Riley Goodman, age 90, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014, at his home.
Mr. Goodman was born Nov. 24, 1923, in Anderson County. He is a lifelong resident of this area.
Riley was a retired machinist from the Y-12 Federal Plant in Oak Ridge. He retired in 1985 following 28 years of employment.
Mr. Goodman served his country in the United States Army during World War II. [Read more…]
Gladys Ernestine Bates, age 86, of Oak Ridge, passed away Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014, at Summit View Health Care Center in Knoxville.
She was born April 1, 1927, in Hatchechubbee, Ala., the daughter of Mattie Bell King and Harry Perry.
Mrs. Bates retired from the Oak Ridge Hospital, where she worked in the dietary department. She was a member of Oak Valley Baptist Church. She was an avid reader and enjoyed gardening and cooking.
She was preceded in death by husband Bill Bates and son Dewayne Bates. [Read more…]
David Edward Riker
David Edward Riker, age 40, of Oak Ridge, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at Parkwest Medical Center in Knoxville.
He was born Aug. 8, 1973, in Oak Ridge, the son of Brooksie Lea Lindsey and Richard Bertrand Riker, both of whom preceded him in death.
David graduated from ITT Technical Institute in 2001. He enjoyed playing Dungeons and Dragons and Power Grid, and every Saturday he was active with Dragoncon—groups that he had played with for many years. [Read more…]
Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey
Wanda Juanita Freeman Massey, age 91, of Oak Ridge, passed away Monday, Jan. 13, 2014, at the Ben Atchley Tennessee State Veterans Home in Knoxville.
She was born April 9, 1922, in Van Lear, Ky., the daughter of William and Goldie Chandler Hawley.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Lillian Scott; brothers, Willis, Charles, and James Hawley; stepsons, Malcolm and Harold Massey; and husbands, Ernest Freeman and Charles Fairbanks Massey.
Her first husband, Ernest Freeman, passed away in 1955. After his death, she enrolled in nursing school and graduated from Fulton Vocational Tech in Knoxville. She retired in 1986 from Oak Ridge Hospital, where she worked for 27 years as a licensed practical nurse. She was the recipient of the very first Employee of the Year Award at the hospital. She also served for many years as a volunteer with the Methodist Medical Center Volunteer Organization. [Read more…]
Eddy G. Palmer, age 73, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014, following an automobile accident.
Mr. Palmer was born on Feb. 17, 1940, in Adamsville, Tenn. He lived in and grew up in Oliver Springs. Following his high school graduation, he moved to Dayton, Ohio. While in Dayton, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he proudly served his country. Following his military discharge, he returned back to Dayton and began his profession as a builder and contractor.
In 1977, he and his family moved back home to Oliver Springs. He and his business partner, Jerry Johnson, founded P & J Builder, a successful home building business. He continued operating the business until his retirement in 2003.
He loved his family and friends and he enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening. Additionally, he loved animals and attending local flea markets. [Read more…]
Donald Frederick Alderman, 87, a resident of Oliver Springs, passed away Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014, at Park West Medical Center in Knoxville.
Mr. Alderman was born on June 5, 1926, in Rushford, N.Y. Before moving to Tennessee, he lived in Rushford and Olean, N.Y.
He was a retired machinist and believed in the Baptist faith. Mr. Alderman had a great passion for writing. He was a published author, of both a novel and a book of poems.
Donald served his country bravely in the Second World War. While serving, he received several medals, citations, and ribbons. [Read more…]
Van Buren Seiber
Van Buren “Van B” Seiber, age 87, a resident of the Frost Bottom Community in Anderson County, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
Mr. Seiber was born March 26, 1926, in Harlan, Ky. He and his family moved to Oliver Springs in his early years, where he had continued to live.
He entered the United States Navy and bravely served his country during the Second World War. While serving, he received several medals, citations, badges, and awards.
Van was a retired master brick mason and his greatest hobby was working. He also enjoyed reading, discussing politics, telling stories about the old times, flying his airplane, and traveling. [Read more…]
Hargus Pearl Church of Oliver Springs completed his life’s journey on Friday, Jan. 10, following a lengthy illness. He had been a resident of Ben Atchley State Veterans’ Home since July 2013. He was 88 years old.
He was born in Jewel Ridge, W.V., and later moved to Pine Creek, Va., where he grew up. He joined the Marine Corps at the age of 17 and had his 18th birthday at Paris Island. Following boot camp, he was sent to Philadelphia Naval Yard to serve as a guard. Disappointed at not being sent overseas to fight for his country, he went AWOL…not running away from battle, but running TO it… and hitchhiked from Philadelphia to San Francisco, where he turned himself in, explaining that he didn’t want to sit out the war in the states while others were fighting. After three months in the brig, he got his wish and was shipped out to the South Pacific, where he fought in several campaigns before being wounded in combat on Okinawa. He was awarded a Purple Heart and letter of commendation.
After the war, he married his childhood sweetheart, Zella Dye. They moved to Tennessee in 1949 and he went to work at the Oak Ridge Nuclear Facility, where he worked for many years, as well as running his own tire retreading business. [Read more…]
Andrew C. Griggs
Andrew Calvin Griggs, age 58, of Knoxville passed away Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014, at his home.
Andrew was born in Oak Ridge on Jan. 24, 1955, to the late Ernie T. and Mattie Lynn Mynatt Griggs. He graduated Oak Ridge High School in 1973. Andrew entered active duty with the United States Army on Jan. 2, 1975, and served as a multi-channel communications equipment operator until his honorable discharge from active duty on Dec. 13, 1976.
A member of the Claxton Church of Christ, Andrew was employed for many years as a master welder and enjoyed music and collecting. [Read more…]
Terri Lynn Cornett
Terri Lynn Cornett, age 53, passed away peacefully and quietly at Golden Living Nursing Home on Sunday Jan. 5, 2014.
She was born Jan. 8, 1960, in Oak Ridge and continued to be a lifelong resident. Terri worked for the State of Tennessee as an administrative assistant for the Department of Children’s Services. She was an avid lover of animals and greatly enjoyed sports, including years of playing softball for local church leagues.
Terri was preceded in death by a sister, Cheryl Cornett, and both maternal and paternal grandparents Rufus and Deloris Cornett and George and Gertrude Ogle. [Read more…]
April Elizabeth Bailey
April Elizabeth Bailey, age 29, of Clinton, passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her family on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014.
She was a loving mother, sister, and daughter. April was outgoing, enjoyed gardening, collecting butterflies, and had a love for animals.
April was preceded in death by her grandparents, Irene Hoskins, Colt Hoskins, Letha Russell, and Clarence Pointer.
April is survived by her father and stepmother, J.B. Bailey and Gloria of Clinton; mother, Diane Lyons of Clinton; daughter, Callie Izabel, to whom she was devoted; brother, J.B. Bailey Jr. of Oak Ridge; sister, Amanda Loy and husband Joshua of Clinton; and three nieces, seven nephews, several aunts, uncles, and a host of other relatives and friends. [Read more…]
Ellen Ruth Jeffers
Ellen Ruth Jeffers, age 77, of Clinton, passed away early Thursday morning Jan. 2, 2014, at her home in Clinton.
Ellen was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She enjoyed flower gardening and getting together with family and friends. Ellen was of the Baptist faith.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Caroline Phillips; husband, James Claude Jeffers; son, James Larry Jeffers; daughters, Katie Sue Jeffers and Joanne Clark; brothers, Joe, Henry, Isaac, Kelly, and Jim Aslinger and sisters, Peggy Wilson and Cora Cooper; grandson, Gregory Reynolds; and great-grandson, Austin Robbins. [Read more…]
