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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 Wednesday, September 11
Mrs. Edith Marie Jackson, age 91, of Cookeville, passed away Tuesday evening at her home. Arrangements are incomplete.
Funeral services for Mrs. Susan Ann Sparkman, age 62 of Sparta, will be conducted at 10am on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at Gum Springs Baptist Church with Brother Bo Hendrix officiating. Burial will follow in Hurd Cemetery. She passed from this life on Sunday, September 8, 2019. Born in Sparta on Monday, September 10, 1956, she was the daughter of the late John Ross Anderson and Helen Juanita (Grissom) Anderson. Susan taught school at Doyle Elemetary for nine years. She came home to raise her family and work on the family dairy farm. She started her own business, Sparkman Poultry Farm. She also started a successsful bakery business, Nana’s Sweet Treats. Susan was an active member of Gum Springs Baptist Church. Surviving family members include the following: husband – Johnny Sparkman of Sparta; sons – Jacob Sparkman (Pam) of Sparta, Josh Sparkman (Katherine) of McMinnville, Derrick Sparkman (Kim) of Knoxville, Nicholas Sparkman (Ashley) of Sparta, Tyler Sparkman (Kristin) of Sparta; daughter – Logan Sparkman of Nashville; mother – Juanita Anderson of Sparta; grandchildren – Megan Sparkman, Lytle Sparkman, Grace Sparkman, Keaton Sparkman, Andrew Sparkman, Eli Sparkman, Harrison Sparkman, Blakelyn Cope, Brantley Sparkman, Weston Sparkman, Kasen Sparkman, Noah Sparkman, Norah Sparkman and Kenslee Sparkman; sisters – Denise Austin of Atlanta; Peggy Hutchings of Sparta; Mary Beth Godwin of Dickson; brother – Billy Anderson of Sparta. Susan was preceded in death by her father, John Ross Anderson and a brother, John Stephen Anderson. The family will receive friends Wednesday, Septmber 11, 2019 at Gum Springs Baptist Church from 4pm until 9pm and again Thursday prior to the service from 8am-10am. In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the American Cancer Society in Susan’s memory.
Funeral services for Dorothy Simmons, age 88, of Sparta, will be held at 11am on Thursday, September 12, 2019 at Oak Lawn Funeral Home with Rev. Danny Lane officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Lawn Memorial Cemetery. She passed away September 8, 2019 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. She was born November 13, 1930 to the late Clarence and Lillian Clark Finchum. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 32 years, Don Simmons, and a son, Gary Dale Johnson. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. Survivors include: Daughter- Debbie Johnson (William Stevens) of Sparta; Son- Terry (Belinda) Johnson of Sparta; Grandchildren- Jennifer Johnson Climer of Mississippi; Michael Johnson of Indiana; Steven Johnson of Indiana; Several Step-Children and Step-grandchildren also survive. Special Caregiver- Jeri Ann Hitchcock; Several nieces, nephews, and a host of friends and Church family also survive. She was a long time member of the Yankeetown Freewill Baptist Church. The family will welcome friends on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 from 5-8pm at the funeral home.
Graveside services for Mr. Larry Dean Leftwich, age 67 of McMinnville, a native of Sparta, will be conducted 10:00am Saturday, September 14, 2019 at Lee Cemetery. He passed away September 8, 2019 at his residence. Larry was born March 15, 1952 in Sparta, Tennessee to the late James Bailey and Mary Elizabeth Burden Leftwich. He was a painter and also worked in road construction. In his younger days, before his health declined, he loved to play basketball and baseball. There will be no visitation before the service. Robert Burton will officiate.
Funeral Services for Michael Lee Thurman, age 58, of Livingston will be conducted 11 a.m., Saturday, September 14, 2019 from the First Christian Church in Livingston. Rev. James Shenko will officiate. Burial will be in the Overton County Memorial Gardens. Michael passed from this life on Saturday evening, September 7, 2019 from the comfort of his home surrounded by his loving family, after a short battle with cancer. Mike was born on September 8, 1960, in Tipton, Indiana, to Sammy Ezell and Bobbie Jean Thurman. He was a passionate musician, and never turned down the chance to “pick” his guitar and sing a song for everyone. Mike graduated from Livingston Academy in 1978, and worked as a lab technician at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He married Amy Patricia Dewberry Thurman on April 18, 1987 and was happily married for 32 years. He and Amy loved to travel and spend time on the lake. The light of his life was his only daughter, Morgan. Mike always put others before himself, and spent his life serving his family and friends. Mike’s loved ones who remain are his wife, Amy of Livingston and loving daughter, Morgan Thurman Hale and husband Andrew of Knoxville; his parents, Sammy Ezell and Bobbie Jean Thurman of Allons; brothers, Keith “Simon” Thurman and wife Sherry of Cookeville, and Sammy Kent “Kenny” Thurman of Nashville. Mike was preceded in death by his grandparents, Pearlie and Sam Thurman, and Joe and Hauti Ledbetter, and sweet dog Lucy. The family will welcome friends on Friday evening from 5 until 8 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Livingston.
Graveside services and interment for Albert Joey Brown, age 63, of Cookeville will be held Sunday, September 15th, 2019 at 1:00 pm at Morgan Pippin Cemetery with Johnny Fox officiating. Joey passed away Tuesday, September 10, 2019. He was born March 9, 1956 in Jackson County, to the late Ann Brown, who passed away in June 2018. Before Joey reached school age, they moved to a rural area in Putnam County. Joey was born to simple, hard working people. Ann would work all day in the fields and then tend the house and her son. Joey attended public schools in Putnam County, and it is thought he completed the tenth grade before dropping out. He and his Mother never owned a vehicle, walking everywhere when they couldn’t take a bus. Both Joey and his Mother were kind people who never spoke ill of others. They were good citizens, obeying the laws of the land. In the early nineteen seventies, Joey and Ann began riding a church bus to Sycamore Church of Christ. They became members of Sycamore family and were faithful in attendance until poor health prohibited them from attendance. Joey was gifted in mathematics. He could solve very difficult numerical problems in his head without paper or pen. He would amaze those who challenged him with his abilities. This skill wasn’t recognized until someone would tell another, as Joey wasn’t a braggart. He began having health issues at the end of his 63 years. His health kept him from being as active as he once had been. The things most of us remember about Joey was his smile, his amazing talent, and his love and devotion to his Mother. All who knew him spoke well of him. He did no harm to others. Visitation will be Sunday at 12:30 pm at Morgan Pippin Cemetery.
