IRWIN COUNTY - Kyle Alfriend "K.A." Veal, 87, of Irwin County, died Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009, at his home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Holt Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. David Biggers and the Rev. Danny Ray officiating. Interment will follow at Holt Cemetery.

Mr. Veal was born on Sept. 27, 1921 in Washington County to the late Elton and Annie Ennis Veal. He had lived in Irwin County since 1928 where he was a farmer. A graduate of Ocilla High School in 1939 and GAB Business College in Macon, he was a three-time president of the Sweet Potato Council of the U.S., Inc., served as a member and chairman of the Georgia Sweet Potato Commission and coached little league baseball.

Mr. Veal was awarded the J.E. Leger Agribusiness Award, won the county high peanut yield award and was a member of the Georgia Agriculture Conservation District Supervisors Hall of Fame. He served on the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Research Board and was a director of Irwin County Farm Bureau and a director and chairman of the Production Credit Association. A member of Holt Baptist Church, he served as a Sunday school teacher, Sunday school director for 39 years and was chairman of the board of deacons for 45 years.

Mr. Veal is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Jo Luke Veal of Irwin County; a son, Joey (Susan) Veal of Irwin County; a daughter, Caroline Veal (David) Babcock of Valdosta; grandchildren, Valerie Veal (Bryan) Horten, Kyle (Valerie) Veal, Kevin Veal, Jonathan Babcock and Wesley Babcock; great-grandchildren, Madison Babcock, Hannah Horten and Bryce Horten; and a sister, Evelyn Veal Paulk. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by two sisters, five brothers and one great-grandchild.

To sign the online guest registry, go to www.paulkfuneralhome.com.

Paulk Funeral Home, Ocilla, is in charge of arrangements.