Here are the latest obituaries and notices as provided by the
funeral homes serving Cookeville, Baxter, Monterey, Sparta, Gainesboro and Livingston.
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Obituaries are presented by Presley Funeral Home, West Jackson Street in Cookeville.
Obituaries For Friday, December 14
Mrs. C. Alice Vaughn, Age 60, Of Crawford Passed Away On Friday, December 14, 2018, At Her Home. Funeral Arrangements Are Incomplete.
Margaret Ann Brandt, 79 of Walling, passed away on Thursday, December 13, 2018, at NHC Healthcare of Sparta. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
Celebration of Life services for Patricia Brady, 74 of Sparta, will be held at 6pm on Friday, December 14, 2018 at Macedonia Baptist Church with Brother Jeff Howard officiating. Patricia passed away on Thursday, December 6, 2018, at her residence. She was born Wednesday, December 15, 1943 in Sparta. She was a life long member of Macedonia Baptist Church. She worked at Thomas Industrials for 26 years. Survivors include: Husband- Bill Brady of Sparta; Brother- Glenn Ray (Diana) of Sparta; Sisters- Rosemary Ray of Sparta and Debora Green (James) of Sparta; Sister-in-law- Faye Tolbert (Tony) of McMinnville; Her sweet puppy dog- Gracie; Step-sons- Barry Brady of Sparta and William Brady of Gallatin; Nieces and Nephews- Mark, Marty, Christy, Ryan, Gina, Kyle, Tammy, and Lee. The family will welcome friends from 4pm until time of the service at the church.
Funeral services for Mrs. Pearl Avo Simmons Hash, age 76 of Quebeck, will be conducted 11:00am Saturday, December 15, 2018 from the Chapel of Hunter Funeral Home with burial in Jericho Cemetery. The family will receive friends Friday from 5-8:00pm at Hunter Funeral Home. Joe Neal will officiate. Mrs. Hash passed away Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at her residence. Mrs. Hash was born June 12, 1942 in White County to the late Dennie Thurman Simmons and Patti Elizabeth Wilson Simmons. She was a devoted homemaker and a wonderful wife, mother and grandmother. She was a former factory worker until her granddaughter was born and she stayed home to care for her. In addition to her parents, she is also preceded in death by her husband of 57 years Terry Lee Hash; brothers Junior Simmons, James Simmons and Otis Simmons.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Ruby Dean Smith, age 78, of Livingston will be conducted 11 A.M. on Saturday, December 15, 2018, from the chapel of Speck Funeral Home in Livingston. Burial will be in the Fellowship Cemetery. Mrs. Smith passed from this life on Wednesday morning, December 12, 2018, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. She was born in Overton County on June 4, 1940, to the late Wesley Banks and Stella Lee Taylor. She enjoyed sewing, cooking, and fishing. Her favorite type of music included country artists such as George Jones, Marty Stuart, and Dailey & Vincent. Mrs. Ruby Dean Smith leaves behind her son Terry Smith and wife Micki of Livingston; daughter Patricia McCandles and husband James of Baxter; grandchildren Michael Smith of Rickman and Meghan Smith of Livingston; great grandchild Bronson Smith of Rickman; brother Raymond Taylor and wife Elise of Livingston; and sister Margaret Leora Reagan of Anderson, Indiana. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Ruby Dean Smith was preceded in death by her husband J. B. Smith; daughter Shelia Smith; and sisters May Harvey, Pearl Taylor, Murl Conner, Erma Reagan, and Corine Kennedy. The family will welcome friends on Friday evening from 5 to 9 P.M.
Funeral services for Bill Blair, age 78, of Cookeville will be held Saturday, December 15th, 2018 at 1:00 pm in the chapel of Presley Funeral Home with Pastor Maston Jackson officiating. Interment will follow in Dickens Cemetery in the Elmwood Community of Smith County. The family will receive friends on Saturday, December 15, 2018, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM at Presley Funeral Home. Bill passed away Thursday, December 13, 2018 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Cookeville. He was born Sunday, August 25, 1940 in Chestnut Mound, Tennessee to the late Shafter Blair and Effie Dickens Blair. For 45 years, Bill owned Blair Insurance Agency.
Funeral services for Mrs. Willa Mae Mandrell, age 95, of Cookeville, will be held at 2:00 pm CST on Saturday, December 15, 2018, at the First United Methodist Church in Cookevile. Interment in Linwood Cemetery, Paragould, AR will follow at a later date. Willa Mae Mandrell passed away peacefully at NHC Healthcare, Oak Ridge, on December 5, 2018. She was born May 1, 1923, in the small farming community of Beech Grove, AR to the late Alvie Thomas Breckenridge and Annie Greene Breckenridge. Willa Mae Breckenridge and her future husband, Allen Mandrell grew up together in Beech Grove. They married in 1945. In addition to her parents, Willa Mae was preceded in death by her husband Allen Burton Mandrell, and their daughter Rebecca Ann Mandrell, her sister Mayo Breckenridge Stallcup, and her brother Rayo Breckenridge. She is survived by her three children: Kandy Pearson (Richard) Oak Ridge; Keith Mandrell (Lisa) Knoxville; Dr. Tim Mandrell (Dr. Belinda) Memphis; Grandchildren: Molly Riccardi (Chris) Atlanta, GA,; Andrew Pearson (Amy) Christ Church, New Zealand; William Pearson (Adrienne Wiest) Knoxville; Walt Mandrell (Kelly) Denver, CO; Burton Mandrell, Memphis; Joseph Mandrell, Nashville; Neal Mandrell, Memphis; Annie Mandrell, Memphis; and Great-grandchildren: Zoey Mae Pearson, Lexi June Pearson, Christ Church, New Zealand; and Oliver Andrew Riccardi, Atlanta, GA. She is also survived by her brother Russell Breckenridge, Henderson, AR; a very special niece Joan (Bob) Franks, Sherwood, AR as well as several nieces and nephews. Her family will receive friends from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm CST at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church, 165 East Broad Street, Cookeville, TN 38501.
Funeral services for Mrs. Emmadel Webster Bain age 99 of Walling, will be conducted 2:00pm Sunday, December 16, 2018 at Spring Hill the Baptist Church of Christ with burial in Spring Hill Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday from 4-8:00pm at Hunter Funeral Home and she will lie in state at the church on Sunday from 1-2:00pm. Mrs. Bain was born May 24, 1919 in Doyle, Tennessee. She was a longtime member of Spring Hill the Baptist Church of Christ where she taught Sunday School for over 40 years. She was a former teacher and US Postal Service mail carrier and substitute post master. She is preceded in death by her parents Earnest & Lillie Sparkman; husband Lester Verble Bain, Sr.; Lester Verble “L.V.” Bain, Jr.; brothers Levon and Balas Sparkman.
A celebration of life service for Ronald Lee Grubbs, Sr. (Red Rider), age 72, of Cookeville, will be at 1 p.m. Monday, December 17 at the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper Huddleston and Horner Funeral Home. Interment with military honors rendered by the Veterans Honor Guard will follow in Sand Springs Cemetery. A Masonic Service will be held Sunday, December 16 at 7 p.m. Ronnie passed away Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was born January 11, 1946 in Lebanon to the late Jesse William and Margaret Elizabeth Mason Grubbs. He is survived by his wife of 52 1/2 years, Brenda Copley Grubbs, whom he married June 5, 1966 in Cumberland County; son, Ronald L. Grubbs, II and wife Sue of Cookeville; three daughters, Richelle Halfacre, Connie Brewer and husband Scott, all of Cookeville, Melissa Burch and husband Eric of Manchester; brother, Stephen Grubbs of Greenville, SC; and eight grandchildren, Austin Burch, Hunter Grubbs, Madison Brewer, Abigail Burch, Natalie Halfacre, Will Halfacre, Samuel Burch, and Reagan Brewer. In addition to his parents, Ronnie was preceded in death by brother, James Grubbs; father-in-law, Hoyt Copley; and son-in-law, William ‘Bill’ Halfacre III. The family will receive friends Sunday, December 16 from 4 – 8 p.m. and Monday, December 17 from 10 a.m. until time of service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to be received at the funeral home for Shriners Hospitals for Children. In honor of Ronnie, those donations will be forwarded to Al Menah Temple, 1354 Brick Church Pike, Nashville, TN 37207. Donations may also be mailed directly to the Al Menah Temple.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jennie Lee Goff Short, age 94 of the Bon Air Community of White County, will be at 1:00 P.M. Monday December 17, 2018 in the Hunter Funeral Home Chapel with Rodney Ritchie officiating. She passed away Wednesday, December 12, 2018 at her residence. The family will receive friends on Sunday evening December 16, 2018 from 4:00 P.M. till 8:00 P.M.
A Celebration of Life for Richard L Harding, 80 of Cookeville, will be at 12:00 PM on Saturday December 22, 2018 at Algood United Methodist Church at !2:00 with the Pastor Albert Willis officiating. Mr. Harding passed on Friday, December 7, 2018. Born Wednesday, March 23, 1938 in Owasso, Michigan, he was the son of the late Donald Harding and the late Etith Palk Harding. Richard grew up in Cookeville and was very active in Scouting, being one of therefrom Troop 108 who earned Eagle Scout Gold Palm, God and Country and Explorer Silver Award in the mid 1950’s. After proudly serving in the U S Navy he came back to Cookeville attending Tennessee Tech and earning a degree in math. Then spending a brief stent in Maryland he moved to home open a family business, Exotic Tropicals with his Uncle and Aunt Alard and Lovey Harding. The family will receive friends at the Church from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Saturday, December 22, 2018. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Algood Methodist Church.