COLUMBUS, GA— Emma Jean Thornton Alberts, 47, of Columbus, died Thursday, May 12 at The Medical Center Hospital.

"The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Don't lose confidence in your dream. God yearns to do the impossible for you."
—Emma Alberts

A life lived well is a life worth living. A servant-leader and visionary, Emma dared to believe in the beauty of her dreams. She was a faithful friend, a loyal listener, a beacon of light in time of need; a devoted wife, trusted confidante, and inspiring example to others. Her life is a testimony of God's grace and love, which she freely shared with others. Emma never lost sight of the things most important in life: her faith in God, her love of family, and her hope for a brighter future. Indeed, she was a woman of conviction who lived the life she had imagined—one with meaning and purpose—following after the heart of God.

A graduate of the University of Georgia with a master's degree in Adult Education, Emma served more than fourteen years as a County Extension Agent and Director of the Fayette County Extension Service before being called into full time ministry. She later became a licensed real estate agent in the Atlanta area and most recently had accepted a position as Community Relations Director at Beacon University in Columbus, Georgia.

Emma loved her family and friends dearly. She loved the simple things in life and found pleasure in finding ways to make a difference in other people's lives. She possessed a rare ability to bring out the best in others. Her life's mission was to inspire others to believe in the impossible, to reach for ther dreams, to discover a new vision, to do and to be all they could. Emma celebrated life and wanted others to celebrate with her. Her persistence and determination to accomplish great things inspired greatness in others. Emma's life touched many different people in many different ways; literally thousands of people's lives have been touched and forever changed because of Emma's visionary leadership and dedication to lifelong service. She was real with people and met everyone with kindness and generosity. For generations to come Emma will be remembered for far more than her exuberance and contagious enthusiasm for life; her legacy is that she lived a life that will outlast all of her accomplishments—she lived a life worth living.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emma is survived by her husband, Chris Alberts; her children, Christopher Alberts of Marietta, GA, Natanya and her husband, Manuel DaCosta of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, Liezelle and her husband, Johnny Chowles of Bushman's River, South Africa, and their children, Hannah, Jonathan, and Michaela; her sister and brother-in-law, Marie and Ron Cope; her brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Connie Thornton; her dearest friend, Nan Taschner; and her mother, Louise Thornton, and preceded in death by her father, Jack M. Thornton.