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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 Thursday, May 23
A Celebration of life for Mrs. Mary Jane “Janie” (Sasha) Mabe age 73 of Cookeville, will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2019 at 6 PM at the Unity Church of the Cumberlands located on 10th street in Cookeville. Janie had chosen cremation and the family has followed her wishes. Janie passed away from this life at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center on Saturday morning, May 11, 2019. Janie was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 25, 1945 to the late Stanley and Marie (Syroid) Stafford. Janie was well known for her crafts, sewing, cake decorations, making her own cards, writing books and poems using the name Sasha Mabe. She wrote a book of Poetry called the Dark Side of Mother Wonderful. She was an accomplished heavy metal drummer and also played the bells. Janie also belonged to an assortment of clubs in Cookeville, including the Cookeville Writers Association, The Embroiders Guild, The Cookeville Art Gallery and Studio, F.C.E., The Cookeville Chapter of the National Button Collectors Society, and the National Sewing Guild. A Member of the Unity Church of the Cumberlands. Survivors: Husband: of 56 years Homer Mabe; 1 Daughter: Kathy Mabe; 1 Son: Keith Mabe and his wife Carmen; 1 Granddaughter: Summer Hagner; Brother and Sisters In-Law: Alvin JR and Betty Mabe, Gene and Carolyn Mabe, Donald and Wilma Mabe, Gary and Brenda Mabe. Preceded in death: In addition to her parents; 1 Brother: Fred Stafford; Father and Mother In-Law: Alvin and Mary Ethel Mabe; 3 Brothers In-Law: John Mabe, Jerry Mabe, Billy Mabe; Brother and Sisters In-Law: Reed and Joyce (Mabe) Kirkland, Arlow and Anna Ruth (Mabe) Gentry.
Funeral service for Clarence Troy Whittaker, age 77, of Cookeville will be at 11 a.m. Friday May 24 at Horner Funeral Home in Monterey. Pastor Terry Geren will officiate. Interment will follow at Sand Springs Cemetery. Mr. Whittaker passed away Saturday May 18, 2019 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The family will receive friends Thursday from 5 – 8 p.m and again Friday from 10 a.m. until service time.
Funeral services for Dean Hagood, age 74, of Cookeville will be held Friday, May 24th, 2019 at 12:00 pm in the chapel of Presley Funeral Home with Johnny Fox officiating. Interment will follow in Double Springs Cemetery with Military Honors. Dean passed away Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at NHC HealthCare in Cookeville. He was born Sunday, September 3, 1944 in Paragould, Arkansas to the late William Thomas Hagood and Verdie Sheffield Hagood. Dean was a long-time member at the Holladay Church of Christ where he served as an Elder for several years. He was active in missions in Nigeria West Africa. Dean and Bronda served as house parents with Happy Haven Home in Cookeville. He retired from Cookeville Pathology where he worked as a courier for almost 20 years. Dean served in the US Army in Korea. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by six siblings. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Bronda Casteel Hagood; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kellie (Doug) Buchanan and Mikki (David) Jacobs, all of Knoxville, Tennessee; four grandchildren, Luke Buchanan and fiance Katelynn Rogers, Ben Buchanan and fiance Katherine Whitehead, Abbey Jacobs, and Nick Jacobs; several nieces, nephews, loved ones and friends. The family will receive friends on Friday, May 24, 2019, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at Presley Funeral Home. Donations in lieu of flowers to: Happy Haven Home for Children, 2311 Wakefield Dr., Cookeville, or Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, 322 Eight Avenue , 7th Floor, New York, NY.
Funeral services for Mr. Walter Earl Flynn, 77, of Gainesboro, will be held at 1 P.M. on Friday, May 24, 2019, at Anderson – Upper Cumberland Funeral Home in Gainesboro. Burial will follow in Lynn Cemetery in the Burristown community of Jackson County. He passed away on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at his residence. He was born December 10, 1941, in Jackson County, to the late Walter Fowler Flynn and Sally Ruby Flynn. On August 13, 1960, he was married to Martha Scantland Flynn, who survives. He was the former owner of Country Cabin Market, and a member of the Free State Church of Christ. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by 2 Brothers: Charlie Fowler Flynn and Major Joe Flynn; and 3 Sisters: Wilma Jean Barlow, Nell Bull, and Olene Spivey. Survivors include his Wife: Martha Scantland Flynn of Gainesboro; 1 Son: Gary (Jacquie) Flynn of Gainesboro; 1 Daughter: Jeannie Lee of Cookeville; and 4 Grandchildren: Jarrett Lee, McKenzie Flynn, Madison Lee, and Alexxis Flynn. Several nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends also survive. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 4 P.M. – 8 P.M., and again on Friday from 10 A.M. until time of services.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Jessie Ruth Tudor Speck, age 95, of Livingston will be conducted Friday, May 24, 2019, at 2 P.M. from the chapel of Speck Funeral Home. Rev. Michael Graff will officiate. Burial will be in the Bethlehem Cemetery. Mrs. Jessie Ruth Speck passed from this life on Monday evening, May 20, 2019, from the Livingston Regional Hospital. She was born in Overton County on January 4, 1914, to the late William ‘Bill” and Bitha Todd Tudor. She loved her family and friends, going to church, and listening to Gospel music. She also spent time walking, being around people, and talking about old times with her siblings. Jessie leaves behind her brother Roy H. Tudor of Monterey; sister Clara Dean Wormister; daughter in law Barbara Hughes Speck of Germantown, OH; two grandchildren; seven great grandchildren; a host of nieces and nephews; special sister in law Sandy Tudor; and special friend Vickie Lee. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Jessie Ruth Speck was preceded in death by her husband John D. Speck; son Jimmie Speck; sisters Dora Smith, Alene Mester, Christine Tudor, Effer Lee Poston, and Ann Cloither; and brother Lonnie Tudor. The family will welcome friends on Friday from 11 AM until time of service at 2 PM at Speck Funeral Home.
Funeral Services for Kenneth Lee Lawson, 75 of Sparta, will be held at 3pm on Friday, May 24, 2019 at Oak Lawn Funeral Home with Gerald Fisher officiating and Military Honors provided by the Veteran’s Honor Guard. Burial will follow in Oak Lawn Memorial Cemetery. Kenneth passed away on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. Born Saturday, September 11, 1943 in Sparta, he was the son of the late Virgil Lawson and the late Dorothy Johnson. Kenneth loved spending time with his family, traveling, and fishing. He spent alot of time at Center Hill Lake. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include: Wife: Terri Lawson of Sparta; Sons: Mack Lawson (Dee) of Sparta, Keenan Lawson (Lisa) of Marietta, GA, and David Bos (Kortni) of Cookeville; Daughters: Monica Powers (Clint) of Cookeville and Jessica Bos of Sparta; Grandchildren: Emma, Maggie, Lanne, Bradyn, Jadyn, Elizabeth, Thomas, Jace, Rebel, and Rhonan; Sisters: Margaret Palmer (Jack) of Soddy Daisy, June Gardner (Stewart) of Blacksburg, VA, and Rita Smith (Roger) of Griffithville, WV; Brother: Steve Lawson (Kathy) of San Antonio, TX. The family will receive friends on Friday from 2pm until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Celebration of Life for Daniel “Danny” Carnahan, age 62 of Cookeville, will be held Friday, May 24, 2019 at 6:00 pm from the chapel of Crest Funeral Home with his Brother Brad Carnahan officiating. Danny was born March 28, 1957 in Huntington, West Virginia to the late Bradford “Brad” Carnahan and Patsy (Jones) Carnahan. Danny loved his family, friends and never met a stranger. He was an avid Miami Hurricanes fan. He loved Jesus with all of his being. Danny will be terribly missed. Danny is survived by his wife of 40 years Sherry, children Shannon and Shaun, mother Patsy, brother and his spouse Bradford and Loretta Carnahan, sisters and their spouses Vicki (Carnahan) and Jim Tracy, and Kathleen (Carnahan) and Jeff Fetzer. Visitation with the family will be held Friday, May 24, 2019 at Crest Lawn Funeral Home from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm.
Funeral services for Remonia Mellema, age 62, of Cookeville will be held Friday, May 24, 2019 at 7:00 pm in the chapel of Presley Funeral Home with John Nichols officiating. Following the services, Remonia requested to be cremated. Remonia passed away Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center in Cookeville. She was born Sunday, September 16, 1956 in Crossville to the late James Austin Moore and Mary Frances Phy Moore. Remonia loved her family and spending time with them more than anything. She was a Pre-School Teacher at London Bridge. She considered and treated the kids at London Bridge as her own children. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Shawn Austin Long. She is survived by her husband, Robert Mellema; two children, Justin Long and his wife, Elizabeth of Baxter, and Rachel Mellema and her fiance, Jason Lechnowsky of Cookeville; six grandchildren, Halleigh Long, Alyssa Hamm, Aiden Bartholemew, Jayden Long, Bryson Long, and Sophia Long; brother, Ronnie Moore of Knoxville. The family will receive friends on Friday, May 24, 2019, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM at Presley Funeral Home.
Graveside services and interment for Willie Belle Butts, 88 of Cookeville, will be Saturday, May 25 at 10 AM at Crest Lawn Cemetery. Bro. Clarence Deloach will officiate. Miss Butts died Thursday morning, May 23, 2019 at NHC Healthcare of Cookeville. She was born April 10, 1931 in DeKalb County to the late Alvin and Avo Lafever Butts. She was employed at Newman’s wholesale for 45 years. She served as general manager and secretary. She loved animals and at one time had one horse, two dogs and seventy-six goats. Belle treated them as her children. She was an avid collector of antiques. Many of these she incorporated in the house she built in the Shipley Community. She was a life long member of the Church of Christ and attended the Willow Avenue congregation. In her years of retirement and good health she was active in the Meals on Wheels program of that church. Survivors include sister and brother-in-law Peggy and Walter Fitzpatrick of Cookeville, nephews: Pat and wife Susan Fitzpatrick, Dennis and wife Melinda Fitzpatrick, several great nephews and nieces. There will be no visitation at the funeral home, family and friends will gather at the cemetery for the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Willow Avenue Church of Christ meals program at 1150 South Willow Avenue, Cookeville, TN.
A Graveside Service for Thomas Earl Dunham, 62 of Doyle, will be held at 1pm on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at Oak Lawn Memorial Cemetery with Tracy Curtis officiating. Thomas passed away on Monday, May 13, 2019, at his home. He was born Tuesday, September 11, 1956 in Detroit , Michigan. Survivors include: Wife: Elaine Dunham of Doyle; Son: Elwin Thompson of Cookeville; Brothers: Roger Dunham and Terry Dunham of Sparta; Mother: Laheeta Roberts of Sparta. The family will welcome friends from 11am until the time of the service at the funeral home.
Funeral services for Robert “Buddy” Lemmert Maxwell, age 78, of Cookeville, will be held Saturday May 25 at 1:00 pm in the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home. Dr. Tim Frank will officiate. Interment will follow in Crest Lawn Cemetery. Mr. Maxwell passed away Wednesday May 22, 2019 at Bethesda Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. The family will receive friends Saturday from 11 a.m until service time.
Memorial service for Dr. William Gene “Doc” McConnell, age 95 of Sparta, will be at First United Methodist Church in Sparta on Friday, May 31, 2019 at 10:00a.m. Dr. McConnell passed away on March 12, 2019 in Crossville. Dr. McConnell was born to Charles Martin and Aida Whitely McConnell of Council Grove, Kansas on October 17, 1923. He was their first of two sons. He was a fighter pilot instructor in the Navy in WWII. He practiced and was the owner of White County Veterinary Clinic for over 30 years. He loved to spend time with friends and family over good food, telling tales of his youth, Navy days, and memorable veterinary calls. He spent countless hours playing bridge and other card games. Most of all he loved watching any sporting event, in person or televised, with those friends. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother Charles E McConnell, and his first wife Marilyn Woods McConnell of 38 years and his second wife Ruth Nixon McConnell of 22 years. He is survived by his daughter Leeanne Hargrove, his grandson William Hargrove, and his step-daughter Connie Stone. The family asks that donations be made to your local Humane Society, SPCA, or animal shelter or the charity of your choice instead of sending flowers.
