Minnie "Zolline" Ellis
1934-2005
BUENA VISTA: Services for Minnie "Zolline" Ellis, 70, were conducted on
Saturday, February 5, at 1:00 p.m., in the Chase Funeral Home Chapel with Bro.
Johnny Boyd officiating. Interment followed in the McAuley Cemetery.
Mrs. Ellis died on Wednesday, February 2, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in
Huntingdon.
She was born February 21, 1934, in Carroll County, to the late Henry Zollie
Massey and Verda Noles Massey. She was a retired seamstress for the Publix Shirt
Corporation and a member of the Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church. She was
preceded in death by a brother, David Massey.
Survivors include her husband, L.D. Ellis; a daughter, Sherry Grose; two sons,
Johnny Ellis and Danny Ellis, all of Buena Vista; two sisters, Shelby Crocker of
Midway and Laura Hallowell of Kingston Springs; four grandchildren; and five
great-grandchildren.
Dorothy Evelyn Morgan
1923-2005
MILAN: Services for Dorothy Evelyn Morgan, 81, formerly of Gleason, were at
2:00 p.m., Thursday, February 3, at First Baptist Church in Gleason with the
Rev. Kenny Carr officiating. Burial was in Hopewell Cemetery.
Mrs. Morgan, a retired employee of Baby Shoe Company, died Tuesday, February 1,
at the Milan General Hospital.
She was born October 5, 1923, to the late Acie and Vessie Gurley Ervin. She was
a member of the Gleason First Baptist Church.
Survivors include a son, Gary Morgan of Phoenix, Arizona; a daughter, Carol
Davis of Milan; a brother, Robert Theron Ervin of Fort Myers, Florida; three
sisters, Mildred Coleman of McKenzie, Hazel Jackson of Hohenwald and Donna
Packer of Vernonville, Michigan; 12 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
John "Claudie" Jones
1925-2005
MCKENZIE: Services for John "Claudie" Jones, 79, were held on Thursday,
February 3, at 2:00 p.m., at the Chase Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Vance
Rushing officiating. Interment followed in the Carroll Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Jones died on Monday, January 31, at the Jackson-Madison County General
Hospital.
Mr. Jones was born July 20, 1925, in Medina, to the late Elmer Claudie Jones and
Flora Mae Cunningham Jones. He was a retired production worker for the Plumley
Rubber Company. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel Mae Edwards Jones.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Dodd; three sons, William Jones, Rex Jones
and Robert Jones, all of McKenzie; two sisters, Nellie Matlock of Trezevant and
Galinda Hudgins of Knoxville; nine grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Erlene Laverne Adams
1915-2005
MCKENZIE: Graveside services for Earlene Laverne Adams, 89, were at 2:00
p.m. Thursday, February 3, at Carroll Memorial Gardens with Bro. Jim Roberts
officiating. Brummitt Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Adams, a homemaker, died Monday, January 31, at Huntingdon Health and Rehab
Center.
She was born August 12, 1915, in Carroll County, to the late Victoria Tate Cox
and Earl B. Cox. She was a member of the McKenzie Church of Christ.
Survivors include a son, Ronnie Adams of Big Sandy; a daughter, Barbara Tatum of
Milan; a sister, Mary Sue Reed of Memphis; and one grandchild.
She was preceded in death by a son, Ray Adams, and a brother, Robert Earl Cox.
Billy Woodruff
1933-2005
MCKENZIE: Private services for Billy Woodruff, 71, will be held at a later
date. The body was cremated.
Mr. Woodruff died Sunday, January 30, at his home.
He was born July 11, 1933, in Freeport, Texas. He was a 23-year veteran of the
United States Navy, serving during the Korean Conflict and Vietnam era. He was a
mechanical engineer for Mobile Oil Company for nine years in Dallas and Nigeria.
He was also a member and elder at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day
Saints.
Survivors include his wife, Sammye Woodruff; his mother, Thelma Mae Gifford
Woodruff of Freeport, Texas; four daughters, Rebecca Hall of Lewisville, Texas;
Julia Rasmussen of Brazoria, Texas; Robbye Goodard of Taiwan; and Brenda
Jeffries of Tyler, Texas; a son, James Floyd Woodruff of Rathdrum, Idaho; two
sisters, Dorothy Niedelman of Austin, Texas and Linda Doolan of Friendswood,
Texas; a brother, Robert Woodruff of Freeport, Texas; 13 grandchildren; and 17
great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Sanford Amos Woodruff, Jr.
Thomas Everett Smith
1941-2005
HENRY: Services for Thomas Everett Smith, 63, were held at 11:00 a.m.,
Thursday, February 3, at Ridgeway Funeral Home with Alan Trull officiating.
Interment followed in Rushing Cemetery.
Mr. Smith, a Henry County school bus driver for 30 years, was dead on arrival on
Tuesday, February 1, at Henry County Medical Center. He was a cattle farmer and
a former member of the Henry Saddle Club.
He was born June 15, 1941, to Edith Anderson Smith Stockdale of Henry and the
late Thomas Numa Smith. His stepfather, W.B. Stockdale, preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Glenda L. Cox Hamlin Smith; a daughter, Bobbie Jo
Toombs of McKenzie; two sons, Billy Joe Hamlin of Henry and Ricky Thomas Smith
of Medina; two sisters, Patsy Wyrick of Paris and Debbie Titterington of
Highland Village, Texas; one brother, Jimmy Smith of Henry; and five
grandchildren.
Paul Staten
1943-2004
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Services for Paul Staten, 61, were at 1:00 p.m. Sunday,
February 6, in the Chase Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. John Williams
officiating. Interment followed in the Hopewell Cemetery in Yuma.
Mr. Staten died on Thursday, January 17, in Las Vegas.
He was born November 3, 1943, in Carroll County. He was a supervisor for the
Republic Recycling Center in Las Vegas. He was preceded in death by his mother,
Trulay Staten, seven aunts, one niece and two nephews.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Howard Staten; his father, John Rivers; four
daughters: Cynthia Staten of Kinchclo, Michigan, Trula Staten of Texas, and
Stephanie Staten-DeBois and Melissa Ann Staten, both of Las Vegas; three sons:
Jeremy Staten of Las Vegas and James Paul Staten and Devon Staten, both of
Wildersville; one sister, Mary Ann Hart of Clarksburg; two brothers, Jeffrey
Rivers of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and John M. Rivers of Huntingdon; and 15
grandchildren.
Timothy Cloyce Swinford
1964-2004
YUMA: Services for Timothy Cloyce Swinford, 40, were on Tuesday, February 8,
at 2:00 p.m., in the Yuma Missionary Baptist Church with Bro. Phillip Halters
officiating. Interment followed in the New Hope Cemetery in Yuma.
Mr. Swinford died Saturday, February 5, at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
He was born February 13, 1964, in Toone. He was a heavy equipment operator for
the Yates Construction Company and also pastored the New Prospect Missionary
Baptist Church in Parsons. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Cloyce
VanAlstine.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa Burton Swinford; his father and mother,
Walter Jerome Swinford and Leola Mae VanAlstine Swinford of Yuma; his
grandmother, Viola VanAlstine of Clarksburg; two daughters, Amanda Robbins and
Rebecca Ann Swinford, and one son, Timothy Cloyce Swinford, Jr., all of Yuma;
three sisters: Tina Swinford of Corpus Christi, Texas, Teresa Williams of
Marion, Arkansas, and Tammy Ashcroft of Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas; five brothers:
Thomas Swinford of Jackson, Tony Swinford of Mississippi, Walter Swinford, Jr.
of Jackson, and Toby Swinford and Michael Swinford, all of Yuma; and one
grandson.
Robert Eugene Ezell
1954-2005
MCKENZIE: Graveside services for Robert Eugene Ezell, 50, were at 2:00 p.m.
Tuesday, February 8, at Pleasant Green Cemetery in Trezevant. Brummitt Funeral
Home was in charge of the arrangements.
Mr. Ezell, who was disabled, died Sunday, February 6, at his residence.
He was born April 25, 1954, in McKenzie.
Survivors include his father, Gene Ezell, and his mother, Dorothy Crews Ezell,
both of McKenzie; three sons, Adam (Jessica) Ezell and Edgar Longworth, both of
McKenzie and Casey (Beth) Ezell of Paris; three daughters, Angela (Danny) Allen,
Cindy Lovell and Dana Copeland, all of McKenzie; a special friend, Mary
Longworth of McKenzie; and ten grandchildren: Ariel Allen, Issac Ezell, Brianna
Ezell, Dalton Lovell, Hunter Lovell, Kaley Longworth, Jessica Copeland,
Christopher Copeland, Steve Nevells and Kayla Nevells.
He was preceded in death by a son, Anthony Scott Ezell.Merle Kilgore
1934-2005
Henry Countian, Country Artist
PARIS: Merle Kilgore, who co-wrote "Ring of Fire" during a wide-ranging
career in music, died Sunday evening in Mexico of medical complications related
to his treatment for cancer. He was 70.
Kilgore lived in Henry County since 1986 and was the manager of Hank Williams,
Jr., also a resident of Henry County.
During his career, Kilgore was a singer, songwriter, disc jockey, radio program
director, actor and manager.
As a songwriter, he co-wrote "Ring of Fire" with June Carter, which became a hit
in 1963 for Johnny Cash. Ms. Carter later become Cash's wife.
He also wrote "Wolverton Mountain", a hit in 1962 by Claude King, "More and
More," a 1954 hit for Webb Pierce, and "Johnny Reb," a hit in 1959 by Johnny
Horton. He was a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Behind the scenes, he was Williams' personal manager, and negotiated the deal
for Williams' performances to open ABC's "Monday Night Football." He also worked
with Hank Williams, Sr.
He had a long association with Williams, joining his road show in 1964 as
opening act. He became general manager of Williams' publishing companies in
1969.
Kilgore also did some acting, appearing in "Coal Miner's Daughter," "Nashville,"
"Nevada Smith and "Five Card Stud."
As a singer, he had a Top 10 country hit in 1960, "Love Has Made You Beautiful."
Kilgore had recording contracts with all the major Nashville record labels at
one time or another.
Additionally, he and Elvis Presley performed together in the South just as
Presley was launching his career in the mid-1950s.
Kilgore was born Aug. 9, 1934, in Chickasha, Okla., and grew up in Shreveport.
In October 2004, Kilgore received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the
International Entertainment Buyers Association.
"I'm scratching and fighting my way back to the top," he said at the time.
Kilgore was named an honorary state senator in Tennessee and was inducted into
the Louisiana Hall of Fame.
Kilgore is survived by his wife, Judy, sons Steve and Duane Kilgore, daughters
Pam Compton, Kim Pomeroy and Shane McBee, eight grandchildren and one
great-granddaughter.
Hendersonville (Tennessee) Memory Gardens will be handling funeral arrangements,
which are incomplete. |
