Millard Adkins
June 6, 2025
Millard Adkins went into the arms of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Friday, June 6, 2025, surrounded by his loving family.
Born July 21, 1928, Millard was a devoted and faithful man of God who found great joy in studying God’s holy word. He was a beloved member of Clinton Church of Christ for 72 years. From 1950 to 1955, he worked at Y-12, and shortly after began a long career as a custodian with Anderson County Schools, retiring in 1991. In retirement, he enjoyed watching Westerns and fishing.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Dora Jean Adkins; parents, Robert “Bob” Adkins and Martha (Disney) Adkins; daughters, Brenda Lowe and Wilma Ford; son, Larry Adkins; sons-in-law, Richard Moore, George Rutherford and Johnny Cox; grandson, Michael Ford; great-granddaughter, Kylie Grace Ford; sisters, Aline Adkins, Edna Adkins and Evelyn Sterner; and brothers, Buster, Edgar and Sherman Adkins.
Survivors include daughters, Gladys Lasko and husband John, Mildred Rutherford, and Carolyn Cox; son, Paul Adkins; sons-in-law, Gary Lowe and Robert Ford; daughter-in-law, Beverly Adkins; 10 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; nine great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
The family will receive friends from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12, 2025, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton. The funeral will begin at 12:30 p.m. with ministers Daryl Glenn, Gary Jones and Richard Bentley officiating. A graveside service will follow at Woodhaven Memorial Garden.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Shirley Scruggs
May 31, 2025
Shirley Scruggs, 86, of Clinton went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, May 31, 2025.
She was born on June 28, 1938, in Drakesboro, Kentucky, to Melvin and Verda Reeves. Shirley lived a life dedicated to her faith, evident in her long-standing membership at Bethel Baptist Church. She also served on the church’s kitchen committee, where she lovingly prepared meals for others, reflecting her servant’s heart.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Scruggs; daughter, Cindy Carter; parents, Melvin and Verda Reeves; brother, Jerry Reeves; and sister, Helen Reeves.
Shirley is survived by her son, Donnie Scruggs and wife, Sherri; grandchildren, Farrah Stooksbury and husband, Danny, Chris Weaver, Patience Marcum and husband, Tim, and Zach Scruggs and wife, Amanda; great-grandchildren, Jackson Stooksbury, AnnaLia Stooksbury, Ainsley Marcum, Finley Marcum, and Allie Scruggs; sister-in-law, Mary Lowe; and brother-in-law, Kenneth Scruggs. She is also survived by several nieces, nephews, extended family members and special friends whom she loved dearly.
The family will receive friends from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, June 5, 2025, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton. The funeral will follow at 6 p.m. A graveside service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, June 6, at Norris Memorial Gardens.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
holleygamble.com.
Norma Lou Hohman
May 29, 2025
Norma Lou Hohman, 83, of Clinton, went home to be with the Lord on May 29, 2025, at Methodist Medical Center.
She was of the Baptist faith and a member of South Clinton Baptist Church. Born in Oliver Springs, she was the daughter of the late Charlie and Lula Mae Foust.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Lowell Hohman.
She is survived by her sons, Michael Hohman and Alan Hohman and wife Wendy; brother, Charles Foust and wife Nancy; sister, Irma Johnson; granddaughters, Krista Robinette and husband Josh, and Sarah Hohman; and great-grandchild, Lincoln Robinette.
A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at Woodhaven Cemetery with the Rev. Johnny Owens officiating.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements.
holleygamble.com
Marilyn “Tut” Portwood
May 29, 2025
Marilyn “Tut” Portwood, 94, passed away peacefully May 29, 2025, at NHC Healthcare in Oak Ridge.
She loved the Lord and spent her life in faithful service to Him. A devoted member of South Clinton Baptist Church for more than 60 years, Marilyn cherished her church family and her pastor, Dr. Roger Pugh. In earlier years, she taught Sunday School and was active in the church choir. She was deeply loved by her neighbors and friends, especially those from South Clinton Baptist.
Marilyn retired from EG&G Instruments, where she worked as an electronics inspector. She enjoyed gardening, swimming and traveling throughout her life.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Portwood; parents, Jake and Elizabeth Dew; brothers, Joe and Bob Dew; and sisters, Edith Queener, Louis Wallace and Naomi Dew.
Survivors include her daughters, Angela (Scott) Fleming of Clinton and Sharon (Sam) Moore of Morristown; grandsons, Matthew (Carrie) and Russell (Jill); many great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Her niece, Lana Woods, shared a particularly close bond with Marilyn, and their visits and trips together brought her much joy.
A graveside service was held at Grandview Memorial Garden with Dr. Roger Pugh officiating.
The family expresses deep appreciation to Dona, Jess, McKeena, Amber and Pam for their exceptional, compassionate care; the nurses and staff at NHC; Caris Healthcare for their compassionate caring and guidance; her special friend at NHC, Effie, who cared for her; and her close neighbor Eunice, who fed her and the ladies with wonderful cooking from her kitchen.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to South Clinton Baptist Church, 1000 Clinch Ave., Clinton, TN 37716.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton was in charge of arrangements.
holleygamble.com
James Dale Cox
May 25, 2025
James Dale Cox, 89, passed away peacefully on May 25, 2025, leaving behind his devoted family to begin his eternal life in heaven.
Born on June 26, 1935, in Clinton, Tennessee, Dale graduated from Clinton High School in 1954, where he played multiple sports and was active in the Future Farmers of America. In 1971, he moved his family to South Florida in search of a warmer climate, greater job opportunities, and a better life for his loved ones.
He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Joyce Foust Cox; his parents, Joe L. and Rose E. Cox; and his grandson, J. Joshua Cox.
Dale is survived by his children, J. Alan Cox (Tracy), Susan E. Artz (Ray), G. Brian Cox (Kym), and Rebecca A. Swavely (Brad); 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Dale took great pride in the many ways he provided for his family and served his community. He served in the Tennessee Army National Guard and worked as a lineman for CUB, KUB, and Florida Power & Light. He was a longtime member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), holding multiple leadership roles, and was active in local PTA and booster clubs. He also coached several recreational sports teams for his children.
He had a deep appreciation for the outdoors and found joy in fishing, hunting, gardening, or simply watching nature from the porch. After retiring, he and Joyce spent their summers in Clinton and winters in South Florida, where he continued to focus on family, gardening and a growing passion for saltwater fishing.
Those who knew Dale had a variety of positive things to say about his impact on their lives. His advice, guidance, wealth of practical knowledge, encouragement and generosity of his time to friends and community was endless. He valued hard work and dedication to family and friends, with expectations of himself setting the right example. Having “never met a stranger,” there was seldom a time when he wouldn’t run into someone he knew or had a common friend with; and with genuine sincerity he always wanted to hear how everyone was doing and what they were up to.
A man of quiet giving, Dale made many unsolicited donations to churches and charities close to his heart, including Second Baptist Church of Clinton, Deep Springs Baptist Church in Heiskell, Black Oak Baptist Church of Clinton where he attended with his family before moving to Florida, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Dale was a fan of flowers in his yard and nature, but not so much for cut flowers. In lieu of flowers, he would be pleased if donations were made to one of his favorite churches or charity.
The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 7, 2025, at Woodhaven Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens, 160 Edgemoor Road, Powell, with a service to follow.
Harold Eugene “Gene” Holcomb
May 25, 2025
Harold Eugene “Gene” Holcomb, 85, of Clinton passed away peacefully May 25, 2025, at NHC HealthCare in Oak Ridge.
He was born Dec. 17, 1939, in Atlanta, Georgia, and grew up in Bolton, where he attended West Fulton High School. A sports enthusiast, Harold earned a football scholarship to the University of Georgia, where he studied business finance.
He began his professional career as manager of GAC Finance in Bremen, Georgia, and served in the Army National Guard. After relocating to Tennessee, he worked for 14 years as manager and vice president of the loan department at TVA Employees Credit Union. Prior to retiring, he found great enjoyment in sales and held both a Tennessee real estate broker license and an insurance license.
Harold was a member of Black Oak Baptist Church in Clinton and of the Baptist faith.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jerald and Gussie Bell Holcomb; brother, Jack Holcomb; and sisters, Bonnie Armstrong, Mattie Fout, Ann Linsey, Wynell Roper, Dean Webb and Virginia Holcomb.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Bobbie Mitchell Holcomb; daughter, Gina Courtney and son-in-law, John Courtney; granddaughters, Katie Farrar and Abigail Courtney; and grandson, John Ryan Courtney, all of Clinton; as well as special nieces, Jamie May and Letha Reschke, both of Georgia.
The family extends heartfelt thanks to Harold’s physicians, Dr. Niva Misra of Summit Medical Group and Dr. Michael Thompson of Thompson Oncology Group, and to the caring staff at NHC HealthCare and Caris Hospice, all of Oak Ridge.
In accordance with Harold’s wishes, interment will take place at Riverview Memorial Gardens in Smyrna, Georgia.
A memorial service will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home, 621 S. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., Clinton. Holley-Gamble Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. holleygamble.com
Wilma Patricia Shoun
May 21, 2025
Wilma Patricia Shoun, 84, passed away May 21, 2025, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge.
She was born Sept. 22, 1940, in Roxboro, North Carolina, to Bernard and Wilma Loftis.
In her spare time, Wilma enjoyed watching murder mysteries and often joked that she had missed her calling to be a detective.
She also loved a hearty Southern meal — especially when it included cornbread. It was not uncommon for her to eat a pan a day.
Wilma found joy in caring for her two beloved cats, Sally and Patches. Wilma loved her cats so much and looked forward to taking care of them every day.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Doyle Shoun; and her son, Curtis Scott Woods.
She is survived by her stepson, Doyle Shoun Jr.; stepdaughter, Loretta Trent; sister, Phyllis Hutchinson; step-grandchildren, Alisha (Andrew) Berger and Sasha (Derek) Ciuffini; niece, Mitzi (Gary) Parsons; nephew, Todd (Sharon) Hutchinson; and a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, other extended family members and friends.
A private graveside service will be held at Norris Memorial Garden.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of arrangements.
holleygamble.com
Charles E. Fowler Jr.
May 21, 2025
Charles E. Fowler Jr., 91, passed away from this life Wednesday, May 21, 2025. A devoted Christian, he was the son of the late Charles E. Fowler Sr. and Kathleen Rhyne Fowler.
Charles was a longtime member of Zion Baptist Church and a current member of South Clinton Baptist Church, where he was active and had grown up as a child.
He graduated from Clinton High School in 1951 and attended the University of Tennessee. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served during the Korean conflict.
Charles owned Fowler Electric Co. in Clinton for many years, and retired from Oak Ridge National Laboratory after 34 years of service. In retirement, Charles and his wife, Betty, traveled extensively. He also enjoyed woodworking, camping, hiking, playing the QChord and singing with the Grace Noters Musical Group. He was a man of many God-given talents.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his loving wife of 70 years, Betty Jane Lane Fowler; grandson, Mark Wolfenbarger; sister, Irene Fowler Steadman and her husband, Claude; brothers, Paul Fowler and wife, Ruth, and Bruce Fowler; and brother-in-law, James Clyde Lane Jr.
He is survived by his daughters, Janie Wolfenbarger (Marvin) of Luttrell and Andrea Dawn O’Neal (Keith) of Blaine; son, Douglas Kelvin Fowler (Cathryn) of Colorado; grandchildren, Aaron and Nathan Wolfenbarger (Kristen), Brendan O’Neal, Teryn Espinar-Bastidas (Ricardo), Zaira O’Neal, Lauren Meyer, Hannah Musick and Caitlyn Puhl; great-grandchildren, Jackson and Eve Wolfenbarger, Paul, Asher and Ruth Wolfenbarger, Jackson, Benjamin and Elliott Meyer, and Max and Bodie Musick.
He is also survived by sisters and brother-in-law, Mary Lee Price (Ray), Helen Fowler and Edith Lane; and many nieces and nephews, including Shirley Elder, Margaret Tackett, Dennis Fowler, Debbie Crocker, Holly Smith, Heather Brittan, Nathan Fowler, David, Danielle, Jae J, Cindy, Kyna and Nikki.
A graveside service was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at Grandview Memorial Garden, with full military honors.
The family requests memorials be made to the South Clinton Baptist Church Building Fund, 1000 Clinch Ave., Clinton, TN 37716.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of arrangements.
