Lucille Delk’s life is a story of grit, faith, and old-fashioned Georgia devotion. Born in Coffee County on September 10, 1931, to John H. Whitley and Lola Christmas, Lucille grew up with an older brother and the honest labor of farm life. Her father was a farmer and sharecropper, and when Lucille was still small, the family moved to Alapaha. There, days were shaped by the rhythms of the fields and the barn—school in the morning, afternoons spent working soil and tending animals, and every sunrise marked by the chore she remembers most: milking cows, so many that to this day, she can’t bear the sight of milk.

Lucille attended school in Alapaha until her senior year, when another move brought the family to Willacoochee. She graduated in 1949, earning valedictorian honors, but as a transfer student, she wasn’t allowed to accept the distinction on stage. Her family’s pride ran deep all the same, and Lucille pressed on with her trademark determination.

After high school, her family dreamed she’d move to Atlanta with her aunt and uncle, who promised her a good job and new prospects. But Lucille’s heart was already set. She’d started dating Rollie Delk, a family friend she’d known since childhood. When her family moved again—this time to Tifton—Rollie made the trip from Willacoochee just to see her. Though Lucille’s mother wasn’t ready to let her little girl go, her father gave his blessing, and in time, her mother’s heart came around too.

Lucille and Rollie began their journey with just $25 in their pockets and a shared determination to build something lasting. Together, they founded Delk’s Tile and Carpet and poured their energy into their business, their faith, and their growing family. They raised four boys, and Lucille is now the proud grandmother of many—she still gets emotional recalling the day her first granddaughter was born, crying so hard at the hospital that the nurses thought something was wrong, when in reality, she was overwhelmed with happiness to welcome a little girl into the family.



Since 1956, Lucille and Rollie have been charter members of Tifton First Assembly Church of God. Even after Rollie’s passing, Lucille’s faith and her church community remain cornerstones in her life. For years, she found joy in her garden, and her favorite pastimes were freezing and canning the fruits and vegetables she grew—simple pleasures that connected her to the land and to years spent caring for others.

Spend just a few minutes with Lucille and you’ll feel the warmth and kindness that have defined her for a lifetime. Hers is a legacy built on sweat, love, and a steadfast belief in family and faith—a legacy that shines in every smile and every story she shares.