MARIE KESTERSON WATTS
March 15, 2017
Marie Kesterson Watts, beloved mother and grandmother, 91, Rocky Top, passed away Saturday, March 11, 2017, at her residence.
Marie was born in Campbell County Aug. 31, 1925.
Marie was a member of Rocky Top United Methodist Church. She graduated from Draughns Business College and worked as a Calutron Operator and lab analyst at Y-12 in Oak Ridge during World War Il. She also worked at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) until her retirement in 1990.
Marie was preceded in death by: Parents, Troy and Verna Kesterson; husbands, Donvan Byrd and Harry Lee Watts; sister, Myrtle Busbee; and brothers, Otis, Clarence, Clyde and Glen Kesterson.
Survivors: Children, Ray (Darlene) Byrd of Halls, Steve (Carolyn) Byrd of Oak Ridge, Cindy (Joe) Smith of Clinton, Rose Ann ( Michael) Mobley of Knoxville; brother, Arnold Kesterson (Polly); sister, Dorthy Hembree (Carl); 12 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; several other family members and friends.
Visitation was from 5 – 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at Hatmaker Funeral Home in Lake City.
Funeral service was at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at Hatmaker Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dave Henderson Officiating.
Friends and Family will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at Leach Cemetery in Lake City for Marie’ graveside service.
You can also visit Marie’s Guestbook at: www.hatmakerfuneralhome.com
Hatmaker Funeral Home, Lake City, is in charge of arrangements.
MELISSA LYNN WHEELER
March 15, 2017
Melissa Lynn Wheeler, 48, formerly of Knoxville, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, in Aurora, Colo.
She was born Dec. 25, 1968, in Knoxville.
Melissa was of the Baptist faith. She enjoyed traveling and listening to music.
Melissa was preceded in death by: Parents; sister, Karen Parker; and brother, Jimmy Corcaran.
Survivors include; Husband, Joseph Tyler, Aurora, Colo.; daughter, Sarah Ann Parker, Andersonville; son, James Douglas Parker, Andersonville; brother-in-law, Larry D. Parker, Briceville; and host of aunts, uncles, cousins, other relatives and friends.
A graveside service for Melissa was held at 11 a,m. Wednesday, March 8, 2017, at Norris Memorial Gardens in Norris with the Rev. Larry Sharp officiating.
You can also visit Melissa’s Guestbook at: www.hatmakerfuneralhome.com
Hatmaker Funeral Home, Lake City, was in charge of arrangements.
STANLEY EUGENE WILLIAMS
March 15, 2017
Stanley Eugene Williams, better known at Gene, 68, Clinton, passed away Thursday, March 9, 2017, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge.
Gene enjoyed wood working, auto mechanic work, and watching western movies. He was a member of Second Baptist Church in Clinton.
Gene was preceded in death by: Parents, Joseph and Margaret Williams; son, Joseph Williams; and brother, Horace Wayne Williams.
Gene is survived by: Wife, Sandra Williams of Clinton; sons, Jacob Williams and Joshua Williams, both of Clinton; brothers, Joseph Howard Williams of Portland, Maine, and Wade Williams of Knoxville; sisters, Mary Ruth Underwood of Zephyrhills, Fla., Judy Christine Williams of Knoxville, Geneva Mae Williams of Knoxville, and Margie Lucille Arnold of Knoxville; father and mother-in-law, Charles and Wilma Sherwood of Clinton; and a host of other relatives and friends.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Jones Mortuary LLC, 375 N Main Street, Clinton, TN,37716.
Gene’s family received his friends from 6 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, 2017, with his funeral service following at 8 p.m. in the chapel of Jones Mortuary with Dr. Michael Thompson officiating.
Gene’s interment will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 15, 2017, at Woodhaven Memorial Gardens in Claxton with full military honors.
His pallbearers will be Jacob Williams, Joshua Williams, Andy Bullock, Greg McKamey, Mike Long, and John Beard.
Jones Mortuary in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements. Condolences can be made to the family at www.jonesmortuaryllc.com
HELEN MELTON WEBBER
March 8, 2017
Helen Melton Webber, 94, Clinton, died peacefully at home February 28, 2017.
A hard worker her entire life, she possessed a steadiness and strength of character that made her the family rock. She was always looking out for and taking care of others.
She had an easy going manner, loved to laugh and was often quick with a witty remark for family and friends.
She was employed by the Manhattan project during World War II, and did the same work as the women in the now-familiar picture, seated on those tall stools and monitoring dials.
After the war, she spent 20 years as the head waitress at Clinton’s Park Hotel, greeting hungry patrons lined up in the hallway leading into the dining room. When the hotel closed she “went back to school” and trained to work at the K-25 and Y-12 plants (she got a car and even learned to drive). She retired as senior lab technician after 25 years.
Helen was a member of First Baptist Church in Clinton. She loved Pat Summit’s Lady Vols and watching Atlanta Braves games on TV. Her home was the center of family holidays and no Christmas was complete without her peanut butter divinity roll and 24-hour salad.
She was born in Belmont (part of present-day Andersonville) and moved with her family to the Clinton area after the Tennessee Valley Authority bought their land for Norris Dam and state park.
She was preceded in death by: Grandson, Brian Brewer; parents, Worley and Carrie Melton; brothers, Joe, Clarence, Charles and Jeff Melton; and sisters, Lillie Melton King and Mildred Melton Shultz.
Survived by: Daughter, Judy Webber Brewer and son-in-law Jerry; son, Wallace “Wally” Webber and daughter-in-law Bonnie; granddaughters, Rhonda Milen (Gary) and Tanya Webber (Dave); great-grandson, Dustin Jennings; and special niece, Anna Belle King.
Also survived by: Nieces and nephews, Brenda (Shultz) Shrader, Debbie, Donald and Mike Shultz, Shirley Allaway; great-nieces and nephews, Carole and Kenny King, Rob, John, and Gus Lawson, Amy, Joe, and Steve Shrader, Darryl Melton; and special friends, Joyce Cabe and Marie Norman.
The family wishes to give special thanks to caregivers Kathy Anderson, Cleo Brooks and JoAnne Duncan for their devoted service, welcome companionship and many kindnesses.
The family received friends from 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, March 3, 2017, with service immediately following in the chapel with the Rev. Terry Baker officiating.
Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 4, 2017, at Sunset Cemetery.
Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton was in charge of all arrangements.
www.holleygamble.com
KEN WYTIAZ
March 8, 2017
Ken Wytiaz, 61, Clinton, passed away peacefully in his home during the morning, Thursday, March 2.
He will be greatly missed by those who knew him, but may they find comfort knowing he died where he wanted, surrounded by people who loved him. Ken was a loving husband and father who put family first, yet managed a successful career in rock mining. Second only to his family, those he worked with will miss his advice, sense of humor and ability to get the job done right. Ken truly lived a charmed life and was taken too soon.
Long day, hard night.
He is survived by: Loving wife, Beth; sons, Greg and Tom; brother, Gary.
The service will be a small private affair with close family members. Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements.
www.holleygamble.com
ANTONIO ‘STACY’ WADE BASS 1st
March 8, 2017
Antonio “Stacy” Wade Bass 1st, 51, Oliver Springs, has went to his forever home after a long battle of liver disease on Feb. 28, 2017.
He was a loving father, son, and brother, who enjoyed life and laughter.
He was a member of Big Mountain Baptist Church, and loved his job as a LPN. He loved his children more then anything.
He left his wife Rebecca and his three children Wade, Daniel and Chloe Bass; brothers, Marvin and Mark Bass; sister Debbie Johnson; and a host of family and friends.
Stacy has gone home to reunite with his father and mother Warren and Ruby Bass, and his brothers Warren Jr., Jack Bass and sister-in-law Wilma Bass.
We will hold them all close to our hearts until the day we can join them again.
MILDRED BROCK
March 8, 2017
Mildred Brock, 79, Jacksboro, passed away Thursday, March 2, 2017, at her residence.
She was born Feb. 5, 1938, to the late Fred Sr. and Bonnie Harness Long in Anderson County.
She loved her dogs, flowers, reading, and working puzzles. She enjoyed spending time with friends and family, especially her grandchildren. She will be dearly missed.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by: Husband, CJ Toby Brock.
She is survived by: Sons, Ricky Brock of Jacksboro, Tommy Brock and wife Brenda of Clinton, David Brock and very special daughter-in-law Wendy of Jacksboro, Michael Brock of Jacksboro; daughters, Bonnie Brock Taylor of Caryville, Tammy Johnson and husband Carl of Jacksboro, Christy Brock of Jacksboro; brother, Fred Long and wife Pat of Lake City; 17 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; a host of other family and friends.
The family received friends from 6 – 8 p.m. Saturday, March 4, 2017, with the funeral service to follow at 8 p.m. with the Rev. Jimmy Ault officiating.
Family and friends wishing to attend graveside services met at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home Sunday, March 5, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. and to go in funeral procession to the Beech Grove Baptist Church Cemetery for a 2 p.m. interment.
www.holleygamble.com
DR. GENE CALDWELL
March 8, 2017
Dr. Gene Caldwell, beloved pediatrician who often said he was the luckiest guy in the world, died Saturday, March 4, 2017, at NHC of Oak Ridge from congestive heart failure. He would have turned 85 in 10 days.
He had suffered a cardiac arrest more than a year ago while visiting family in Colorado. His daughter Debbie Bader and his grandson Jeremy Birdwhistell called paramedics and instituted CPR, restoring Gene to life. Although the episode slowed him down, it didn’t change his characteristic positive attitude, and Gene continued to claim he was the luckiest man on Earth.
Born Marvin Gene Caldwell to Georgie B. and Evelyn Brown Pruett Caldwell on March 14, 1932, he grew up on his parents’ farm in Woodland Mills in Tennessee’s Obion County. From the beginning, Gene knew the importance of education. As a student at Woodland Mills High School, he learned that in order to gain admission to the University of Tennessee, he needed a credit in an advanced math course that his school didn’t offer. It was decided that the principal would order the math textbook and teach Gene, and Gene in turn would teach the subject to his fellow students.
Gene graduated from the University of Tennessee’s College of Agriculture in 1953 with a bachelor of science degree in agronomy. At UT he was a founding member, No. 009, of Alpha Gamma Rho, the fraternity of agriculture students, and he and his fellow members, plus their spouses, became lifelong friends who held reunions twice a year. Gene never missed a UT Homecoming.
He joined the U.S. Navy while still at UT. After graduation in 1953 he married Bobbie McCoy, also from West Tennessee and a UT graduate. He and his young family were stationed in Portsmouth, Va., in 1954, and the following year they moved to Nashville, where he worked as a recruiter for the Navy. While there he did postgraduate work at Vanderbilt University, with an eye toward attending medical school. He always enjoyed teasing his Vanderbilt friends about going to Vanderbilt to get his grades up so he would be admitted to UT medical school.
He was indeed admitted to UT medical school in 1956 and graduated in 1959. Following graduation he was stationed at the Naval hospitals Boston, Mass., and in Portsmouth, Va., and completed his internship at Boston Naval Hospital. He spent 1963-66 at the Naval hospital in Millington, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander. In 1966 the family moved to Oak Ridge, where Gene, a board-certified pediatrician, began his practice with the Children’s Clinic of Oak Ridge. He retired in 1994 after 27 years.
Gene and Bobbie always shared an active interest in politics and the Democratic Party in particular. In 1996 he successfully ran for office to represent the 33rd District in the Tennessee House of Representatives. He served three terms in the House, retiring in 2002. His wife, Bobbie, died in 2004.
Gene was always involved in community affairs. He served on the UT Board of Governors and was also an active volunteer in several political campaigns. He was a member of the Breakfast Rotary Club and was named a Paul Harris Fellow. He also belonged to the East Tennessee Economic Council.
Among his many honors were receiving ETEC’s “Muddy Boot” Award for inspirational leadership, and the Home Federal Hometown Hero Award. In 1966 he was named one of the Outstanding Young Men of America by the National Jaycees organization. In 1992 he was awarded the Eugene Joyce Achievement Award, and in 1995 he received a prestigious Chapter Achievement Award created in his honor by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
In 2012 he was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam for his dedication and compassionate work on behalf of children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. Several days prior to his death, longtime friend state Sen. Randy McNally delivered a Proclamation from the Governor for his outstanding service to the state of Tennessee.
In 2008, after the Anderson County Commission asked the Emory Valley Center to leave the Daniel Arthur Building in Oak Ridge, Gene and Dottie Thompson, the second love of his life, became co-chairmen of the Capital Campaign to raise funds for a new building to house the Emory Valley Center. The building, to be dedicated the Caldwell-Thompson Building, is nearing completion, and Gene had hoped to attend the ribbon-cutting, set for late spring.
He greatly enjoyed reading, walking the Emory Valley Trail, and attending Oak Ridge High School basketball games. He particularly loved following the UT Lady Vols and nearly always attended their championship games. After his retirement, he visited 36 different countries, trekking through noted gardens in many of them. He enjoyed going to the Oak Ridge Playhouse and in later years he developed a strong interest in attending musical performances.
Gene was preceded in death just one week earlier by his sister Carol.
He is survived by: Three daughters, Debbie Bader and her husband Curt of Virginia, Amanda Caldwell and her husband Jimmy Long of Oak Ridge, and Jennifer Weaver and her husband Chris of Knoxville; and by a son, Randy Caldwell of Munich, Germany.
His daughter Sarah Caldwell died in 1983.
He is also survived by: Eight grandchildren, Nathan and Jeremy Birdwhistell, Ian Caldwell, Cameron and Bailey Weaver, and Sean, Sarah and Adam Spaid; three step-grandchildren, Hannah, Emily and Jacob Long; and five great-grandchildren, Jason and Katie Birdwhistell, and Hailey, Kelsey and Harper Birdwhistell.
The family request that any memorials be in the form of gifts to the Emory Valley Center Capital Campaign, for which he worked so passionately the last years of his life. Contributions should specify the Capital Campaign of the Emory Valley Center, P.O. Box 5328, Oak Ridge, TN 37831.
The body was to be cremated.
The family will receive friends from 4 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 8, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton, which is handling arrangements. The address is 675 S. Charles Seivers Blvd.
