin and Jamie-Lee Suttles; step-grandchildren, Katie and Brett Buckner; sister and brother-in-law, Chenkie and Wayne Broyles of Calhoun, GA; brother, Mitch Romine of Calhoun, GA; mother of his children and her husband, Kay and Mark Tate; special friend, Kaye Cope-Smith; his special dog, Tyla; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Services to celebrate the life of Mr. Dannie Ponders will be held Sunday, January 1, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at Ponders Melrose Chapel with Reverend Brian Fossett and his son, Reverend Bart Ponders officiating. He will be laid to rest beside his father at Smyrna Baptist Church Cemetery in Murray County, Georgia, with Mike Shoates, Jody Buckner, Trevor Ponders, Mark Tate, Brett Buckner and Colby Rodgers serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be former football players and coaches from the 1965, 1967 and 1968 from Dalton High and Valley Point High School. The family will receive friends at Ponders Melrose Chapel from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. Saturday and after 11:00 a.m. Sunday until the service hour.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.pondersfuneralhome.com.
Ponders Melrose Chapel 138 Melrose Drive Dalton, GA 30721, 706-226-4002
www.selectedindependentfuneralhomes.org and www.ogr.org