Obituary Report for December 24, 2003
McMinnville resident and Warren County native George Byron Bess, 92, died Dec. 23 at River Park Hospital after a brief illness.
A farmer and member of the Baptist Church, he was a U.S. Navy veteran.
The son of the late Byron and Mattie Davenport Bess, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Obelia Cope Bess; his second wife, Jessie Pearl Hall Bess; sisters, Flora Lee Bess, Mattie Mai Hill and Wardie Hillis; and brothers, Felix, Benton and James Bess.
He is survived by son and daughter-in-law, George Cope and Christene Bess of McMinnville; daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Joel Tate of McMinnville; stepdaughter, Opal Mullican of Dalton, Ga.; brother, Harry Clark Bess of McMinnville; grandchildren, Shelia Fann, Todd Bess, Steven Tate and Megan Tate; and great-grandchildren, Justin Bess, Hunter Bess and Lexi Fann.
Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel with David Pennington officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery at Barren Fork. Visitation will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. today, 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. until time of service Friday at McMinnville Funeral Home.
McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Dec. 24, 2003
Emogene Sanders, 74
Smartt Station resident and Warren County native Emogene Sanders, 74, died Dec. 22 at NHC Healthcare after a three-week illness.
A homemaker and a member of Friendship The Baptist Church, she was the daughter of the late George B. and Louvena Swallows Vaughn; and was preceded in death by her husband, Cleveland Sanders in 1981; sisters, Vauda Shofner, Dorothy Shull, Hazel Lee, Leva Cope, Geneva Bowdoin and Hadena Tosh.
She is survived by daughters and sons-in-law, Barbara and Douglas Couch, Linda and Wayne Gann, Patricia Sanders, and Wanda McCormick, all of McMinnville, and Janice Breedlove of Rock Island; son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Nancy Turner Sanders of McMinnville; sisters and brother-in-law, Olene and Coy Wright of Winter Haven, Fla., and Ruby Owens of McMinnville; brothers, Junior Vaughn and Thomas B. Vaughn, both of McMinnville, and William N. Vaughn of Kentucky; grandchildren, Melanie Gann and Ginger Gann, both of Murfreesboro, Jody McCormick of Mountain City, Jessee McCormick, Crystal Sanders and Jennifer Sanders, all of McMinnville, and Courtney Breedlove of Rock Island; great-grandsons, Maurkal Breedlove, Brenden Breedlove and Mashall McCormick; brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Willard and Beth Sanders of Apopka, Fla.; sister-in-law, Odie Beck of Fulton, Ms.; several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Love-Cantrell & Cope Funeral Home with James Rutledge and Steve Breedlove officiating. Burial will follow at Gardens of Memory. Visitation will be held from 8 a.m. until time of service today at Love-Cantrell & Cope.
Love-Cantrell & Cope Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Dec. 24, 2003
Jack Ronald Stepp, 66
Wartrace resident and Warren County native Jack Ronald Stepp, 66, died Dec. 21 at his home.
A walking horse trainer in Middle Tennessee for many years and a member of the Tennessee Walking Horse Trainers’ Association, he was the son of the late Erik and Ann Moore Stepp; and was preceded in death by daughter, Jackie Stepp.
He is survived by children, Kathy Stepp Overfelt of Auburn, Ala., Ronald Wayne Stepp, Rhonda Stepp Crook and Stephanie Stepp Sadler, all of Gallatin; brother, Gibb Stepp of St. Cloud, Fla.; sister, Melba Stepp Unger of Merrit Island, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Hospice of Murfreesboro, 726 South Church, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Information courtesy of High Funeral Home.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Dec. 24, 2003
Wilma Faye Simons Passons, 73
Conway, Ark., resident and McMinnville native Wilma Faye Simons Passons, 73, died Dec. 20.
The daughter of the late Andrew J. and Gladys A. Aughinbaugh Simons, she is survived by a daughter, Debbie Byars of North Little Rock, Ark.; sister, Christine Hill of McMinnville; brother Ronald Simones of Murfreesboro; and grandson Zachary Byars.
Cremation arrangements will be handled by Roller-McNutt Funeral Home in Conway, Ark.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) Dec. 24, 2003