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Obituary: Joseph Walter Fortenberry

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The Fortenberry family is sad to announce, Joseph Walter Fortenberry, age 76, quietly passed away on Sunday, June 7, 2020. He had suffered from a long illness with multiple sclerosis and brain damage from strokes. His official cause of death was respiratory failure caused by COVID-19. The family would like to remind friends and colleagues that, as our cities and states lessen quarantine restrictions, please remember to protect our elder and infirm populations. Hand washing, personal distancing, and the wearing of masks are a few of the precautions we can take for our elders—even when it seems a little inconvenient for the rest of us.

Joe was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, and attended East Tennessee State University, where he studied mechanical engineering. He had a long career with IBM in Knoxville and later owned his own company, InfoTech, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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Obituary: Dorothea Elisabeth (Kummer) Busch

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Dorothea Busch

Dorothea Elisabeth (Kummer) Busch, age 84, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee passed away on May 2, 2020, at her home.

Dorothea (Dore) was born on December 23, 1935, in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Germany, to Hans Erich and Pauline (Laible) Kummer. She was the eldest of three children and graduated from gymnasium (high school) with a concentration in business skills.

Wanting to see more of the world, Dore moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1956. She lived with her aunt and uncle and worked as a bookkeeper. Dore married Helmut Busch on October 21, 1961, and the family grew to include three children.

In 1972, the family moved to Jones, Michigan, where Dore was employed as an accountant, eventually starting her own firm.

She and Helmut enjoyed traveling the world and took vacations to Hawaii, Russia, the Canary Islands, and made many trips to Germany to visit family. Always fascinated by aircraft, Dore was a private pilot and enjoyed flying her plane around southern Michigan. As a member of the Civil Air Patrol, she participated in search and rescue operations throughout southwestern Michigan. 

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Obituary: Patricia Ann Waldschmidt

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Patricia Waldschmidt

Patricia Ann Waldschmidt, 91, was called to her heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 28, 2020.

The eldest of eight, she was born in Hays, Kansas, to John and Agnes Karlin Hoffman, both deceased.

Besides her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 59 years, George Waldschmidt, her sisters Mary Ann Ward and Juanita Dreiling and her brothers Jack and Larry Hoffman, all of Kansas.

In her forties, Pat took LPN training and immensely enjoyed nursing for several years.

In March 1980, she became a believer in Jesus Christ by faith alone. (“For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9)

Pat lived in the same county in Kansas for 81 years before moving to Tennessee in 2010.

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Obituary: Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr. (Bill)

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Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr.

Wesley Davis Arnold, Jr. (Bill), age 89, died on December 8, 2019, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

He was born on September 30, 1930, in Pisgah, Alabama, to Wesley Davis Arnold, Sr., and Lillian Johnson Arnold, both deceased. A graduate of Pisgah High School and the University of Alabama, he was employed by Pennsalt Manufacturing Company in Calvert City, Kentucky, for two years before moving to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in 1954. He was a chemist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the Materials Chemistry, Chemical Technology, and Chemistry Divisions for 38 years before retiring in 1992.

Mr. Arnold is survived by three children, Wesley Arnold III (Patricia) of Alexandria, Alabama; Melinda Arnold-Fletcher (Adrian) of Charlotte, North Carolina; and Susan Fallon (Pat) of Goodyear, Arizona; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. His stepsons, William Barnett (Wendy); Scott Barnett (Regina); and Elliott Barnett (Crystal) all of Kingston, Tennessee; 10 step-grandchildren; and three step-great-grandchildren also survive him.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Matt Arnold; grandson, Geoffrey Fallon; Iula C. Arnold (mother of his children); and Barbara Arnold (mother of his step-children).

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Obituary: Verner Anderson

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Verner Anderson

Verner Anderson, age 94, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, passed away Thursday, October 31, 2019, at the Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.

Verner was born December 22, 1924, in Independence, Kansas, the son of August and Amanda Lonn Anderson. He grew up in Ormsby, Pennsylvania, where his family moved from Independence. After graduation, Verner attended Alabama University and then graduated from the University of Tennessee.

Since 1946, Mr. Anderson had made his home in Oak Ridge. Working as a mathematician initially for the Manhattan Project, his later work supported many of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s research programs until he retired in the 1990s. ORNL is our nation’s largest science and energy laboratory, and Mr. Anderson is credited with many important scientific contributions which have greatly benefited society over his five decades of service.

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Obituary: James William Howard Jr.

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James Howard

James Howard

James William Howard Jr., 78, of Dyllis and formerly of Oak Ridge, passed away Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at his home.

He was born April 26, 1941, in Rockwood, Tennessee, the son of James William Howard Sr. and Sara Elizbeth Dennis Howard.

Mr. Howard was of the Baptist faith and a member of the Faith Masonic Lodge #756 and Order of the Eastern Star #390. He retired from the Oak Ridge Fire Department, where he was Chief Fire Inspector. After retirement, he purchased acreage in Dyllis and was in the process of building a homestead for he and his family. Working with his son, clearing land, creating a pond, and remodeling houses, which were moved from Oak Ridge, was a project he loved. He also enjoyed fishing in his free time.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his grandson, Joseph William Howard Tunkel, and brother-in-law, Donald Wayne Gullett, whom he thought of as a true brother. [Read more…]

Obituary: David Wayne Presnell

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David Pressnell
David Wayne Pressnell

David Wayne Pressnell, 58, of Oak Ridge, passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2019, at Methodist Medical Center.

He was born May 28, 1961, in Oak Ridge, the son of Jerry Dwight Pressnell and Peggy Jo Sutton Pressnell.

David graduated from Oak Ridge High School in 1979 and earned his
bachelor’s degree in operations management from the University of Tennessee. He was employed with Information International Associates Inc. (IIA), where he was a technical recruiter.

David was a long-time member of Central Baptist Church of Oak Ridge and attended Crossroads Christian Church in Claxton, where he was active in church fellowship. He was an avid golfer and fisherman. In earlier years, he loved playing racquetball. David also enjoyed coaching at Girls Inc. and the Boys Club. Most precious to him were his four grandbabies.

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Obituary: Helen Louise Sklad

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Helen Sklad
Helen Louise Sklad

Helen Louise Sklad: Daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother

Helen Louise Sklad, nee Muniak, passed away on Saturday, August 23, 2019, at the Alexander Guest House in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

She was born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1923 to Joseph and Anna (Prozeck) Muniak. She was one of nine children—John, Joseph, Walter, Louis, her twin sister Mary, Chester, Edward, and Stella. She attended Saint John Cantius Catholic School and graduated from Jane Addams High School. During World War II, she worked at Jack and Heinz Inc., making airplane parts to aid the war effort. In the 1950s, she worked at Sklad’s Grocery Store in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, where, among other things, she ran the soda fountain, and she later worked for the Catholic Cemeteries Association in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Obituary: Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline

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Emma Gallaher Photo
Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline

Emma Lou Gallaher-Kline, age 82, of Harriman, Tennessee, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, August 3, 2019, at Parkwest Medical Center.

Emma was born on May 23, 1937, to the late Remus and Mary Magdalene Gallaher.

Emma was preceded in death by her husband Reverend James Leroy Kline Sr. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Johnny, Remus, Andrew, Fred, Glenn, and J.B. Gallaher; sisters, Mary Elizabeth and Ethel Gallaher; and a special aunt, Minnie Love.

Emma was a devout follower and lover of the Lord. She loved to cook, garden, and spend time with her family and church family. Emma was affectionately known as “Granny” to all; she was simply the definition of love.

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Obituary: Young Hogan Etheridge

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Young Hogan Etheridge (December 9, 1943-May 12, 2019): A man without limit, with original energy. Out of Ashley County, Arkansas toward Raasay, Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris, and others; seeking things true and untrue, unafraid to know; telling tall tales, unconstrained by “facts”; drinking Beaujolais Nouveau, fully breathing the grapes and the land; whistling unmistakably; endlessly reading Pratchett, Twain, Rowling, Dickens, Doyle, Stout; curious, always curious, listening intently to all of the music of the universe; great-grandfather of Marley; grandfather of Ruth, Adrian, Seth, Jacob, Carina, Dalton, Lucy, Garrison, Stella, and Annie; father of Allen (Suzanne), Allise, Jennifer (Vance), Sam (Yvonne), Amos (Lari), and Jon (Mary); husband of Katherine (love without limit and without end). Weatherford Mortuary in charge of the arrangements. An on-line guestbook can be signed at www.weatherfordmortuary.com.

Obituary: Mira Ryczke Kimmelman, Holocaust survivor

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Mira Ryczke Kimmelman

Mira Ryczke Kimmelman, 95, of 969 West Outer Drive, died peacefully at home at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17.

Mira’s long and purposeful life was dotted with tragic events and redeeming joys. She was born on September 17, 1923, in the seaside resort of Zoppot, a suburb of the free City of Danzig. Her father Moritz was a grain merchant and her mother Eugenia dedicated herself to raising Mira and her younger brother Benno.

This happy life came to an abrupt end in 1939 when the Nazis invaded Danzig and drove Mira and her family from their home, first to ghettos in Warsaw and Tomaszow Mazowiecki, then to concentration camps Blizyn-Majdanek and Auschwitz, and thereafter on a horrific death march to Bergen-Belsen, where Mira was liberated and reunited with her father. Sadly, her mother and brother did not survive the Holocaust.

In 1946, she met another survivor, Max Kimmelman, who had lost his wife and daughter in the Holocaust. They married on May 19, 1946, in Germany. With the assistance of family in Cincinnati, Ohio, they were able to immigrate to the United States and arrived in Cincinnati, Ohio, on August 2, 1948.

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Obituary: James Edward ‘Ed’ Westcott

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James Edward "Ed" Westcott

James Edward “Ed” Westcott

James Edward “Ed” Westcott, Sr., 97, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at his daughter’s home, where he lived, on March 29, 2019.

He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on January 20, 1922, to parents Jamie Rupert Westcott and Lucille Green Westcott, who preceded him in death. Ed had one brother, Hugh “Buddy” Westcott, who also preceded him in death.

Ed was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.

He grew up in Nashville, and he graduated from Andrews High School and attended the Watkins Art School in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his training in photography from the Photo Craft Studio, Shadow Art Studio, and from an internship with the National Youth Administration.

He was married June 16, 1941, to a former Nashvillian, Esther Seigenthaler Westcott, who passed away in 1996. [Read more…]

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