Category: Obituaries

Edna Dean Dotson of Winchester passed this life on Monday, February 14,
2022 at her residence at the age of 83.  Funeral Services are scheduled for
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 at 12 Noon at the Mission House Ministries,
106 Rogers Street, Cowan, TN with burial to follow at Watson-North Memorial
Gardens. The family will receive friends beginning at 9 AM.

A native of Alabama, she was the daughter of the late Ethridge and Evelyn
White Gaither. She and her husband, James founded Dotson’s Produce and she
enjoyed working at the stores, growing flowers and vegetables and being
with her family.  She was also very active in her church, the Mission House
Ministries.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James
Dotson.

She is survived by sons, James Dotson (Vivian) of Winchester and Ronnie
Dotson (Sherry) of Sevierville; daughter, Kathy Stamey (Eddie) of
Winchester; brother, James Gaither (Sue) of Sale Creek, TN; sisters,
Lillian Taylor of FL, Helen Patterson of AL, Bobbie Wright (Lewis) of
Soddy-Daisy, Joann Corvin (Crandal) of GA and Dorothy Fowler, Gail Brown
and Carolyn Beetle, all of Soddy-Daisy; eight grandchildren, twenty-one
great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren.

Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Funeral services for Tommy Murphy, age 71 of Morrison, will be conducted on Friday, February 18, 2022, at 1 PM at Manchester Funeral Home with Bro. Kevin Deason officiating. Burial will follow in the Viola Cemetery. Visitation with the family will begin at 11 AM until time of service on Friday at the funeral home. Tommy passed away on Sunday, February 12 at St. Thomas River Park after an extended illness.

Tommy was born on November 26, 1950, to the late Thomas and Jewell Murphy, in McMinnville, TN. He was a member of the Viola Church of Christ, and a loyal fan of the Atlanta Braves, UT, and all the sports of Coffee County.

Tommy is survived by his sister, Julia Spence, and her husband, Walt; niece, Elizabeth Rice and her husband, Aaron, and their children, Jackson and Spencer Price; nephew, Walter Sutton Spence, III and his wife, Kristin, and their children, James and Connor Spence; and a host of friends.

Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Murphy family.

Sarah Jean Knoer, of Tullahoma, passed this life on Friday, February 11 th , 2022 at Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital at the age of 64. Ms. Knoer was born in Tullahoma to the late Elwood Rollins and Nina Jean Baker Riddle. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by one great-granddaughter, Anna Marie Small. Ms. Knoer is survived by two daughters, Crystal Riddle (Johnny Dickerson) and Vanessa (Eddie) Gurien; five grandchildren, Stacey Small, Tracey (Preston) Ansley, Kimberly Humphries, Robert Dickerson and Tristin Gurien; five great-grandchildren, Brooklynn, Colton, Kayden, Layton and Waylon; two brothers, Lacy Rollins and James “Pete” Riddle; two sisters, Darlene Arnold and Betty Carol Burgess; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 16 th , 2022 at Kilgore Funeral Home from 12:00-2:00pm with the funeral to immediately follow at 2:00pm with Vernon Cole officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens with Lacy Rollins, Paul Rollins, Preston Ansley, Dustin McCool, William Arnold and Pete Riddle serving as pallbearers.

Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Cateur Lynette Pickett of Manchester passed this life on Saturday, February
12, 2022 at Unity Medical Center in Manchester at the age of 48. No
services are scheduled.

A native of Chicago, she was the daughter of the late Frank Pickett and the
late Linda Fisher.  She loved listening to music and dancing and attending
church.

Cateur is survived by sons, Muhammad Pickett and Leon Demonbreun, both of
Nashville; daughter, Emma Demonbreun and her fiancé, Jimmie Hicks, of
Nashville; brothers, Macio and Gene Pickett, both of Nashville; sister,
Sabrina Pickett of St. Louis, MO; grandchild, Hazel Ridley; niece, Perriyon
Pickett of Nashville and nephews, Thomas Pickett of Arizona and Quincy
Pickett of Nashville.

Online condolences may be made at www.davesculbertsonfuneralhome.com.
Daves-Culbertson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Funeral services for Mrs. Mildred Ruth Shelton, age 92 of Manchester, will be conducted on Sunday, February 13, 2022, at 2 PM, with Rev. Roger Brown officiating, in the Manchester Funeral Home chapel. Burial will follow in the Hurricane Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be held from 1 PM until time of service on Sunday at the funeral home. Mrs. Shelton passed away at her home on Friday, February 11 after an extended illness. 

Ruth, as she was fondly known as by family and friends, was born on February 15, 1929, to the late Lee and Minnie Reed Simmons, in Manchester. She was a homemaker and a member of the Bell Springs United Methodist Church. Ruth enjoyed crafting, painting, baking, and camping, but her greatest joy came from spending time with family, especially her grandchildren and great grandchildren. 

In addition to her parents, Ruth is preceded in death by her loving husband, Clyde Shelton; brothers, Cecil Simmons and Freeman Banks; sisters, Lorena Johnson, Betty Lemons, and infant sister, Emmagene Simmons. She is survived by her children, Danny Shelton and his wife, Eliosa, and Patsy Shelton; grandchildren, Chessie Dow and her husband, Jonathan, and Claire Shelton; great grandchildren, Reagan and Caroline Dow; several nieces, nephews, and extended family members, and a host of friends. 

Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Shelton family. 

www.manchesterfuneralhome.com  

Mr. David Leroy Frantz Jr., age 65, passed from
this life on Sunday, January 2, 2022, in Murfreesboro, TN.

Born on March 8th, 1956, David Leroy Frantz Jr was one of 5 children of
David and Irene Frantz. While growing up in Livonia, Michigan, he met his
neighbor Irene Wicks (J6LCJ) an avid amateur (Ham) radio operator,
beginning his interest in radio and electronics. Licensed as WA4SZE, he
spent his youth building, drawing, and learning about electronics,
eventually leading him to his first job as a teen fixing televisions. When
his family moved to Florida, he began taking flying lessons and met Wallie
Watson who hired him to fly for Mackey International Airlines, a small
commuter airline stationed at Ft. Lauderdale Airport. When the airline
closed, he worked as an avionics repairman and test pilot at Sunny South
Aircraft.

A chance meeting in 1981 at the Banana Boat, a local restaurant, introduced
David to his future wife Roseanne, a registered nurse. They married in 1982
and started their own business, Frantz Avionics Inc. specializing in
repairing aircraft electronics and test-flying electronics in airplanes at
Ft. Lauderdale Airport. An FAA inspector recognized David’s extensive
knowledge and experience with aircraft, and the Inspector suggested David
apply to the FAA. He was hired by the FAA as an Aviation Inspector and
Aircraft Accident Investigator stationed in Atlanta, GA. During his first
year as an FAA Inspector, he led the effort to revise aviation charts used
by pilots to highlight areas of dangerous clear-air turbulence such as
mountain waves, rotors, and lee waves. For his efforts, David was named
Aircraft Inspector of the Year during his first year of employment. Despite
this, his greatest accomplishment was yet to come.

Feeling a calling from God, David left the FAA and built two International
Shortwave Christian Radio Stations (WGTG in McCaysville, GA and WWRB in
Manchester, TN) which brought the Word of God to shortwave listeners
throughout the world. Over the course of his life, he continued to run WWRB
and remained active in ham radio and aviation. He flew as a private pilot
and built his own private airport, VOR, glideslope, NDB, and localizer. His
passion for electronics, history, and how things work led him to recreate
the four-course airline navigation system, a work which was featured by the
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Magazine in their June 1st, 2010
article, “Proficient Pilot: Play it by Ear.” His work and an explanation of
the system can be seen at https://youtu.be/p-VqtNY8vpw.

Outside of the blessing of his family, of all of his accomplishments, David
Frantz felt Radio Station WWRB was God’s great work through him. Radio
Station WWRB helped ministries bring the Gospel to every corner of the
world using shortwave radio technology. While shortwave radios have largely
disappeared in the United States, shortwave remains one of the main forms
of communications in developing nations. David received countless letters
from people all over the world, from places as far as Japan and the South
Sea Islands, confirming reception and receipt of salvation from the Word of
God.

On Jan 2nd, 2022, David L. Frantz Jr was taken back home by the good Lord;
he passed away from a severe stroke at the age of 65. He is survived by his
wife, Roseanne, his son, David, his daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, and his
daughter, Angela, who were all with him in his final moments. A man who
always encouraged others and looked to achieve the most out of life, one of
his favorite sayings was “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” A scholarship
is planned in his remembrance with MTSU to help support young pilots in
training from the local Tennessee area.

Visitation with the family will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022,
from 12:00pm noon until 2:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. A
memorial service will be held immediately following visitation at 2:00pm in
the chapel of Central Funeral Home.

Central Funeral Home is serving the family, 931-723-7774,
centralfuneralhome.com

Michael Lee Mason of Tullahoma passed this life on Wednesday, February 9, 2022 at his home, at the age of 75. Mike was born in Fayetteville, TN to the late William and Katherine Yearwood Mason. During his life, he was the owner of White’s Auto Store and retired from Workforce Solutions as an on-the-job training coordinator. Mike was a member of Washington St. Church of Christ in Fayetteville, and was a former member of the Fayetteville Jaycees, as well as a former President of the Lincoln County Falcons Club. In addition to his parents, Mr. Mason is preceded in death by one brother, Clarence Mason, and one grandson, Auburn Jennings. He is survived by his wife, Sheri Stone Mason; one son, Lee Mason (Brenda); three daughters, Lisa Mason Cobern, Laurie Mason Lowrance (Devin), and Claire Mason; one brother, Ronnie Mason (Jackie); two sisters, Carol Sharleville, and Gabra Swett; six grandchildren, Katie Beth Fones, Ethan Jennings, Zach Mason, Austin Mason, Anna Kaye Lowrance, and Carly Lowrance; three great-grandchildren, Mason, Lilly Beth, and Amelia; and two nephews, Zeke and Noah. A graveside service for Mr. Mason will be held on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at 1:30pm at Rose Hill Memorial Gardens with Bros Jim Parks, and Don Dixon officiating. For those who wish, the family asks that donations in Mike’s memory be made to The Tullahoma Animal Shelter- 942 Maplewood Ave. Tullahoma, TN 37388 or the Washington Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville.

Kilgore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. David M. Jones, age 77, passed away on Monday,
Feb 7, 2022, in Bedford County TN after a short illness with Covid
pneumonia. Mr. Jones and his wife Donna Marie Spillers Livingston Jones
lived in The Villages, FL for 19 years and were in the process of moving
back to live in Manchester full time. He served in the US Coast Guard and
retired from the US Air Force as a MSgt after 23 years service. Mr. Jones
served in several career fields, including pharmacy, mental health clinics,
and retired in civil engineering in 1991 at Offutt AFB NE. During his
military career he served in many locations, including Coast Guard: at Key
West FL, Cape May NJ; in the Air Force: at Keesler AFB MS, Udorn Thailand
during the Viet Nam War, Moody AFB GA, Ramstein AB Germany, Weatherdfirld
AB England, Offutt AFB NE. He had many temporary assignments at Morocco US
Embassy, Sicily, Panama, Spain, and others. Mr Jones enjoyed woodworking,
nautical ropework, and especially Bible study. He was a strong Christian
believer and let everyone know he was “Heaven bound.” He was the son of the
late Henry Madison Jones and Mary Belle Dix of Savannah, Georgia, and is
survived by his wife Marie of 43 years, step-son Ronald V. Livingston (Ella
Rigney), granddaughter Kiera Livingston of Manchester; sister Gail Powers
of Ft Worth TX; brother Mack Dana Jones, Sr., of Pensacola FL; four
nephews, and two nieces; great nephews, nieces, and cousins. In lieu of
flowers, the family requests donations be made in his memory to Les Feldick
Ministries, 30706 W. Lona Valley Rd., Kinta OK 74552 or to the Berean Bible
Society. There will be a graveside service at Welker Cemetery on Maple
Springs Rd (New Union area), Manchester TN on Friday, Feb 11 at 2:00 p.m.
Central Funeral Home, Manchester TN is serving the family, 931-723-7774,
centralfuneralhome.com

Funeral services for Mr. Charles Edward “Buck” Richardson, age 84 of Manchester, will be conducted on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 1 PM in the Manchester Funeral Home chapel. Burial will follow in the Asbury Cemetery. Visitation with the family will begin at 11 AM on Saturday until time of service at the funeral home. Mr. Richardson passed away suddenly at his home on Thursday, February 10. 

“Buck” as he was fondly known as by family and friends, was born on April 16, 1937, to the late John Grover and Margaret Emmaline Travis Richardson, in Tullahoma, TN. He served his country in the United States Air Force for twelve years. Buck was a game warden for the TN Department of Wildlife and was a member of the local Masons and the American Legion. He enjoyed the outdoors, especially gardening, woodworking, fooling with animals, and spending time with family. 

In addition to his parents, Buck is preceded in death by his loving wife, Willadean Qualls Richardson; brothers, Pat, Sam, Tom, Robert, and John Bell Richardson, and sister, Dean Simpson. He is survived by his son, Steven Edward Richardson and his wife, Sue, and daughter, Barbara Lynn Richardson; grandchildren, Jake Farrar, Haley and Hannah Richardson, and Colin Baker; sister, Peggy Richardson; several nieces, nephews, extended family members, and a host of friends. 

Manchester Funeral Home is honored to serve the Richardson family.