News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
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 Thursday, September 24
Judith Allyn Donaldson-Gutierrez,75, of Sparta, passed away Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at her home. A Memorial Service will be held on a later date at St. Andrew Catholic Church.
David Larry Goodson, 75 of Baxter, died Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at his home. His wishes of cremation are being honored and no services are planned.
Mrs. Earlene Williams, age 91 of Cookeville, died Tuesday evening, September 22nd, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Arrangements are incomplete.
Funeral services for Mr. Thurman Julian, 78 of Baxter, will be held Friday, September 25th at 10:00 a.m. at the Baxter chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Smellage Memory Gardens. His family will receive friends Thursday evening, September 24th from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. and again Friday morning from 8:00 a.m. until service time at the Baxter chapel. Mr. Julian died Sunday, September 20th at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.
Funeral services will be held for Mrs. Annalene Jackson Rittenberrry Allen, age 81 of Cookeville, will be held Friday, September 25, 2020 at 1 PM from the chapel of the Hall Funeral Home of Livingston with burial to follow in the Smith Chapel Cemetery in Putnam Co., TN. Mrs. Allen passed away on Monday, September 21, 2020 from the Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Ann was a loving mother to her 3 children; she had a heart of gold and helped many throughout her life. She loved her grandchildren very much and she always gave hugs and said I love you. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends very much. She was a member of the Fairview Church of Christ. The family will welcome friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening, Sept. 24th starting at 5 PM until 9 PM. Officiating the service will be Bro. Teston Gilpatrick.
Graveside Services for Michael Lee Copeland, 51 of Cookeville, will be held Friday, September 25, 2020, at 1:00 pm from the Warren Cemetery located on Malone Lane off Hilham Highway, Putnam County, with Bro. Jeff Davenport officiating. Interment to follow. Mr. Copeland passed away Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Michael was born Saturday, March 22, 1969, in Cookeville, Tennessee to the late Girstle Lee and Jessie Louise (Phillips) Copeland. Michael loved to garden and watch tv. He had a special saying “Live, Life, and Love”. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, the family has requested social distance and masks are to be worn during the graveside service.
Graveside Services for Vada Nell Vinson, age 87, of Putnam County, will be held on Friday September 25th at 1pm at Currys Chapel Cemetery. Brother Danny Lane will officiate at the service. Burial will follow at Currys Chapel Cemetery. Vada Nell Vinson was born on May 18 1933 in Putnam County to the late George and Lela Vickers Mills. She passed away on 24 September 2020 at her home in Baxter. Ms. Vinson was a Housekeeper at Tennessee Tech University and a member of Antioch Baptist Church. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday September 24th from 6-8pm.
Funeral services for Judy J. Haney Long, 78, of the Shiloh community of Jackson County, TN, will be held at 2 P.M. on Friday, September 25, 2020, at Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home in Gainesboro, TN. Burial will follow in the John Young Cemetery in Jackson County. She passed away on Tuesday, September 22, 2020, at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. She was born April 20, 1942, in Jackson County, TN, to the late Frank C. Haney and Frances Meadows Haney. She worked for 25 years at Heavy Duty Manufacturing in Gainesboro, and was a member of the Shiloh Church of Christ. Survivors include 2 Sons: Ray Long and companion, Denise Dyer of Red Boiling Springs, TN, and Steve Long and wife, Ruthie of Columbia, KY. The family will receive friends on Thursday from 4 P.M. – 8 P.M., and Friday from 10 A.M. until time of services.
Funeral services for Patsy Jean Wilson, 81 of Algood, will be held Friday, September 25, 2020 beginning at 3:00 pm from the chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home with Pastor Sam Scavo officiating. Interment will follow in Algood City Cemetery. She was a retired housekeeper from Cookeville General Hospital. She was also an avid animal lover and was a charter member of the Aunt Polly Order of Confederate Rose. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday, September 24, from 5:00 pm until 9:00 pm and again Friday from 1:00 pm until time of service. Due to COVID 19, the family request that masks be worn for each individual’s protection.
Funeral services for James (Jim) Hollis Copeland, age 82 of Cookeville, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday September 26 at Stevens Street Baptist Church. Pastors Scott Parkison, Lee Bailey, and Tim Frank will officiate. Interment will follow at Sand Springs Memorial Gardens. Jim passed away Wednesday morning September 23, 2020 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Jim had a life-long passion for serving Christ through his gift of music. He led singing in revivals throughout the Upper Cumberland and supported many families during times of loss by singing at funerals. Jim began working as a teenager at the Princess Theater in Cookeville. He spent over 40 years at Cumberland Container Corporation where he retired as Vice-President and General Manager. He was also a former Putnam County Commissioner. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Margie Smith Copeland, (whom he married July 27, 1975 in Cookeville); two daughters, Annette (Ed) Swallows of Maryville, and Audrey (Tracy) Cody of Cookeville. His family will receive friends Saturday from 10 a.m. until service time at the church. Due to COVID-19 precautions, social distancing measures will be in place and the use of masks are appreciated.
Funeral services for Johnny Floyd Thornburg, age 84 of Rickman, will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 11 AM in the chapel of the Hall Funeral Home of Livingston with burial to follow in the Forrest Hill South Memorial Gardens in Memphis. Mr. Thornburg passed away at his residence on Wednesday, September 23, 2020. He is survived by his wife, Sarah G. Thornburg; Daughter, Karen T. Frederick; and Son, Wayne Thornburg. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday, September 26, 2020 from 10 AM until service time. Officiating will be Bro. Danny Staggs and Bobby Gore.
Funeral Services for Mr. Leavy Thomas Ward, age 80 of Sparta, will be at 11:00 Saturday, September 26, 2020 in the Chapel of Hunter Funeral Home with burial in the Highland Cemetery. Mr. Leavy passed away Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at the St. Thomas Highlands Hospital in Sparta. He was born April 30, 1940 in Tabor City, North Carolina to the late Leavy Johnson Ward and Earline Spivey Ward. He was an avid fisherman and worked several years at Precision Molding in Sparta. He also worked in construction as a roofer. He is survived by his Wife, Jean Maynard of Sparta, and Son, Jason Ward of Sparta. The family will receive friends from 5 pm until 8pm on Friday evening.
Visitation for Durelle Henry, age 85 of Old Hickory, formerly of Sparta, will be held Saturday, September 26, 2020 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at Hunter Funeral Home, 120 East Bockman Way, Sparta. A private graveside service will follow. He passed away peacefully Sunday, September 20, 2020. He was born October 8, 1934 in Celina, to the late Hilrey Clyde and Zana Mae Meadows Henry. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203 or to a charity of your choice
A memorial service for Mr. Sammy Lee Webb, 72 of Cookeville, will be held on Saturday, September 26th at 2pm at Smyrna Church of Christ. Mr. Webb passed away Monday, September 21st from complications of COVID-19. Mr. Webb began teaching Social Studies at Cookeville High School in 1977 and retired in 2013. He began preaching at the age of 15 and preached at several churches of Christ in the area. He was the associate Minister at Smyrna Church of Christ for 33 years where he attended with his wife, Faith Maelene Young, whom he married on June 24th, 1977. He served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1973. His family includes his wife of 43 years, Faith Maelene Webb, sons Michael (Julie) Webb and Casey (Lexie) Webb, and three grand-children. A walk-through visitation will be held from 12-2pm at Smyrna Church of Christ on September 26th. The family respectfully asks that all attendees wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Celebration of Life Services for Mrs. Dayna J. Puetz Butler, age 60, of Rickman will be conducted 2 p.m., Saturday, September 26, 2020 from the Life Church in Livingston, TN. Pastor Zach Buckner will officiate. Mrs. Dayna passed from this life on Thursday morning, September 17, 2020 from the comfort of her home, with her loving husband at her side. She was born in Illinois on July 20, 1960 to the late Norbert & Mitzi Felhofer Puetz. Dayna leaves behind her husband, George Butler of Livingston, TN; sons, Daniel Benedetto of DeMoines, IA, and Jacob Butler of Zion, IL; daughters, Laura Benedetto of Chicago, IL, Corrine Brady & husband Max of Harriman, TN, Natalie Alexander & husband Christopher of Stewartstown, PA, and Chelsea Butler of Friendswood, TX. The family will welcome friends at the time of services.
Memorial services for Tommie Harness Thackston, 81 of Cookeville, will be Saturday, September 26 at 7 PM at the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper Huddleston Horner Funeral Home. Rev. Kevin Conrad of the First United Methodist of Cookeville will officiate. Mrs. Thackston, passed very peacefully, Saturday, September 19, 2020 at her home surrounded by her family. Tommie got her BS from UT in Knoxville and Master’s Degree from ETSU. She taught in Johnson City, Knoxville, St. Louis, MO, Montgomery, Ala., Baxter, TN and Cookeville Nashville Tech before retiring. She was loved by her students. She taught math and chemistry for 36 years. Many of those years were at Upperman High School in Baxter. Tommie loved her family, in addition to husband, Charlie, her oldest son, Jeffrey Snoden Thackston, his wife Donna, and their 3 sons. The family will receive friends from 5 PM until service time. Due to COVID-19, social distancing will be observed.
Funeral services for Bob Morris, age 93, a resident of Sparta, will be held at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, September 27, 2020 in the Chapel of Hunter Funeral Home. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery with military honors by the United States Army Honor Guard. Mr. Morris passed away Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at Erlanger Baroness Hospital. Bob was a proud World War II veteran and served in the United States Army for 21 years. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 66 years and 9 months, Helen Morris; and two Sons, Roger (Peggy) Morris of Sparta, Clyde (Terresa) Morris of Sparta. The family will receive friends from 5pm until 8pm on Saturday evening at Hunter Funeral Home. Brother Isiah Smith and Brother John Herron will officiate the service.
Graveside services for Peggy Lee Carter Roark, age 81 of Gainesboro, will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 1 PM at John L. Clark Memorial Cemetery. Rev. Steven VanHooser will officiate the service. Roark was born March 3, 1939 in Jackson County, TN and she passed away on Sunday, September 20, 2020 at NHC Healthcare in Smithville at the age of 81. Peggy was the daughter of Clarance Haggard Carter and Effie Lee Kirby Carter. Peggy was a member of the Church of Christ and was a retired legal secretary. A lifelong resident of Jackson County she was a devoted mother, grandmother and avid reader. On October 3, 1958 she married Ray Jackson Roark. Visitation will be Saturday, October 3, 2020 from 10 am to 12:45 pm at Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
