Oak Ridge Today

Obituary: Hazel Sutton Butler

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Hazel Sutton Butler

Hazel Sutton Butler

Hazel Sutton Butler, age 89, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Mrs. Butler was born Oct. 26, 1924, in Sparta, Tenn., before moving to Oak Ridge, then later to Oliver Springs where she and her husband co-owned and operated Butler’s Florist from 1955 to 1997.

She was an avid bowler and participated in bowling leagues for many years. She also loved playing basketball, and she played on the Y-12 team in the Tennessee Eastman league, winning the Southern Appalachian AAU championship during the 1946-47 season.

She was a member of the Oliver Springs United Methodist, where she was active in the United Methodist Women, holding offices in both local and district levels. [Read more…]

Obituary: Eather West

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Eather West, age 86, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, at his home.

Mr. West was born Nov. 21, 1926, in the New River Community of Anderson County. He and his family moved to Oliver Springs in 1963. Before the move to Oliver Springs, Mr. West worked as a underground coal miner, and he also drove coal trucks for Ruben Phillips Trucking, and Walls and Coker.

Following several years of employment, Mr. West retired in 1988 as a foreman at the Tennessee Valley Authority location in Claxton. He and his late wife, Omer Phillips West, owned and operated West Florist in Oliver Springs for more than 40 years.

Eather proudly served his country in the U.S. Army, during World War II. While serving, he received several campaign medals, ribbons, decorations, and citations, including the WWII victory medal. [Read more…]

Obituary: Rachel Mildred Beadle Holt

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Rachel Mildred Beadle Holt

Rachel Mildred Beadle Holt

Rachel Holt, of Oak Ridge, died with her family at her side and peacefully of natural causes at Greenfield of Oak Ridge on Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013. She was 91.

Rachel Mildred Beadle was born March 21, 1922, in Giles County, Tenn., the first and only daughter of Raymond Beadle, a farmer and storekeeper, and Nannie May Russell Beadle, a homemaker, who also had seven sons but two died as infants. Rachel spent happy childhood years with her five brothers in the rural village of Campbellsville and later Pulaski in Middle Tennessee. She was an ambitious and energetic child who helped raise three younger brothers, worked in the family grocery store, and made her mark as an eager and serious student and skillful basketball player.

After high school, with financial help from a brother Lawrence, a naval officer, Rachel attended Martin College in Pulaski, Tenn. Rachel’s childhood girlfriend, Ethel Holt, introduced Rachel to John Cecil Holt, a brother home on leave from naval service, and the relationship blossomed quickly. Upon graduation from Martin College, Rachel took a job as a clerk in the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C. She left that job to marry John in Charleston, S.C., on Aug. 19, 1943, and she occasionally traveled by train across the country to rendezvous with him. Rachel gave birth to their first daughter, Reba Rae Holt, on March 28, 1945, in Yorktown, Va. [Read more…]

Obituary: William Courtenay ‘Bill’ Davidson

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William Courtenay "Bill" Davidson

William Courtenay “Bill” Davidson

William Courtenay “Bill” Davidson died Sunday morning, Nov. 10, 2013, at Greenfield Senior Living of Oak Ridge, where he had resided for a short time.

The son of Mary Ann and the late Jackson B. Davidson, Bill was born in Oak Ridge in 1954 and attended Cedar Hill Elementary, Jefferson Junior High, and Oak Ridge High School, from which he graduated in 1972. He was active in Scouts and received the Order of the Arrow. He attended Eckerd College in Tampa, Fla., and later graduated from the University of Tennessee with honors and a major in French.

He was preceded in death by his father and his sister Anne Courtenay Davidson; also six uncles, Nathaniel (and his wife Mary), Robert, William, Hugh (and his wife Loretta), and Lee Davidson and William H. Courtenay. [Read more…]

Obituary: Peggy Joyce McDaniel La Grone

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Peggy Joyce McDaniel LaGrone

Peggy Joyce McDaniel LaGrone

Peggy Joyce McDaniel La Grone, age 73, died peacefully in her sleep on the morning of Sunday, Nov. 10, 2013, after a lengthy illness.

Known by family and friends alike as “Diggy”—a name given by her eldest grandchild—Mrs. La Grone lived a full life rich with family love and service to God and community. She never met a stranger, though she traveled the world following her upbringing in Panola County, Texas.

She was born Dec. 3, 1939, to Herman Victor McDaniel and Ethel Gertrude Hightower McDaniel at Antioch community, in the deep piney woods of East Texas. Her life’s joy was family and friends, most especially her children and grandchildren. Mrs. La Grone taught high school English early in her career and continued to be a part-time educator during her homemaking years, raising three children and working as a tireless volunteer. In later years, Mrs. La Grone was her mother’s and her grandchildren’s caregiver.

She was a faithful member of the United Methodist Church and served as president of the United Methodist Women and was deeply involved with peace works and social justice through Church Women United. Throughout her life, she taught Sunday School and led vacation Bible schools. [Read more…]

Obituary: Lillian Melba Walton

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Lillian Melba Walton

Lillian Melba Walton

Lillian Melba Walton, 93, of Kingston, formerly of Oak Ridge, passed away on Nov. 8, 2013, at Jamestowne Assisted Living in Kingston.

She was born April 20, 1920, in Lincoln Park, Mich., to parents Milton E. and Bonnie M. Emmonds Lavy.

Lillian was a homemaker who enjoyed crocheting, bird watching, and cooking, especially for her family. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and a member of Bethel Presbyterian Church in Kingston.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick E. Walton and daughter, Sharon Kay McGill. [Read more…]

Obituary: Mary Jane Kelley

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Mary Jane Kelley, age 67, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, in her home at Big Mountain.

Mary was born Oct. 7, 1946, in Fackler, Ala. She has lived in Oliver Springs for the past 20 years.

She served her country in the United States Air Force for more than 20 years. While serving, she received several medals, ribbons, citations, and commendations including a Bronze Star with four oak leaf clusters for her service in Desert Storm. Additionally, her primary specialty was an information management craftsman, for which she received other medals and ribbons. [Read more…]

Obituary: Sylvestia Hardy Hopper

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Sylvestia Hardy Hopper departed this earthly life on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, following several years battling Alzheimer’s.

She was born in Briceville, Tenn., the youngest of eight girls to the union of Joe and Mary Moore Hardy.

Mrs. Hopper was preceded by her loving husband, Benton Hopper; son, Jimmie Hopper; and by sisters, Eva Hardy, Estella Hardy Cross, Elizabeth Hardy, Irene Cobbs, Annie Wyatt, Hattie Phipps, and Mary Ellen Hardy.

She was a faithful and dedicated member of Little Leaf Missionary Baptist Church. She enjoyed quilting, feeding the farm hands, playing the organ, attending patiently to the grandchildren, and she had a great love for animals. She was lovingly known as “Big Valley” by Richard (Tony) Goins Jr. [Read more…]

Obituary: Barry Lee Goldberg

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Barry Lee Goldberg

Barry Lee Goldberg

Barry Lee Goldberg, 51, went home to be with his Savior, Jesus Christ, while surrounded by his family that loved him so much on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013, at Tennova Physicians Regional Medical Center in Knoxville, after suffering a massive heart attack.

Barry was born on Sept. 4, 1962, in the Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge to Larry and Sue Daniels Goldberg.

Barry was a plumber, and his recent employment was with Engert of Knoxville. He graduated from Genesis Recovery of Lake City in August 2007. Because of his dedication to the program, he was asked to stay on as the resident supervisor, under the guidance of his mentor, Dan Shultz. Then Barry became a mentor to many of those men at Genesis, his stability and encouragement kept a lot of them from going back into their old way of thinking. Even when he started working full-time, he would still be up late at night with anyone who needed help. He wanted to give back and help other struggling men with their addiction. During this time, he was privileged to lead several to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He was a graduate of Oliver Springs High School. [Read more…]

Obituary: James T. ‘Pete’ Blackmon Jr.

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James T. “Pete” Blackmon Jr., of Oak Ridge, died Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013.

Mr. Blackmon retired from Union Carbide Nuclear Corp., where he was an engineer. After retirement, he taught at the University of Tennessee, a job he loved and was very proud of.

He was preceded in death by son, Joseph “Joe” Peter Blackmon. [Read more…]

Obituary: William ‘Billy’ Theodore Howe

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Billy Howe

Billy Howe

William T. Howe, of Oak Ridge, passed away at the age of 52 on Oct. 31, 2013, at the University of Tennessee Medical Center.

He was the son of Erma and James Howe of Oak Ridge and Knoxville, who preceded him in death.

Bill was an avid flyer and a member of EAA and AOPA. He also enjoyed extreme sports and traveling to different countries. He spoke several languages, and had friends in those countries.

Bill also was a retired computer programmer, woodworker, electrician, and astronomer, along with many other interests to numerous to mention. He was always helping out a friend, or starting a new project that he wanted. He could do anything he set his mind to. He was a member of the Civil Air Patrol, and enjoyed helping the cadets learn different skills. [Read more…]

Obituary: David George Neusel

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David George Neusel

David George Neusel

David George Neusel, 60, passed away peacefully at 1:30 p.m. (CDT) on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013, in St. Thomas West Hospital in Nashville of heart and kidney failure due to a virus that settled in, and weakened, his heart about two years ago. He was admitted to Tennova Turkey Creek hospital on Friday, Oct. 11, and airlifted to St. Thomas West on Monday, Oct. 21.

David was born in Detroit, Mich., on Feb. 3, 1953. He moved to Oak Ridge in 1970 with his parents, Edward B. (“Big Ed”) and Mary (“Ginger”); older brother, Edward H. (“Eddie”); and younger brother, Paul C., to open Big Ed’s Pizza located at 101 Broadway Ave.

David had many interests throughout his school years, including Boy Scouts, football, wrestling, skydiving, camping, snow skiing, photography, karate, and swimming. He also became a gunsmith and horse farrier. According to his maternal aunt, Bobbie Bostick, of Lawrence, Kansas, David excelled in every activity he participated in, but swimming competitively was his primary focus. He was in the Rocket City Aquatic Club in Huntsville, Ala., prior to moving to Oak Ridge and joined the Atomic City Aquatic Club, and his best event was the breast stroke. He won a breast stroke race during the Southeastern Regional swim meet. This event was retired, so his winning time will always stand.

He graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1971 and attended Middle Tennessee State University. However, rather than be drafted, he left MTSU and enlisted in the Navy in 1974. During the next six years, he served as a machinist mate on the U.S.S. LaSalle, Guam, and South Carolina. However, because he was so military minded, he returned to the Naval Reserve in 1990 and served for another three years as a SeaBee engineer. [Read more…]