Tennessee, U.S., Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
Bessie V. McKeethan
Oliver Springs resident
Bessie V. McKeethan, 88, of Oliver Springs, died Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, at the Life Care Center of Morgan County.
Mrs. McKeethan was born Aug. 3, 1912, in Sunbright, the daughter of Leander Claude Galloway and Edie Emaline England Galloway. She had lived in Oliver Springs since 1944.
She was the widow of Forrest McKeethan. She had attended Mount Pisgah Baptist Church of Oliver Springs.
Mrs. McKeethan is survived by her sons, Mike McKeethan of Kingston and Tim McKeethan and his wife, Melba, of Oliver Springs; her grandchildren, Janene Browder of Knoxville, Steve McKeethan of Kingston and Heather Burnett of Harriman; her great-grandchildren, Laura Browder, Andrew Sullivan and Ethan Burnett; and her sister, Lorene Stringfield of Wartburg.
In addition to her husband and her parents, four brothers and two sisters, Liesley Hayes Galloway, Charles Wesley Galloway, Claude Leander Galloway, William Hurgin Galloway, Hannah Rebecca Summers and Mamie Elizabeth Colditz, died earlier.
The funeral was held Sunday, Jan. 7, in the chapel of Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs with the Rev. Garvan Walls officiating.
A graveside service was to be conducted at 11 this morning, Jan. 8, at Oliver Springs Cemetery.
Willie O. 'Billie' Gillespie
Longtime Oak Ridge resident
Willie O. "Billie" Gillespie, 93, of Oak Ridge, died Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, at Farragut Health Care Center in Farragut.
Mrs. Gillespie was born Aug. 12, 1907, in Greenwood, Ky., the daughter of William Clinton Daly and Mary K. Brummitt Owens, both deceased.
She came to Oak Ridge in 1949 with her husband, Jack Gillespie, an internal auditor who retired from the Department of Energy in 1975 after 30 years of service. Her husband died June 4, 1981.
She met her husband in Knoxville and they were married at Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville on Sept. 23, 1934. Prior to her husband's going to work for the government, Mrs. Gillespie worked at the Tennessee Valley Authority for 10 years as secretary to George H. Irish, head of the Transportation Department.
Shortly after arriving in Oak Ridge, Mrs. Gillespie became active in volunteer services of the American Red Cross, serving as chairman of the Gray Ladies and then chairman of Volunteer Services, donating much of her time in the days of Bloodmobile visits.
She was an active member of First United Methodist Church and the Oak Ridge Woman's Club. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star and had served as past worthy matron of the Acacia Chapter in Knoxville. Her hobbies were knitting, doing needlepoint embroidery, playing bridge and traveling, which she did extensively.
Mrs. Gillespie is survived by her nieces and nephews, Betty McKeehan McSpadden of Knoxville, Elizabeth Owings Franklin, Jean Gover Watkins and Janice Gover King, all of Lexington, Ky., Katherine Foster Baum of Coronado, Calif., Mary Katherine Minnich of Benton, La., and Charles W. Owings and Glen Gover, both of Somerset, Ky.
A graveside service was to be conducted at 1:30 this afternoon, Jan. 8, at Anderson Memorial Gardens in Clinton.
The family requests that any memorials be in the form of donations to a charity of the donor's choice.
Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home handled arrangements.
A.A. Walls
Retired Carbide engineer
A.A. Walls, 75, of Knoxville, died Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, in Knoxville.
Mr. Walls was born Nov. 27, 1925, in Morgan County, the son of Alex Walls and Mamie McGlothlin Walls, who are deceased. After graduating from Coalfield High School in 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps where he was a bombardier, flying in a B-17, during World War II. He received two service medals.
After the war, he earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee. In January 1951, he married Louise Huskisson. The couple had been married for 45 years at the time of her death.
Mr. Walls was retired from Union Carbide Nuclear Division. He worked as an engineer for five years at the Oak Ridge K-25 Site and for 29 years at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
His professional memberships included architectural and engineering societies in Tennessee and Toastmasters. Mr. Walls received the Distinguished Toastmasters Award from the Fountain City Toastmasters.
His childhood church was Middle Creek Baptist Church in Oliver Springs but for the past 45 years, he had been a member of Second Methodist Church of Knoxville.
He is survived by his sister, Naomi Webster; several nieces, Susan Huskisson and Judy Rhyne, whom he considered special, and Elaine Jump and Cheryl Kohlrieser; his nephews, Richard Walls, Jim Webster and Mike Webster; his sister-in-law, Sarah Wimmyer; his brother-in-law, Harry Huskisson; and 15 grandnieces and grandnephews.
Ben Cathy and Rube McCord were considered special friends.
In addition to his wife and his parents, two other brothers, Warren Walls and James Walls, died earlier.
The funeral was held Saturday, Jan. 6, at Rose Mortuary, Mann Heritage Chapel, Knoxville, with the Rev. Bob Tripp officiating.
A graveside service was held Sunday, Jan. 7, at Edgewood Cemetery, Knoxville. Members of the Volunteer State Veterans Honor Guard conducted military rites.
The family requests that any memorials be in the form of donations to the Stained-Glass-Window Fund at Middle Creek Baptist Church, 6455 Knoxville Highway, Oliver Springs, TN 37840; or to Second United Methodist Church, 1524 Western Ave., Knoxville, TN 37921.
Thelma Ruth Goodman McCulley
Thelma Ruth Goodman McCulley, 90, of Lake City, died Friday, Jan. 5, 2001, at the Lake City Health Care Center.
She was born Oct. 20, 1910, in Anderson County.
Survivors include two daughters and their husbands, Marjorie and John Dugger of Briceville and Thelma and Benji Quintana of Virginia; a son and his wife, Johnny and Joyce McCulley of Clinton; a sister, Claudia Gross of Lake City; and nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
The funeral was held Sunday evening, Jan. 7, in the chapel of Cox-Martin Funeral Home in Lake City. The Rev. Harvey Sherlin officiated.
A graveside service was conducted at 11 this morning, Jan. 8, at Oak Grove Cemetery in Lake City.
Warren 'R.G.' Loy Sr.
Retired hospital security guard
Warren "R.G" Loy Sr., 79, of Heiskell, died Monday, Jan. 7, 2002, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge after a lengthy illness.
Born May 25, 1922 in Anderson County, he was the son of Bennett and Lucinda Newport Loy, who are deceased. In earlier years he worked as a laborer, then later worked for many years as a security guard at the Oak Ridge hospital before retiring.
Mr. Loy was a Baptist.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Elsie Crawford Loy; two daughters, Jo Ann Loy Davis of Knoxville and Carrol Loy Elliott and her husband, Eddie Sr., of Clinton; three sons, Steve D. Loy and his wife, Regina, of Clinton, Warren Loy Jr. and his wife, Ernestine, of Heiskell, and Kenneth Loy and his wife, Jill, of Port Huron, Mich.; one sister, Beulah Coolidge Wallace of Andersonville; and 20 grandchildren and 33 great-grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, another daughter, Melinda Gail Loy, three sisters, Beuena Elliott, Stella Butrum and Beatrice Poore, a brother, Charles W. "Buss" Loy, and a granddaughter, Channa R. Elliott, died earlier.
The funeral will be held at 8:30 tonight, Jan. 8, in the chapel of Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton with the Rev. Harold Duncan and the Rev. Roy Hammock officiating.
A graveside service will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, at Red Hill Cemetery in Andersonville.
The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight at the funeral home.
Nellie Elizabeth West
Former Lake City resident
Nellie Elizabeth West, 78, of Knoxville, formerly of Lake City, died Sunday, Jan. 6, 2002, at Briarcliff Health Care Center in Oak Ridge.
She is survived by a niece, Audrey Turpin and her husband, Jay, of Powell, and two nephews, Bob Ward and Buddy Ward and his wife, Shirley, all of Knoxville.
A graveside service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 9, at the Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, 5901 Lyons View Pike, Knoxville.
Cox-Martin Funeral Home in Lake City is handling arrangements.
Jetta Faye Chambers
Has Oak Ridge relatives
Jetta Faye Chambers, 61, died Monday, Jan. 5, 2004, at the home of her sister in Oak Ridge.
She was a lifelong resident of Oneida and had made her home in Oak Ridge in recent years. She was a retired bookkeeper for H T Hackney - Jellico Grocery and Tri-County Motors in Oneida. She was a Christian member of First Baptist Church in Oneida and attended Christ Community Church while in Oak Ridge.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe and Laura Chambers, and by a brother, J.R. Chambers.
Miss Chambers is survived by two sisters, Eva Litton of Oneida, and Colletta Chitwood and husband, Cecil, of Oak Ridge; three brothers, Clifton Chambers and wife, Juanita, of Oneida, Tommy Chambers and wife, Mertie, of Knoxville, and Bradford Chambers of Indianapolis, Ind.; and by several nieces and nephews.
According to her family, Aunt Jettie was very devoted and caring to her many loving nieces and nephews.
Her family said she made many friends, some who preceded her in death and some who survive her.
The funeral will be at 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2004, at West-Murley Funeral Home in Oneida with the Rev. Tom Job of Christ Community Church and the Rev. Dr. Doug White of First Baptist Church in Oneida officiating.
Burial will be at 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, at Hazel Valley Cemetery in Oneida.
The family will receive friends beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
