Josh Peterson

Funeral services for Mrs. Janet Vera Keith, age 80 of Manchester, will be conducted at 11:00AM on Friday, January 21, 2022, at Coffee County Funeral Chapel.  Burial will follow in Rose Hill Memorial Gardens.  The family will receive friends from 10:00AM until the time of services at the funeral home.  Mrs. Keith peacefully returned home to her Lord on Friday, January 14, 2022, at her residence in Manchester, TN. 

Janet was born in Ipswich, United Kingdom on July 30, 1941, the daughter of the late Albert “Sonny” and Vera Gladding.  Janet met the love of her life, Clay, and they were married in 1960.  While married, Janet followed Clay around the world as they travelled for his military career.  Janet enjoyed bowling, watching the Atlanta Braves, and her teatime.  She had a soft spot for children, animals, and anyone that was in need.  Janet was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. 

In addition to her parents, Janet is also preceded in death by her beloved husband of 45 years, Clay Keith; brother, Graham Gladding.  She is survived by her three sons, Dean Keith, Steven Keith, and Glen Keith (Michelle Jungers); daughter-in-law, Jackie Combs; grandchildren, Eric Keith (Abby), Renee Keith (Aaron Hawkins), Amelie Doridant, David Keith, and Hazel Keith; great-grandchildren, Thomas Keith and Annabelle Keith. 

Coffee County Funeral Chapel is honored to serve the Keith family.  

You may sign the online guestbook at www.coffeecountyfuneralchapel.com. 

Linton, Susan Frances , of Tullahoma, passed this life on Saturday, January 15 th , 2022 at Life Care Center at the age of 76. A graveside service will be held on Thursday, January 20 th , 2022 at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Barbara Joyce Tucker was born into eternal life on Sunday, January 16, 2022. Joyce, Momma, Grammy left her family and friends in the early hours of that morning as a snow storm filled the air with millions of beautiful white flakes. She had just enjoyed her last Christmas with her daughter, Paige Matthews of Smyrna, TN, and grandchildren: Erin Matthews of Atlanta, GA; Micah Matthews of Birmingham, AL and Brendan Matthews of Smyrna, TN. A few days later she became ill and after a brief hospital stay, was admitted to Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro, where she was well cared for by the nurses and staff as she began her journey home to God. Her family including her beloved sister, Jeanette, was by her side. The Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia, whom her daughter has worked with for almost 25 years, visited her during this time to offer prayers and comfort for her and her family. The Chaplains for Alive Hospice also provided spiritual nourishment and comfort to Joyce, Paige, her grandchildren and Jeanette. Born in the small town of Winchester, Tennessee, surrounded by a large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, Joyce and her two sisters: Jeanette Perry Carver and the late, Ira Sue Perry Robinson, came from humble beginnings. Her father, the late Raymond Perry, worked as a nurseryman, and her mother, the late Elsie Elizabeth Syler Perry, was taken by death at the young age of 36. Joyce never got over the loss of her mother and many times recounted this tremendous heart-breaking loss. Several years after her mother’s death, her father remarried and he and her stepmother, Dorothy, had three children: Jeff Perry, Kay Perry Cowger and Connie Perry Boston. As older siblings, Joyce, Jeanette and Sue, loved and adored their younger siblings. As a teen, Joyce moved with her family to Manchester, Tennessee, where she met her handsome and kind husband, Oscar Samuel “Buddy” Tucker, Jr. who was a neighbor and school mate. They worked at the Arnold Drive-In in Tullahoma during high school. After graduating from high school, they married in 1958 and they were married for 57 years until Buddy’s death in December 2015. Joyce was very talented with her hands. She began sewing baseballs and softballs with her mother and sisters at a very young age. This grew into her talent as a seamstress. One of her first jobs was working for Genesco sewing shoes but her talent as a seamstress shined in the clothing she made for herself and her family. Many nights and weekends were spent making her daughter, Paige’s cheerleading uniforms. When Paige broke her arm learning to ride her bike at 4 years old, Joyce made a whole set of tops with buttons on each shoulder that could easily be worn with the large cast. She also used those talented and hard-working hands to make delicious meals for her family including their favorites of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, sweet tea and banana pudding. Joyce had a green thumb and used her hard-working hands to make her home and yard beautiful. She and Buddy won Yard of the Month awards on several occasions from “Keeping Coffee County Beautiful”. If you visited their home, Joyce always enjoyed giving you a “yard tour” where she would point out all of the different types of flowers, plants and trees. This love of the outdoors began in her youth when her father was working on the nurseries. Joyce was a very talented and hard worker. After leaving the Genesco Shoe Factory, she began as a technician for Life Companies where she spent the remainder of her career. She again used her talented hands to build the intricate circuit boards and inner workings of medical equipment including pacemakers and heart monitors. She made wonderful work friends during her years with Life Companies, including her special buddy, Randall Brazelton. She and her husband, Buddy, loved the beach and typically visited beaches in Florida every summer and sometimes in the winter. When they retired, they began spending the winter months in Siesta Key, Florida, where they very much enjoyed the warm weather, sandy beaches, making friends with the other seasonal snowbirds, fresh fruit and vegetables from the Farmers’ Market, seafood and cheeseburgers from the Tiki Bar across the street from their condo. What she most loved was her family: her daughter, Paige, three grandchildren: Erin, Micah and Brendan; her siblings: Jeanette of Manchester, TN; the late Ira Sue Robinson of Nashville, TN: Jeff (Sandy) Perry of Carrollton, KY; Connie (Jerry) Boston of Princess Anne, MD; and Kay (Bobby) Cowger of Pocomoke, MD and their children and her in-laws: the late Oscar and Daisy Tucker; brother and sister in-laws: the late Don and Mary Tucker of Manchester, TN, Linda and Fred Smith of Tullahoma, TN and their children. For about the last 10 years of her life, she suffered from dementia which gradually caused advanced memory loss, disorientation and confusion. It did not, however, keep her from living in her beautiful home which she desired. She was able to accomplish this goal with the assistance of care givers including her beloved and dear granddaughter, Micah; her daughter, Paige, and assistance from Family Staffing Solutions/Arosa, Inc. and their special care giver, Angela Montague. Joyce’s funeral service will be conducted on Saturday, January 22 at 2PM by the Rev. Evan Owen, pastor of Rutledge Falls Baptist Church, where she and her family were members for her adult life. Family and friends are invited to visit with her immediate family from 12-2PM on Saturday just prior to the service celebrating her life. Pallbearers will be Brendan Matthews, Jeff Perry, Scott Carver, Johnathan Curtis, Jerry Boston, and Bobby Cowger. Entombment will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. If you prefer to make a charitable contribution rather than sending flowers, the family asks that donations in Joyce’s memory be made to either the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation, Attn: Mission Advancement Office, 801 Dominican Drive, Nashville, TN 37228 or Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, Tennessee 37203. Kilgore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.