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 are presented by Gunnels Florist. Gunnels Florist has been helping families and friends to say goodbye for more than 70 years. When you want to send a message of sympathy with beautiful flowers and arrangements, trust Gunnels Florist. Call (931) 526-7149 or stop by Gunnels Florist at 104 North Washington Avenue, Cookeville. The Gunnels Family will take care of your expression with compassion, accuracy and timeliness. Gunnels Florist.
Obituaries For Tuesday, May 18
Mrs. Phylliss Artha Brogdon, 81 of Cookeville, passed away Wednesday, May 19 at her home. Arrangements are incomplete.
JB Dyer, age 63 of Cookeville, passed away Tuesday morning May 18 at his home. Arrangements are incomplete.
Theodore Bruce “Big Daddy” Evans, age 72 of Sparta, passed away on Tuesday May 18 at NHC of Sparta. Arrangements are incomplete.
Mrs. Lynda Elise Wilson Null, age 69 of Sparta, passed away Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at her residence. Arrangements are incomplete.
Gerald Jerry Chastain, 83 of Sparta, passed away Monday, May 17 at St. Thomas River Park Hospital. Mr. Chastain was born in Hayesville, NC to the late William and Grace Chastain. No services are scheduled at this time.
German Igancio Meza, age 72 of Cookeville, died Thursday May 13, 2021 at his home. No services are planned at this time. He was born December 15, 1948 in Caracas, Venezuela to the late Jose Igancio Meza Versege and Virginia Ely De Meza. Prior to his recent move to Cookeville, German lived in Miami, FL. He married his wife, Odili Fatima Rodriguez, on February 1, 1991 in Miami. He was also a member of the San Lazaro Catholic Church in Miami. His hobbies included completing puzzles, listening to music, dancing and cooking. In addition to his wife, he is survived by son, German Meza Jr., of Cookeville; daughter, Katherine Meza, of Cookeville.
Funeral services for Perry M. LaFever, age 75 of Cookeville, will be held Thursday, May 20 beginning at 2:00 pm from the chapel of Crest Lawn Funeral Home, with Rev. Tim Miles and Rev Marvin Saylors Jr. officiating. Interment will follow in Cookeville City Cemetery. Mr. Lafever passed from this life Monday, May 17 with his family by his side. Born Tuesday, March 12, 1946 in Cookeville, he was the son of the late Charlie and Lula (Golden) LaFever. Perry was a loving Husband, Father, Grandfather and Great Grandfather. Perry is survived by his loving Wife of 52 years, Janie (Walker) Lafever of Cookeville; and son, David LaFever. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Thursday from 10:00 am until the time of service at 2:00 pm.
A Celebration of Life service for Marilyn Ann Smith, 80, formerly of the Dodson Branch Community in Cookeville, will be held Friday, May 21st at 11AM at the Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home. Interment will follow at the Dodson Branch Cemetery in Jackson County. Mrs. Smith passed away Thursday, May 13 after suffering from a severe stroke. She was raised with five siblings, one of whom her closest sister’s boyfriend at the time introduced her to her future husband, Doug Smith, both active in the U.S. Navy. Marilyn and Doug began to communicate primarily by written correspondence. On October 27, 1958, they united in marriage. Following Doug’s retirement with GM in 1989, Marilyn moved with her husband to Cookeville, Tennessee where a home was built and once again, country life became the norm. Marilyn loved to laugh and was a gentle, kind soul always on the edge with a good comeback. She is survived by her two dearly beloved children, Rhonda Schirle of Orlando, Florida and William Smith of Denver, Colorado. Visitation will be held at the Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home, 2131 South Grundy Quarles Hwy., Gainesboro on Thursday, May 20th from 6 to 8pm.
Funeral services for Mr. Tony B. Bennett, age 60 of Rickman, will be held on Friday, May 21 at 12 noon from the chapel of the Hall Funeral Home of Livingston with burial to follow in the Eckels Cemetery. Officiating with the service will be Bro. Jeff Monday. Mr. Bennett passed from this life on Monday, May 17 at the Saint Thomas West in Nashville. Mr. Tony B. Bennett was born in Cookeville on Saturday, February 18, 1961 to Clyde and Jewel (Hicks) Bennett. Tony loved his family and friends very much. He was a hard worker he drove a truck for a living transporting gas. He was loved so much and will be greatly missed. Survivors include his daughter, Lana Reagan. Family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening, May 20th starting at 5 PM until 9 PM.
Graveside services for Ms. Mildred Carrie Good, age 80 of Livingston, will be conducted Saturday, 10 AM Eastern Time, from Carpenter Cemetery in Mooresburg. Bro. Larry Cook will officiate. Ms. Good passed from this life on Tuesday afternoon, May 11 from her residence. She was born in Sneedville on May 14, 1940, to the late William Harrison and Oma Brewer Lamb. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren, studying Native American history, and enjoying her flowers. Mildred loved her friends, loved her life, and never met a stranger. Ms. Good leaves behind her sons Anthony Good of Glasgow, KY and Willie Douglas Peruzzi of Gainesboro; daughter Melissa Linder and husband Kenneth of Livingston. The family will welcome friends at the graveside.
Graveside services for Marissa Rae Flatt, 43, of Birmingham, AL, will be held on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at 12 Noon at the Isaac Flatt Cemetery in Jackson County. She passed away on Thursday, April 29, 2021. She was born December 28, 1977, in Nashville, TN, to Larry Flatt and RaeJean Flatt. There will be no visitation or services at the funeral home.
A funeral mass for Pat Swearengin, 65 of Sparta, will be held Wednesday, May 26, at 10:00 am, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church (421 N. Washington Ave., Cookeville, TN) followed by a Christian burial at Dodson Branch Cemetery. Mr. Swearengin passed away peacefully, with his family by his side, at UT Medical Center, on May 12 after a brief battle with cancer. Pat was born and raised in Jackson County where he graduated from Jackson County High School. He graduated from Tennessee Tech with a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture. He put his degree to work teaching Agriculture at Cookeville High School for several years. He changed careers and worked as a quality control supervisor in the manufacturing industry before he transitioned into his most rewarding and meaningful role – stay-at-home dad. His blood ran orange for the University of Tennessee where he attended and watched numerous sporting events. He especially loved cheering on the Lady Vols basketball and softball teams. His proudest moment was the day that his daughter, Mary Catherine, graduated from UT. He was looking forward to someday retiring to Knoxville where he could be close to his daughter and son-in-law and his beloved UT. He is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Sandy Swearengin; and his daughter, Mary Catherine Wright and husband, Corey, of Knoxville. In lieu of flowers, our family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society (cancer.org), the Pat Summitt Foundation (patsummitt.org), or the Tennessee Fund (checks payable and mailed to the Tennessee Fund, 1551 Lake Loudoun Blvd., Knoxville, TN 37996; memo line: UT Softball team in honor of Pat Swearengin). Visitation will be held at Crest Lawn Funeral Home Tuesday, May 25, from 4:00-7:30 pm followed by a vigil at 7:30.
