Albert Clayton Cagle

Albert Clayton Cagle, 86 of Canton, passed away Sunday, November 20, 2022. Albert Clayton Cagle was born in Pickens County, Georgia on December 13th, 1935. Shortly after his first birthday, Albert’s family purchased a farm in Hickory Flat where Albert would call home until his passing on November 20th, 2022. Albert was 86 years old when he entered his heavenly home. His parents’ farm was adjacent to Ella and Barnum Bobos’ farm, Albert’s maternal Aunt and Uncle. Albert purchased this farm from them before he graduated from Canton High School. He lived there for the remainder of his life along with his wife Bernese Faye Haynes Cagle. The two married on June 20th, 1958, and shared 53 wonderful years together until her passing in 2011. Bernese and Albert raised four boys on this farm: Scott, Mark, Len, and David. The family lived in the over 200-year-old farmhouse which was also home to the infamous “Underground Hickory Flat”. As much as this was a home for their family, it also served as a meeting place for the community. The two loved to entertain and used this home to host many community events over the years: parties, family gatherings, political rallies and forums, and several weddings. Both Bernese and Albert loved history and enjoyed telling the stories of the home place that has now been in the family for 99 years. Some of their favorite memories come from two annual parties they hosted at the home: the must-attend Groundhog Day party and the more casual get-together that happened a few weeks later around St. Patrick’s Day. Albert was always involved in his community. He was a member of New Hope Baptist Church, served as a trustee of Hickory Flat Elementary School, was a founding member of the Canton Optimist Club, and was also a member of the Cherokee County Jaycees, the Cherokee County and Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Milk Producer, Republican Party, and held several other volunteer positions across the county and state. Albert’s loves were family and farming, and the two were linked for life. He began his farming career at the age of sixteen as a partner in the family dairy with his Mother and Father Estell and Clayton Cagle along with his brother Charles. His brother Charles later left the farm to become a successful carpenter and home builder. Cagle’s Dairy later formed a partnership with several other dairies in the county and purchased Etowah Maid Dairies from the Jones family in Canton to bottle and market their milk. At this time, twenty-two-year-old Albert was chosen by the partners to be general manager of Etowah Maid. During this time, Albert led the test market for the first milk in the world marketed in a plastic jug in conjunction with Shell Oil. He managed Etowah Maid in Canton until 1972 when Cagle’s Dairy purchased Etowah Maid from the other partners and the bottling plant moved to the farm in Hickory Flat. Albert and Bernese later purchased his parents’ part of the business and formed a partnership with their four sons. Under his guidance and as his family grew, the farm also grew as it became a pioneering force in Georgia’s agritourism industry. Albert would once again be a part of a first as the Cagle’s started the first corn maze in the state of Georgia. Albert retired from the dairy in 2004, and he and Bernese started Cagle’s Farm House. With this new venture, Albert primarily grew vegetable and flowers to sell to restaurants, at farmers markets, and in his roadside market Papa Albert’s Vegetable Market operated all on the honors system. He continued this until he could no longer physically do the work. Through all these lifelong adventures, his drive came from his love of family, agriculture, community, and friends. While he earned a great deal of success in his lifetime, he always approached life with a sense of humor and upmost consideration and respect for anyone he crossed paths with. His son David recounts his favorite quote of Albert’s: “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice.” Mr. Cagle was preceded in death by his wife, Bernice Cagle, his sister-in-law, Glennis Cagle, and his grandson, Mitchell Greene. He is survived by: Son - Len (Teresa) Cagle of Canton Son - Scott (Laurie) Cagle of Bradenton, FL. Son - Mark Dennis Cagle (Donna Stokes) of Ball Ground Son - David (Angela) Cagle of Canton Brother - Charles Cagle of Canton Brother - Ralph (Brenda) Cagle of Canton Sister - Martha (Billy) Odom of Woodstock Grandchildren - Zackary Cagle, Jacob Cagle, Alyssa Cagle, Kurtis Cagle, Ben Cagle, Levi Cagle, Hannah Buckley, Amy Parks, Melinda Thomas, Tyler Peacock 11 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great-grandchildren also survive. Visitation will be Friday, November 25th from 2-9pm and Saturday, November 26th from 10am-1pm at Darby Funeral Home. A memorial service will be Saturday, November 26th at 2pm at New Hope Baptist Church with Rev. Joe Lumpkin and Rev. Justin Page officiating. The caring staff of Darby Funeral Home is honored to serve the Cagle family.

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Albert Clayton Cagle

December 13, 1935 - November 20, 2022