Obituary Report for March 8, 2002
Dick Blankenship, 75
McMinnville resident and Sarasota, Fla., native Wallace Dean (Dick) Blankenship, 75, died March 4 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville.
A retired truck driver for Batesville Casket Company and a member of the Church of Christ, he was the son of Joe and Grace Ethridge Blankenship; and was preceded in death by his wife, Lucille Blankenship in 1989; sister, Dorothy Tarr; brothers, William Smith Blankenship and Monty Blankenship.
He is survived by sons and daughters-in-law, Bill and Wilma Blankenship, Pete and Mary Ann Blankenship, all of McMinnville; daughters and sons-in-law, Kathy and Ronnie Farris of Manchester, Rebecca and Freddie Duncan of McMinnville; grandchildren, Jerry Blankenship, Barry Farris, Shari Owens, Missy Farris, Jason Blankenship, Chelsea Duncan and Dean Blankenship; four great-grandchildren, brother, Jimmy Blankenship of McMinnville; sisters, Betty Blankenship and Sue Higginbotham, both of Madison, Ala., several nieces and nephews.
Services were held Thursday at High’s Chapel with Ken Willis and Bobby Newby officiating. Burial followed at Mt. View Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
High Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
Annie Maude Hurtt, 94
Chesapeake. Va., resident and Warren County native Annie Maude Hurtt, 94, died March 4 in Chesapeake after a brief illness.
A homemaker and a member of Morrison Church of Christ, she was the daughter of Everett and Lillie Pearl Dennis Hurtt; and was preceded in death by sister, Willie Everett Turner.
She is survived by sisters, Elizabeth Hurtt of Norfolk, Va., and Jessie Hodapp of Norfolk, Va.; several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Morrison Church of Christ with Lynwood Mathis officiating. Burial will follow at Bascom Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 4 to 9 p.m. today and 8 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at High’s.
High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
Helen J. Davis, 82
Wilmington, N.C. resident formerly of McMinnville Helen J. Davis, 82, died March 5 at Cape Fear Hospital.
A Detroit, Mich., native, she lived in McMinnville for several years before moving to Wilmington.
The daughter of the late Frank and Stephanie Lipinski Stepanski, she was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Davis, and one brother.
She is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Judith and Lawrence Saunders of Wilmington; grandchildren and their spouses, Paul and Barbara Saunders, Craig and Jocelyn Saunders, Laurie and John Powell, Pamela and Steve Hardison, all of Wilmington; seven great-grandchildren and three sisters.
Memorial services were held Thursday at Andrews Mortuary Valley Chapel with burial following at Greenlawn Memorial Park.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
Ernest Richardson, 66
Coalmont resident Ernest Richardson, 66, died March 5.
The son of the late Herman and Edna Richardson, he was preceded in death by brothers, E.J. and Clarence Richardson.
He is survived by his wife, Geneva Richardson; sisters, Avis Davis, Judy Richardson, Sandra Borne and Emma Jane Daniels of Beersheba Springs; and brothers, George, Donnie and Bobby Richardson of Beersheba Springs.
Services were held Thursday at Layne Funeral Home in Altamont with James Hampton officiating. Burial followed at Shiloh Cemetery.
Layne Funeral Home of Altamont was in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
William Luther (Luke) Merriman Jr., 85
Doyle resident and Bridgeport, Ala., native William Luther (Luke) Merriman Jr., 85, died March 7 at St. Thomas Hospital after an extended illness.
A retired foreman at Powermatic and a member of Quebeck Church of Christ and Warren Lodge 125, he was the son of the late William Luther and Lillie Fridell Merriman Sr.; and was preceded in death by brothers, Creed, Bill and Gaither Merriman; and sisters, Jessie Randall Gladys Massey and Rena Madge Burnett.
He is survived by his wife, Betty Frances Davis Merriman; son and daughter-in-law, William Luther and Kay Merriman III of McMinnville; son, Charles Douglas (Doug) Merriman of McMinnville; sisters, Mabel Matthews of Bridgeport, Ala., and Mildred Ellison of Chickamauga, Ga.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at McMinnville Funeral Home Chapel with burial following at Gardens of Memory. Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. until time of service Sunday at McMinnville Funeral Home.
McMinnville Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
John Wiley Thomas, 73
Woodbury resident and Cannon County native John Wiley Thomas, 73, died March 5 at Centennial Medical Center after a short illness.
A retired mechanic from Jennings Motors and a member of the Church of God, he was the son of the late Ellie and Lidia Mae Summers Thomas; and was preceded in death by son, Virgil Clyde Thomas; and brothers, Donald and Gene Thomas.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Pauline Davis Thomas; sons and daughters-in-law, Larry Wayne and Barbara Jean Thomas of Warren County, John Carson and Betty Soloman Thomas of Woodbury, Mark and Christy Thomas of Readyville, Larry Wayne and Julie Thomas Jr. of Bradyville; daughter and son-in-law, Sonia and James M. Pitts of Woodbury; sisters, Viella Estes and Faye Robinson, both of Cannon County, Gladys Hollandsworth of Old Hickory and Mary Cope of Warren County.; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Woodbury Funeral Home Chapel with John Albert Robinson officiating. Burial will follow at Centerhill Cemetery. Visitation will be held today until time of service at Woodbury Funeral Home.
Woodbury Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
Ona Mae Davis, 82
Cookeville resident and Wilder native Ona Mae Davis, 82, died March 6 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center.
A homemaker who worked with UCHRA and a member of the Living Hope Church in Cookeville, she was the daughter of the late Dillard and Cora Phillips Miller; and was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Davis; son, Tony Davis; sister, Lorene Scott; brother, Elmer Miller; grandson, Michael Burks and son-in-law, Den Burks.
She is survived by daughters, Phyllis Burks of Dayton, Ohio, Diane McElihiney of Nashville and Cindy Huff of Cookeville; sisters, Myrtle Burks and Rosie Winningham, both of Dayton, Ohio, Inez Smith of Clarkrange, Lena Todd of Bainbridge, Ohio; 26 grandchildren, 32 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Goff Funeral Home Chapel in Monterey with Rev. David Corley and Rev. Ron Allen officiating. Burial will follow at Smith Chapel Cemetery in Pleasant Hill. Visitation will be held from 6-9 p.m. today at Goff Funeral Home.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002
Catherine Gaffin Lynn, 95
Centerville resident and McMinnville native Catherine Gaffin Lynn, 95, died March 4 in Centerville.
A former teacher in Warren and Hickman counties, she was the daughter of the late Walter Clark and Lucy Dodson Gaffin of McMinnville; and was preceded in death by sister, Jennie Gaffin McDaniel; brother, Luke M. Gaffin; and granddaughter, Lucibeth Lynn Buthje.
She is survived by her husband of 65 years, O.J. Lynn; daughter, Lucy Beth Seay of Clarksville; sons, David Lynn of Centerville and Ed Lynn of Knoxville; several grandchildren; brother, W.C. (Red) Gaffin of Viola; sister, Eugenia Gaffin of McMinnville; several nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Catherine Gaffin Lynn Memorial Fund at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City.
Southern Standard
(McMinnville, Tenn.) March 8, 2002