Frankie June Melhorn Seivers
Frankie June Melhorn Seivers, 95, passed away on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024, after a brief stay at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She was born at Bell Farm, Kentucky, on Aug. 27, 1929, to Charlie Christian Melhorn and Vella Dolen Melhorn.
Frankie grew up in a coal-mining camp in Fork Mountain, Tennessee, and moved to the family farm in Petros, Tennessee, when she was 9 years old. She was confirmed into St. Paul Lutheran Church in Wartburg, Tennessee, on Oct. 1, 1944.
After graduating from Wartburg Central High School, Frankie took a summer job in Clinton, where she met her future husband, “Jiggs” Seivers. Instead of starting nursing school as planned, she eloped to Rossville, Georgia, at age 18.
Frankie and Jiggs were married for almost 70 years and remained in Clinton, where she first worked at Magnet Mills and then at EG&G Ortec Lab in Oak Ridge from 1967 until she retired in 1994.
They were blessed with two children, Lana Seivers and Larry Seivers, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Frankie and Jiggs loved spending time in Longboat Key, Florida, going to weekly movies, playing cards, and attending Major League Baseball and Tennessee Vols games, especially football. They rarely missed games or events involving their children and grandchildren and were close to many of their children’s friends.
Frankie loved cooking, gardening, reading, and shopping.
Most of all, she loved her family.
After Jiggs’ death in 2017, Frankie moved to The Villages independent living residences in Murfreesboro, where she made many new friends, enjoyed bingo, and shared her fried chicken recipe with the chef. An article about Frankie in The Villages of Murfreesboro Spotlight said, “Her goal is to live a full life and enjoy being with her friends here. Seeing her family and old friends who stay in touch and come to visit is special to her. She considers herself blessed in so many ways.”
“Her children rise and call her blessed.” — Proverbs 31:28
In addition to her husband and parents, Frankie was preceded in death by her brother, Duard Melhorn; sister Claudia Caddell; brothers-in-law Charles “Bones” Seivers and Hoyt Seivers.
She is survived by her children, Lana Seivers and Larry Seivers (Sally); grandchildren, Matthew Yarbrough, Jennifer Nash (Nathan), and Charlie Seivers (Haley); great-grandchildren, Cameron and Caitlin Nash, and Harper and Deakin Mac Seivers; many special nieces and nephews, and a host of other family and friends.
Pallbearers are Larry Seivers, Charlie Seivers, David Seivers, Michael Seivers, Chris Melhorn, Steve Mitchell, Don Elledge, Bear Stephenson, and honorary pallbearer Jenks Bostic.
The family will receive friends on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton. The funeral will follow at 6:30 p.m., with the Rev. Steve Misenheimer officiating.
Friends and family will meet at Grandview Memorial Garden on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024, for an 11 a.m. graveside service.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Frankie’s memory may be made to the Michael Dunn Center, Attn: Seivers Memorial, 1324 Lawnville Road, Kingston, TN 37763, or at michaeldunncenter.org.
Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is honored to serve the family.
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