Tennessee, U.S., Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
Estella K. Shears, 69, of Memphis, retired custodial worker for Memphis City Schools, died Friday at Methodist University Hospital. Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Oak Grove Baptist Church with burial at 10 a.m. Monday in West Tennessee Veterans cemetery. Millington Funeral Home has charge. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Memphis. Mrs. Shears, the wife of Armstead Shears, also leaves three sons, Armstead Shears Jr., Sam Shears and John Shears; two sisters, Josephine Stallings and Linda Burks, and a brother, McArthur Kendrick, all of Memphis, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Lavera M. Slajer, 78, of Memphis, died Tuesday at Methodist North Hospital. Forest Hill Funeral Home East has charge. She was a communicant and a eucharistic minister of the Church of the Ascension. She leaves four daughters, Rhonda Slajer and Carla Henderson, both of Memphis, and Marsha Morton and Amelia Baughman, both of Kathleen, Ga.; a son, Gregory Slajer of West Seneca, N.Y.; two brothers, John Then of Amherst, N.Y., and David Then of Tonawanda, N.Y., seven grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. The family requests that any memorials be sent to Hemophelia Association or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Carl Nelson Strickland, 47, of Memphis, former employee of Memphis & Shelby County Airport Authority, died Tuesday at Methodist University Hospital. Services will be at noon Monday at N.J. Ford & Sons Funeral Home with burial in New Park cemetery. He leaves his parents, Marallyn S. and A.D. Strickland; three sisters, Patrice Strickland Jones, Debbie Strickland and Kristina Strickland, and a brother, Anthony Strickland, all of Memphis.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Terri L. Strickland, 51, of Memphis, died Sunday at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at M.J. Edwards & Sons Funeral Home with burial in Memorial Park South Woods. She leaves a son, Freedom Baptiste Strickland of Memphis; her mother, Celestine Strickland of Harvey, Ill.; two sisters, Frankie Williams of Longmont, Colo., and Roberta Clark of Markham, Ill., and three brothers, Robert Perry and Tony Strickland, both of Harvey, and Wendell Strickland of Lisle, Ill.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Bertha Rea Bond Walker, 77, of Memphis, retired teacher for Memphis and Shelby County schools, died Tuesday at Spring Gate Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church in Lucy, where she was a member, with burial at 10 a.m. Monday in National cemetery. Jefferson Mortuary in Millington has charge. Mrs. Walker, the widow of Joe Hunter and William Walker, leaves three stepdaughters, Laura Walker Mitchell of Los Angeles, and Wilhelmina Walker Patton and Delois Walker Luellen, both of Memphis; four stepsons, George Walker, William Walker Jr. and Robert Lee Walker, all of Los Angeles, and Eddie Walker of Brinkley, Ark.; a sister, Martha Bond Harris; two brothers, Comodius Bond and Charles Bond, and a nephew who helped care for her, Gregory L. Harris, all of Memphis, 13 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Nancy Wilson, 96, of Collierville, homemaker, died Sunday at Methodist Le Bonheur Germantown Hospital. Services will be at noon Saturday at Mount Olive Baptist Church Two in Collierville, where she was a member, with burial in the church cemetery. H.C. Jett Funeral Home in Collierville has charge. She leaves a caregiver, Idella Murden of Collierville.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Atoka -- Maggie Idella Webb, 89, retired cook for Tipton County Board of Education, died Monday at her home. Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. John Missionary Baptist Church, where she was a member, with burial in the church cemetery. Jefferson Mortuary in Millington has charge. Mrs. Webb, the widow of K.C. Webb, leaves a daughter, Katherine Idella Webb Brown of Atoka; three sons, James Arthur Robinson of San Diego, and John Wayne Robinson and K.C. Webb, both of Atoka; a sister, Louvennia Johnson of Bartlett, 12 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Bolivar -- George Walter Phenton Avent, 85, retired maintenance supervisor for International Shoe Co. and farmer, died Tuesday at Bolivar General Hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Shackelford Funeral Home in Bolivar with burial in Middleburg cemetery near Hickory Valley. He was a World War II Navy veteran and a member of Bemis Church of Christ and the Farm Bureau. Mr. Avent, the husband of Helen Darby Avent of Jackson, also leaves six daughters, Emily Hammons of Bolivar, Elizabeth McCommon of Collierville, Hazel Aldrich of Ketchikan, Alaska, Hester Cardenas of Beech Bluff, Georgia Phillip of Collierville and Elane Haino of Waipahu, Hawaii; two sons, Bill Avent of Columbia and Ricky Avent of Bolivar; a stepdaughter, Susan Reeves of Collierville; three stepsons, Ron Darby and Thomas Shoe, both of Jackson, and Larry Shoe of Fayetteville, Ark.; three sisters, Margaret Vincent of Nashville, Vernice Sandy of Corinth and Emma Louise Sain of Bolivar; two brothers, Jim Avent of Whiteville and Benny Avent of Michie, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to Jackson Christian School.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Brownsville -- James Alvin Burns, 61, construction worker for Julian Builders in Jackson, died Monday at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital. Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Shackelford Funeral Home in Bolivar with burial in Walnut Grove cemetery there. He was a member of Covington Church of God. Mr. Burns, the husband of Mary Aileen Burns for 22 years, also leaves five sons, James Alvin Burns Jr. of Alamo, Michael Burns of Covington, and Andy Burns, Zachary Burns and Cody Burns, all of Bells; four stepdaughters, Christy Humfleet of Hendersonville, Helen Stanley of Brownsville, Carol Ballinger of Alamo and Cheryl Keiper of Dayton, Texas; two stepsons, Gary Odell Curtis of Brownsville and Jerry Allen Curtis of Stanton; three sisters, Velma Lowrance of Bolivar, Evelyn Glass of Covington and Brenda Rogers of Brighton; two brothers, Paul Burns of Covington and Larry Burns of Stanton, 13 stepgrandchildren and eight stepgreat-grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to the American Cancer Society.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Brownsville -- Lucille Meredith Patton, 89, retired teacher and principal, died Saturday at Allen Morgan Health Center in Memphis. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Oakwood cemetery. Brownsville Funeral Home has charge. She was a member of St. John's Methodist Church.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Brownsville -- Willie Preston Shepard, 88, farmer, died Monday at Crestview Health Care Center. Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at St. Paul Baptist Church with burial in St. Paul cemetery. Rawls Funeral Home has charge. Mr. Shepard, the widower of Sally Campbell Shepard, leaves three stepsons, Walter Williams of Memphis, and Johnnie Love and Robert Love, both of Liberal, Kan., and two sisters, Virgil Alexander and Helen Moore, both of Hammond, Ind.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Covington -- Gladys Stevens Jenks, 99, formerly of Utica, N.Y., homemaker, died Tuesday at Covington Manor. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Forest Hill Funeral Home East with burial in East Harrisburg (Pa.) cemetery. She was a member of Bethesda Methodist Church and a nursing home volunteer. Mrs. Jenks, the widow of Franklin J. Stevens and Willis Jenks, leaves a son, Franklin H. Stevens of Bartlett, seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to a charity of the donor's choice.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Covington -- Claire W. Lipsey, 73, of Earlville, N.Y., formerly of Covington, cattle farmer, died Sunday at Bassett Healthcare in Earlville. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Clopton United Methodist Church with burial in Clopton cemetery. Maley-Yarbrough Funeral Home has charge. She was a member of the Episcopal Church. Mrs. Lipsey, the wife of Bill Lipsey, also leaves two daughters, Karlyn Grzymkowski of Poolville, N.Y., and Barclay L. McCauley of Newstead, N.Y.; two sons, Henry J. Goolsby III of Winchester and William Lipsey of Earlville; a stepdaughter, Karen Sebek of Victoria, Australia, seven grandchildren and a great-grandchild. Services will be at Rest Humane Society Wanderer's.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Covington -- Jerry L. Mashburn, 66, supervisor for Ralston Purina, died Tuesday at Saint Francis Hospital-Bartlett. Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Maley-Yarbrough Funeral Home with burial in Covington Memorial Gardens. He was an Army veteran and a member of Solo Church of Christ. He leaves two daughters, Tracy Bryson of Covington and Connie Lou Anne Butorac of Monarch Bay, Calif.; a son, Greg Mashburn of Covington; a stepson, Paul Standridge; his mother, Lucille Mashburn White, and a sister, Patricia Gatlin, all of Covington, and two grandchildren.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Dyersburg -- Ethridge Lee 'Billy' Armstrong, 60, retired from the City of Dyersburg, died Tuesday at Dyersburg Regional Medical Center. Services will be at 1 p.m. today at Johnson Funeral Home in Newbern with burial in Dyer County Memorial Gardens. He was a member of Cross of Jesus Church. Mr. Armstrong, the husband of Frances Armstrong, also leaves a stepdaughter, Janice Jernigan of Dyersburg; a half-sister, Sandra Lilly of Ripley, three grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Dyersburg -- Joyce C. McElyea, 75, retired nurse, died Tuesday at her home. Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Cottonwood Grove Baptist Church, where she was a member, with burial in New Haven cemetery. J.W. Curry & Son Funeral Home has charge. Mrs. McElyea, the widow of Thomas McElyea, leaves a daughter, Sandra McElyea of Dyersburg; two sons, Thomas L. McElyea of Dyersburg and Bill E. McElyea of Tiptonville; a sister, Geneva Smith of South Fulton; three brothers, Damon Deal of Samburg, Cecil Deal Jr. of Newbern and Michael Deal of Jackson, three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The family requests that any memorials be sent to the American Diabetes Association.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Newbern -- Lydia Janice Chumley Gregory, 65, of Clearwater, Fla., formerly of Newbern, waitress and factory employee, died March 2 at her home. Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Fairview cemetery. Johnson Funeral Home has charge. She leaves three daughters, Donna Cornwall and Hope Gregory, both of Newbern, and Sandra Jean Gregory of Gainesville, Fla.; a son, Wesley East of Trimble; five sisters, Diane Whittiemore, Barbara Daugherty and Alma J. Rose, all of Covington, Rebecca Gray of Linden and Carolyn Mitchell of Dyersburg; two brothers, Jerry Chumley of Covington and Lanier Chumley of Brighton, three grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Newbern -- Leroy Newton Sanders, 88, retired owner and manager of Western Auto after 46 years, died Tuesday at Dyersburg Regional Medical Center. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Fairview cemetery in Dyersburg. J.W. Curry & Son Funeral Home in Dyersburg has charge. He was a World War II veteran, a member of First Christian Church, a former member of Newbern Rotary Club and former commander of the American Legion. Mr. Sanders, the husband of Doris Spence Sanders for 64 years, also leaves a son, John Marshall Sanders of Newbern. The family requests that any memorials be sent to a charity of the donor's choice.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
Savannah -- Zella Katherine Clausel, 84, secretary, died Tuesday at Texas Medical Center Hospice in Houston. Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Shackelford Funeral Home with burial in Piney Grove cemetery in Hardin County. She leaves two sisters, Jo Kate Crafton of Houston and Martha Freese of Savannah, and two brothers, Glenn Clausel and Vernon Clausel, both of Houston.
[Death notice dated March 17, 2005]
