Category: Obituaries

Juanita  Evelyn  Toliver Keele, age 93  of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away on May 13, 2012 at the Manchester Health Care Center.

Mrs. Keele retired from the South Central Human Resource Agency after twenty years of dedicated service and was a member of the Forest Mill Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, the late Ellis Eldon Keele who passed away in 1980; parents, Leonard Toliver and Phonetta Mayton Toliver; brothers, L.G. Toliver and Gerald Toliver; and a granddaughter, Dala Frame Elliot.

She is survived by six children, Horace (Fredia) Keele, Marvin (Dorothy) Keele, Ralph (Linda) Keele, Donald (Beverly) Keele, Phillip (Deanie) Keele and Jeanette (Randy) Frazier; 17 grandchildren; 7 step-grand children; 29 great-grandchildren; and 4 great-great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation with the Keele family will be on Wednesday evening, May16, 2012 from 5:00  until  8:00 p.m.

The Funeral Service will be conducted on Thursday afternoon , May 17, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Central Funeral Home with Brothers Danny Anderson and Chris Keele officiating.

Burial will follow at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements with CENTRAL FUNERAL HOME of Manchester, TN.

Mr. Emmett B. Elam age 90 of Morrison, TN, (Shady Grove Community) passed away on Sunday, May 13, 2012, after an extended illness.

He was born October 11, 1921, in Warren County, TN, was a retired dairy farmer, a World War II veteran having served as a member of the U.S. Army’s famed Red Ball Express unit, and a loyal member of Shady Grove The Baptist Church.

Mr. Elam was preceded in death by parents Jesse and Annie Cunningham Elam, a twin sister Emma Elam Vanatta, sister Connie Elam Denney, and brothers Scovie, Lloyd, Edwin, Rayford, and James Elam.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years Billie Frances Bell Elam, Morrison, TN, daughter Sandra (Ken) Blankenship, Chattanooga, TN, grandson Steve (Robin) Blankenship, Grapevine, TX, granddaughter Kristi (Chris) Papa, Kennesaw, GA, brother Bill (Ruth) Elam, Tyler, TX, great-grandchildren Ashley, Jack, and Ryan Blankenship and William and Caroline Papa, and numerous nephews and nieces.

Funeral service is 1 P.M. Wednesday, May 16, 2012, in the McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel. Elder Lynn Anderson and Elder Charlie Nunley will officiate.

Interment will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery. Military grave rites will be administered by American Legion Post 173 and V.F.W. Post 5064.

The Elam Family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5 P.M. until 8 P.M. and again Wednesday from 11 A.M. until 1 P.M. at the parlors of McMinnville Funeral Home.

McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Wanda Jean Roberts, age 85 of Estill Springs, TN passed away Sunday, May 13, 2012 at Southern Tennessee Medical Center.

She was preceded in death by her parents Clyde and Nora Davis Fanning; Brothers J.B. Fanning and Buddy Fanning; and sister Geneva Steelman.

Survived by husband, Earl Roberts; daughter Aneva (Eugene) Eskes of Fayetteville; stepdaughter Vicki (Mark) Martin of Tullahoma; stepson Kenneth (Kathy) Roberts of Beach Grove; six grandchildren, Jeannie Collins, Melissa Eskes, Cody Eskes, Natalie Duncan, Sonya Salvage, and Kevin Woods; 8 great grandchildren; 2 great-great grandchildren and 4 step grand-children.

Visitation is 5-8 PM Monday at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home.

Funeral Services will be at 11:00 AM Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at Moore-Cortner Chapel.

Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Kenneth Jackie Zandi, age 40 of Fayetteville, TN passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Vanderbilt Medical Center.

Kenneth served in the United States Marine Corps, as a mechanic. He often volunteered his time and service to friends, neighbors and family. He was an avid fisherman. Other hobbies he enjoyed included camping, hunting for arrowheads and coaching his daughter’s softball team.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather Kenneth Welton Fanning; paternal grandfather Arnold Joseph Zandi and paternal grandmother Leona Cook Zandi.

Survived by wife Pamela Zandi; daughters Kirsten Zandi of Shelbyville, TN and McKenzie Zandi, Jade Zandi and Madison Zandi of Lynchburg, TN; parents Rhonda Gayle Fanning Zandi and Jackie Anton Zandi of Winchester, TN; sisters Charity (Tommy) Wright of Shelbyville, TN; Rebekah Zandi of Estill Springs, TN; brothers Timothy Zandi of Winchester, TN; Chad (Winter) Zandi of Belvidere, TN; Grandmother Wanda Fanning of Elora, TN; loving friends Jonie Simpson and life long friend Michael Street; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Visitation is 5-8 PM Monday at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home.

Funeral Services will be 3 PM Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at Moore-Cortner Chapel.

Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Mary Lena Bean, age 94 of Scottsboro, AL passed away Saturday, May 12, 2012 at Highlands Medical Center.

She was a homemaker.

Preceding her in death were her parents, Charlie Wilson Moorehead and Emily Jane Alexander Moorehead; husband, Jesse Bean Jr; brothers, Thurman, Joe, Charlie and Johnny Moorehead; sisters, Amber Holt, Ellie Burrow, Ruby Farris, Janie Tipps and Delmar Syler; sons, Terry and Jerry Bean; daughter, Emily Dietrich; granddaughter, Brenda Dietrich; and great granddaughter, Kordelia Dietrich.

Survived by son, Michael (Joanne) Bean of Oakland, CA; daughters, Becky (Stanley) Putman of Estillfork, AL , Susan (Don) Milligan of Scottsboro, AL and Amber Doebler of Riverdale, IL; 14 grandchildren; 35 great grandchildren; and 5 great great grandchildren.

Visitation is 5-8 PM Monday at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be 1 PM Tuesday, May 15, 2012 at Moore-Cortner Chapel with interment at Franklin Memorial Gardens.

Moore-Cortner Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.

Kenneth Wesley Francis, age 49 of Decherd, Tennessee passed away on Thursday, May 10, 2012, at Southern TN Medical Center in Winchester.

He was born December 20, 1962 in Winchester.

He was employed by Grider Construction.

Surviving are parents, Clark and Earline (Wilkerson) Francis of Decherd, brothers, James Francis of Cottage Grove, MN and Clark Francis, Jr. of Decherd, TN, sister, Kimberly Francis of Decherd, TN, as well as several nieces and nephews.

A Funeral service will be at 1:00 PM on Monday at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, Decherd, TN.

Interment will be in Franklin Memorial Gardens, Winchester, TN.

The family will receive friends from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM on Monday, May 14, 2012, at Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 201 Acklen St., Decherd, Tennessee.

Arrangements by Moore-Cortner Funeral Home.

 Howard Brandon, age 72 of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away on May 10, 2012 at the Alive Hospice in Nashville.

He was a retired Brick & Block Mason in the Construction Industry.

He was preceded in death by his parents, the late Alvin Henry Brandon and Rosie Broyles Brandon; daughter, Tina Suzette Brandon; and brothers, James Monroe Brandon, Alvin Henry Brandon, Jr., Walter Lee Brandon and Thurman Doyle Brandon.

He is survived by his wife Barbara Sue Cheney Brandon of Manchester, TN; children, Golda R. Lowe and her husband Monroe of Manchester,  Howard Brandon, Jr. of Manchester and Sheila Y. Presley of Manchester; brother, Marvin Brandon of Shelbyville, TN; four grandchildren, Joey Bradford, Kendra Baker, Brandi Presley and Brandon Presley all of Manchester; six great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be on Sunday, May 13, 2012 from 6:00  until 9:00  p.m.

The Funeral Service will be conducted on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Central Funeral Home with Brother Danny Anderson officiating.

Burial will follow at the Rose Hill Memorial Gardens.

Arrangements with CENTRAL FUNERAL HOME.

Clarence  H. Tillett, age 84 of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away on May 11, 2012 at the Horizon Health & Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Tillett was a retired Lumber Inspector and Grader with Cumberland Lumber & Manufacturing, Inc. in McMinnville, TN. He also worked for ten years after his retirement as a Greeter at Wal-Mart in Manchester and was a member of the White Oak Grove Church of God.

He will be fondly remembered as one who loved his family and friends, and enjoyed his work, sports and antiques.

He was preceded in death by his parents, the late Clarence H. Tillett and Winnie D. Darnell Tillett.

He is survived by his loving wife, Mary E. Stevens Tillett of Manchester, TN; daughters, Deborah A. Wiser and her husband Ronnie of Hillsboro, TN  and Sharon K. Arnold and her husband Ricky of Hillsboro, TN; a brother, Sidney Rayburn of Portland, Oregon; two grandchildren, Chad Ross Dickens and his wife Emily of Winchester, TN  and Jimmy R. Dickens of Memphis, TN; one great-grandchild, Dakoya Ross Dickens; special friend, David Ferrell of Manchester, TN; and a host of friends.

Visitation with the family will be on Saturday, May 12, 2012 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m.

The Funeral Service will be conducted on Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Central Funeral Home with Reverend Spencer VanOrder officiating.

Burial will follow at the Liberty Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery in McMinnville, TN. 

 Arrangements with CENTRAL FUNERAL HOME in Manchester, TN.

Stewart White, age 85, of Tullahoma, Tenn. departed this life on Thursday, May 10, 2012, at Rockgate Senior Residence in Cowan, Tenn. where he had been a resident for a brief time. 

He was born in Monteagle, Tenn. to the late Ernest and Opha White.  

Mr. White was a plumber pipe fitter retiring from A.E.D.C. He belonged to Local Union #572  of the Plumber Pipe Fitter’s union. He was a member of the Westside Pentecostal Church in Tullahoma. Mr. White was a 32^nd degree Mason belonging to the former Marble Plains Masonic Lodge, and now the Winchester Lodge #158. 

Mr. White was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Evelyn White and son, Eddie White. 

He is survived by his daughters; Linda (Eugene) Peyton of Chipley, Fla., Sharon (Larry) Sharp of Crawsfordville, IN, Emilie White of Murfreesboro, Tenn., Julia Vaughn of Normandy, Tenn., Son, Darrell (Melissa) White of Winchester, Tenn.  brother, Richard White, of Miss.  grandchildren; Kami, Mindy, Shannon, Leah, Yolonda, Christopher, La’Share Praise, Michaelan, Danielle, AnjaLee, Billy, Shamara, Darrell, Jr., Jessica, Justin.  And 19-Great-grandchildren.  

Visitation with the family will be from 4:00-8:00 P.M. Sunday Evening in the Chapel of Grant Funeral Services. 

Funeral Services are scheduled for 2:00 P.M. Monday Evening at Grant Funeral Services, with Bro. Philip Swinford and Bro. James Myers officiating. 

Interment will follow in the Marble Plains Cemetery with Masonic Rites.

Grant Funeral Services in charge of arrangements.

The Yoder Family is celebrating the life of Alice Virginia Martin Yoder, 96, who went to be with our Lord on May 9, 2012, in Tullahoma.

Virginia was well known and respected in the communities of Wabash and North Manchester, Ind., where she lived for over 50 years. Because of her optimistic and positive outlook on life, her tireless civic involvement, and her determination to help anyone and everyone in any way that she could, Virginia was an iconic figure in Wabash County.

Virginia simply never moved at anything other than top speed and was never too busy to volunteer and lend her support to any community cause. The number of cookies and other baked goods that she delivered to others, always with a sincere smile, would number in the tens of thousands.

She was the dedicated wife of Lee Yoder (Dr. L. W.) for 54 years until Doc passed away in 1990. Virginia was born on Jan. 28, 1916, in DuBois, Pa., the daughter of Ralph Samuel and Dr. Charlotte Patchell Martin. She spent most of her childhood in Missouri. She graduated from Stephens College and attended Kirksville College of Osteopathy. While at Kirksville she met and married Lee W. Yoder. They moved to Wabash, Ind., in 1934 where Dr. Yoder practiced medicine. In 1985 they moved to Peabody Retirement Community in North Manchester, Ind. In 2004 she moved to Tullahoma to be closer to her eldest son Lee and his family.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Lee W. Yoder, brothers Ralph Joseph and Frances Patchell Martin and sister Elizabeth Rebecca Burlingame.

She is survived by sons Lee Orden (Yevonne), Tullahoma; Dr. Donald Frances (Marian), Milwaukee, Wis., and Thomas Allen (Nancy), Aspen, Colo.; seven grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.

Virginia was an active member of the Presbyterian Church in Wabash, Ind., a loyal board member of the Honeywell Foundation and a 75-year member of the Order of Eastern Star in Wabash.

Services will be held in Indiana.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to Shrine Hospitals, First Presbyterian Church of Tullahoma, The Presbyterian Church of Wabash, Ind., or the charity of your choice.

Tullahoma Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Alice Yoder.