We Remember: Obituaries For Tuesday, April 2

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 For Tuesday, April 2

Mrs. Marie Qualls, 90 of Algood, died Monday, April 1, 2024 in Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending.

Mr. Edward Milner, age 96 of Cookeville died Sunday March 31, 2024 in Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are pending.

Mrs. Nadine Kim Wilford, age 61 of Cookeville, passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2024, at her residence. She was born on August 5, 1962, in Burlington, Vermont to the late Jesse and Thelma (Brown) Wilford. Nadine worked in sales for the Shell Auto Company. She is preceded in death by her parents. Nadine is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law: Vanessa (Justin) Bell and Christina (Todd)Toler; and two sons Tony and Jonathan Wilford all of Cookeville. Two brothers: Randy Wilford of White County, and Gary Wilford of Orlando, Fla. Also, a sister: Tammy Sacco of Miami, Fla. 11 Grandchildren with one currently on its way. And 2 Great Grandchildren. Nadine is also survived by her companion of twenty years: Ray Frances of Monterey. A memorial service will be scheduled for a future date and time.

A graveside service for Mary “Nell” Lyon, age 76, of Sparta, will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at Oak Lawn Memorial Cemetery. She passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Nell was born on March 18, 1948, in Russellville, Kentucky to the late Laddie Epley and Late Louise Crafton Epley. Nell was hard working and loved to go to antique shops and travel in her spare time. Her favorite was shopping for vintage baskets. The people who loved Nell would describe her as a little firecracker or a bolt of lightning. In addition to her parents Nell is preceded in death by her niece Sharron Epley, one brother and one sister. Surviving family include: Husband – Robert Lyon of 58 years; Brother – George (Patricia) Epley; Nephew – Kevin (April) Epley; And two great-nephews. In lieu of flowers donations can be made in her honor to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Funeral services for Diane Michelle (Slogar) Easterday, age 53 of Jamestown, will be held on Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 3:00 pm at the Jennings Funeral Homes Chapel in Jamestown. Burial will follow in the Fentress Memorial Gardens. She passed away on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 at the Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville. Diane is survived by her: Husband, Robert Easterday; Children, Danielle Easterday, Robert Easterday, Jr.; Father, William Slogar; Mother, Ann (Weybrecht) Slogar and husband Edward; Brother, Michael Slogar and wife Angel; Sisters, Deborah Slogar, Rebecca Slogar; A host of nieces, nephews, other family and friends. She is preceded in death by her: Grandparents, Richard and Patricia Weybrecht, William and Jean Slogar. The family will receive friends on Thursday, April 4, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at Jennings Funeral Homes Chapel in Jamestown.

A Funeral service for Ida Elizabeth Wheeler, 83 of Cookeville, will be at 1:00 PM on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Crest Lawn Funeral Home with the Bro. Randy Bybee officiating. Interment will be in Crest Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Cookeville. She passed on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Born Sunday, April 21, 1940 in Gainesboro, She was the daughter of the late Johnny Haney and the late Lizzie Chaffin Haney. She was the loving wife of 64 years to Colonel D Wheeler. Ida is also survived by son: Richard (Denna) Wheeler; Grandchildren: Shanna (Adrian) Tiemens, Holly Holliman, Jared (Kelsi) Wheeler; Great Grandchildren: Ellerie, Garett , Kirra, Levi, Kaylee and Bozeman. The family will receive friends from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM on Thursday, April 4, 2024, at Crest Lawn Funeral Home.

Memorial services for Carlen J. Wiggins Jr., 59 of Jackson County, will be on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 2 pm in the Chapel of Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home. The family has chosen cremation. He was born November 14, 1964. He passed away on March 25, 2024. He passed away at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro. He was the son of the late Ina and Carlen Wiggins Sr. of the Wartrace Community in Jackson County. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter, Brittany Nicole Wiggins, and brothers: Robert and George Spurlock. Survivors include long time companion of 20 years, Melinda Bishop, and their children: daughter, Victoria Wiggins, and son, Carlen J. Wiggins III. Stepdaughter: Miranda Rush of Cookeville; brother: Michael (Tracey) Wiggins of Lebanon, TN; sisters: Sandy K. Jones of Chicago, IL, and Shirley (Joe) Hawkins of Gainesboro; nephews: Wayne Gerald Jones, Jr. of Memphis, T.J. Wiggins, and Ransom Wiggins of Cookeville; granddaughters: Daneisha Highland of Gainesboro, and Ayla Wiggins. Many other friends and relatives survive. Visitation with the family will be on Friday, April 5, 2024 from 1 pm to 2 pm.

Celebration of Life for Bevie “Rose” Rozelle (Pinkston) Yeager, 86, of Cookeville, will be held Saturday, April 6, 2024, at 1:00 pm from the chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home. She passed from this life on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at Charter Senior Living of Cookeville. Rose was born Sunday, July 4, 1937, in Cookeville, she was the daughter of the late Luther Pinkston and the late Sena “Opal” (Clouse) Pinkston Smith. Rose was a loving daughter, sister, mother, Granny, aunt, and friend. She loved working in her garden with flowers and was very proud of the years she worked and was able to provide for her family. Her greatest blessings were her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved sharing fond memories of her grandfather’s farm and spending time there. Rose was loved by those who knew her and will be greatly missed. Rose is survived by, 5 Children, Marcia Huddleston and her husband, Mike, Clint Steward (Wanda Elrod), Sandy Lamberson and her husband, Larry, Monesa Evans and her husband, Randy, and Jeff Steward and his wife, Lisa; 12 Grandchildren, Jonathan Jones (Tracy), Tyler Jones (Jackie), Tracey Manor (Mike), Christina Root (Geoff), Jason Steward, Dustin Steward, Patrick Mathis, Krystal Usrey, Taylor Bowman (Tori), Blake Evans, Jennifer Ward, and Alex Steward; 16 Great-Grandchildren; Sister, Janie Starr; Special Companion, her dog, Angie; A host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and special friends. In addition to her parents, Rose was preceded in death by, 6 Siblings, Aline Ogletree, Peggy Ogle, Nell Ballard, Jonnie Pearl Weber, Rola Pinkston, and Aaron Pinkston. The family will receive friends from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 6, 2024, at Crest Lawn Funeral Home.

Memorial services for Julia Diane (Mayberry) Hall, age 67 of Byrdstown, will be held Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 2:00 PM from Bloomington Christian Church with Bro. Steve McClure officiating. The family has chosen cremation. She passed away Saturday, March 30, 2024 at Alive Hospice in Nashville. She was born March 8, 1957 in Nashville to Donald Seth Mayberry and Hessie Elizabeth (Doss) Mayberry. She was a member of Bloomington Christian Church and a school cafeteria employee. Diane is survived by (2) daughters: Melissa Moses, Sherra Bordelon; (5) grandchildren and (3) great-grandchildren; (2) sisters: Debra Trotter, Kathy Wilkerson; (1) brother: Charles Mayberry. Also survived by other family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents: Donald and Hessie Mayberry; husband: Martin Hall; (1) sister: Donna Parchman.

A Celebration of Life service for Deborah “Debi” Lynn (Howe) Christiansen, 70, of Baxter, will be held on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at 11:00 AM at Cookeville Church of Christ. Interment will be held at a later date. She passed away Sunday, March 3, 2024, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center-Knoxville, due to complications following liver cancer surgery. She was surrounded by family. Born May 16, 1953, in Wyandotte, Michigan, she was the daughter of the late Ramon “Ray” D. Howe and Shirley A. (Fite) Howe. The second oldest of five children; her parents and siblings adored her. Debi graduated from Hohenwald High School, Hohenwald, TN in 1971. She attended Freed Hardeman University and worked as a secretary at the University of Michigan for many years. She later received a Medical Billing degree. More recently, she was employed as a bookkeeper for Collegeside Church of Christ in Cookeville, prior to her retirement. She met the love of her life, her husband Gary C. Christiansen, and they married on February 27, 2015. Debi is best remembered for her dedicated love for her family. She was generous and compassionate, always thinking of others before herself. Debi and Gary were both devoted caregivers to her parents, who resided in their home from 2017-2022. She loved baking; her delicious homemade cheesecakes were a family favorite. Her favorite season was fall because of the fall colors. She loved nature: the beauty of a flower, a golden sunset, or just the chance of spotting deer near the side of the road. She especially loved her cat “Mae” who was her constant companion for 13 years. She was an entrepreneur, having owned and operated several retail businesses both before and after her retirement. Most recently, she used her artistry, painting, and crafting skills to create and sell home décor items for others to enjoy. She always managed a positive outlook, despite the many years of cancer treatments, ill-health, and major events. Because of that she was a great inspiration and encouragement to all her family and friends. Her husband Gary was a great help and support to her in all her sickness. Debi found joy in being a child of God. Her strength came from her faith, trust and obedience to her Lord and Savior. Preceded in death by: Father – Ramon “Ray” D. Howe; Paternal Grandparents – Aurbrie and Eula Howe; Maternal Grandparents – Charles and Lillian Fite. Surviving loved ones include: Husband – Gary C. Christiansen, of Baxter; Mother – Shirley Howe, of Gainesboro; Siblings: Jerri Gilmer, of Eustis, FL, Karen Neilson, of Cookeville, Larry Howe, of Saline, MI, Robin Crawford, of Baxter; Many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, church members, and neighbors. The family will receive friends before the service from 9:30 AM until the time of service at 11:00 AM, at the same location. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Debi’s memory may be made to the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation (NETRF) and can be mailed to NET Research Foundation, 31 St. James Avenue, Suite 365, Boston, MA 02116

A memorial service for Dr. Elijah Morgan Dudney of Gainesboro, age 94 of Gainesboro, will be held in the chapel of Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral at 11:00 am on Saturday, April 13. Mark Dudney will officiate the service. Dr. Dudney chose cremation and the family will hold a private interment later at the Dudney family cemetery. He passed away on March 30, 2024. He was a retired physician and a member of the Gainesboro Church of Christ. Dr. Dudney was born at home in the Free State community of Jackson County on November 12, 1929, the only child of Mark and Sally Dudney. He graduated from Jackson County Central High School as Valedictorian at age sixteen in 1946. He attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute from 1946-1949, then entered medical school at the University of Tennessee at Memphis. He obtained his M.D. in 1952 and entered the civilian internship program in the U.S. Air Force, interning at Nashville General Hospital. Dr. Dudney attended the School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and qualified as a flight surgeon. Assigned to Washington National Airport, his duties included taking care of VIP personnel entering and leaving the United States, including the Presidential flight crews. While on active duty in Washington, Dr. Dudney served as a White House Aide to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, acting as an escort for social and state functions at the White House. After completing active duty, he began a surgical residency at Baroness Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga, serving as chief surgical resident in his final year. In 1959, Dr. Dudney returned to Gainesboro and began his private practice of medicine and surgery, continuing his military service as a reservist and retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1973. He served as Jackson County’s Medical Examiner for many years. Dr. Dudney was preceded in death by his loving wife of 57 years, Janey Dudney; and his parents, Mark and Sally Dudney. Survivors include daughters Dr. Tina Dudney (husband Mike) and Jane Morgan Dudney Roberts (husband Jeff); and son Mark Dudney (wife Laurajane). Dr. Dudney had four grandchildren: Hannah Claire McCormack, Sarah Jane Dudney, John Morgan Dudney and Rachel Katharine Dudney. The family will receive visitors from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm on Friday, April 12, 2024. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the beautification fund at the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce or the Share to Care Foundation, which benefits Jackson County youth and teachers. Donations may be made by contacting the business office Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home.

Graveside service and interment of cremated remains for Georgie Ray Buck, 52 of Hilham, will be on Sunday, April 14, 2024 at 3 pm at Old Antioch Cemetery with Bro. Danny Hembree officiating. He was born February 4, 1972 in Jackson County, and he passed away on Saturday, March 30, 2024 in Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Ray was the son of Georgie Clay Buck and Sue Jean Spivey Buck. He was a carpenter and a resident of Hilham. On January 28, 2020 he married Lisa Lee Richardson for a total of 4 years of marriage. Ray was preceded in death by his parents, uncles and aunts. Survivors include his wife, Lisa Buck of Hilham; daughter, Amy (Phil) Hunt of Ashland City, TN; step daughters, Tiffany (Josh) Savage of Cookeville and McKenzie Savage of Hilham; grandchild, Aiden Hunt of Ashland City, TN; other relatives and friends also survive. Memorial donations may be made to assist with final expenses by contacting the funeral home.