Billie Baldwin Brandon, 86

Born, May 8, 1920, Billie and her brother, Bob lived on a farm in Warren County until their teenage years. She graduated from Central High School in McMinnville in 1937 as valedictorian in a class of 175 seniors.

Following graduation, she attended Vanderbilt University School of Business and worked for the U.S. Civil Service with Farm Security, approving loans to Middle Tennessee farmers. When World War II started, she was transferred to the U.S. Forestry Service where she established and directed satellite offices in Tennessee and supervised gasoline rationing for pulpwood and logging operations.

While with the Civil Service, Billie lived and worked in McMinnville, Cookeville, Cleveland, and Nashville. Billie married William (Bill) Brandon on April 9, 1944 in McMinnville.

She has a daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Robert Bates, of Murfreesboro. Her brother, Bob passed away in 2005. She lost her father in 1925 and her mother in 1974. Her family also includes sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Rogers, Pulaski, Nelle Brandon, Pasadena, Calif., and Sue Baldwin, Winchester, six nieces and two nephews.

The funeral service will be conducted at 2 p.m. CST Monday, April 30 at Watson-North Funeral Home in Winchester. Interment will follow in Franklin Memorial Gardens. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. A memorial service for Billie will be held at LVE at a later date. Online condolences may be sent to www.watsonnorth.com. Watson-North Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.