Some of those we loved and lost in 2019
Published 8:31 am Monday, January 13, 2020
Rick Richardson
Ray Tolley
Olan Hardin
Nettie Yates
Larry Shoun
Jack Shook
Jack Campbell
Harold Lane
Frank Richardson
Jack Tester
PART II
Death in 2019 came to people from all walks of life. Many were homemakers, others were people who had worked at the local rayon plants, Great Lakes Corp., and other places of employment, which they outlasted.
Possibly every home in the county and city were affected by the death of someone they loved or knew as were schools, churches, and other institutions.
Last week, was a brief overture of deaths from July through December 2019. This week, some deaths from the first six months of the year are highlighted.
JUNE
• REV. JAMES W. LINDSAY, 87, died June 27. He had pastored for over 66 years. He was a former pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church and after his retirement served as an interim pastor in the area.
• HAZEL G. HALL, 94, died June 19. She was former head surgical nurse at Carter County Memorial Hospital.
• JACK A. CAMPBELL, 78, died June 14. He was the owner and operator of Campbell’s Folsom Printing Co. for over 30 years and prior to that was employed by the Elizabethton STAR in the advertising department. He was also a former member of the Elizabethton School Board and Carter County Commission.
• DR. HAROLD LANE, 84, died June 14. He was an Elizabethton dentist for 50 years and a long-time member of First Baptist Church where he served as a Sunday School teacher and usher. He was a member of the Elizabethton Kiwanis Club, Elizabethton Elks Lodge, and a Mason. He was also a veteran of the Korean Conflict.
• CLARENCE E. “MAC” MCKINNEY, 89, died June 14. He enjoyed making dulcimers. In his lifetime he had made thousands of dulcimers.
• DORIS LOVELACE, 82, died June 10. She was office manager for 45 years for the Siam Utility District.
• JOHN W. ADAMS, 77, died June 7. He was an avid photographer, a member of the Lee and Lois Herndon Bird Club, and enjoyed roller blading, hiking, and walking. He was a sharpshooter in the U.S. Army.
MAY
• JACK E. TESTER, 71, died May 28. He and his wife, Vella, owned and operated Best Photos in Elizabethton for 22 years. He was a member and past president of the Carter County Car Club.
• LARRY JOE WALSH, 73, Butler, died May 27. Joe served with the United States Army during the Vietnam era, and was a social worker with the Tennessee Dept. of Children’s Services for 37 years.
• ROBERT WAYNE GRINDSTAFF, 72, Roan Mountain, died May 21. He was a U.S. Army veteran and house painter.
• LIDA FLORENCE CAMPBELL, 95, died May 24. She was a homemaker.
• CHRYSTAL EFFIE GRINDSTAFF, 93, died May 10. She was employed at Elizabethton Steam Laundry for several years and retired from the laundry department at Sycamore Shoals Hospital. There’s a need for people who do the everyday chores as well as professional people.
• RAY TOLLEY, 97, died May 8. He was a long-time resident of the Fairview Community off Simerly Creek Road and was retired from the Carter County Highway Dept. He pushed a lot of snow in his time with the road department.
• LARNA ANNE TAYLOR, 74, died May 6. She operated a beauty shop for 37 years.
• JOE SHOOK, 69, died May 2. He was a 40-year employee of the Tennessee Vocational Training Center and loved flying the American flag.
APRIL
• MARTHA OMEGA COLLINS, 92, died April 20. She retired from North American Rayon Corp. after working there 48 years. She was among many former local rayon workers who died last year. Some of her work memorabilia is on display at the Carter County Courthouse.
• RICK QUINTON RICHARDSON, 64, died April 22. He was a Carter County Commissioner and a retired employee of the sales department of the Johnson City Press. He had coached hundreds of kids in Little League Baseball.
• KATHY STEWART, 67, died April 15. She had served as a teacher and librarian at Cloudland Elementary School for 30 years.
• AARON M. POTTER, 74, died April 12. He owned and operated D and A Motors for 39 years.
• ANDREW JACKSON HOOD, JR., 88, died April 10. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving during the Korean Conflict, was a Mason for 60 years and had been a Shriner for 50 years. He had his pilot license and loved to fly. He was retired from Sperry-Raytheon Corp.
• SYLVIA BRADWELL, 88, died April 8. She was active in the Covered Bridge Festival, Roan Mountain Garden Club, Second Harvest Food Bank, and FEMA flood assistance.
• REBECCA ANN BERRY, 57, died April 4. She was inducted into the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 for her softball play.
• JACK SHOOK, 81, died April 1. He served in the U.S. Air Force and TN Army National Guard, and was a volunteer with the Carter County Rescue Squad and taught CPR classes.
MARCH
• KENNETH WAYNE SWIFT, 73, died March 24. He was a Past District Deputy and Past State President of the Tennessee Elks Association. He was Past Exalted Ruler and Past Scholarship Chairman of the Most Valuable Student and Nursing Scholarships of the Elizabethton Elks Lodge #1847.
• VIVIAN KATE WATSON, 93, died March 22. At the time of her death, she was the oldest living member of Buffalo Valley Christian Church. She worked 50 years in the office at Roselawn Memory Gardens.
• EDWIN TAYLOR, 85, died March 20. He was a professional musician, excelling at numerous musical instruments, especially the piano and guitar. He accompanied many well-known artists, including Mother Maybelle Carter and Johnny Cash. Edwin was a former member of the Song Masters Quartet as well as a 20-year member of the Bonnie Lou and Buster Show.
• DAVID H. NELSON, 56, died March 9. He was former Bluff City Chief of Police and a former Carter County deputy.
• JESSIE GLEN ARNETT, 72, died March 8. He was a former Tennessee Highway Patrolman, a member of the Masons, the Watauga Lake Sailing Club, and the Johnson City Power Squadron.
• JACK KEITH MERRYMAN, 61, died March 3. He enjoyed a long career working at Roan Mountain State Park and Sycamore Shoals State Park.
• CPO FRANK A. VONCANNON, 75, died March 2. He was retired from the U.S. Navy, and was a former president of the Central Community Neighborhood Watch.
FEBRUARY
• EARL “JABO” GRINDSTAFF, 86, died Feb. 27. He was owner and operator of Grindstaff Used Cars for over 52 years and served in the Korean War. He was also a volunteer fireman.
• WHEELER “JAY” NIDIFFER, 85, died Feb. 25. He was a member of the Carter County Sports Hall of Fame, and was an accomplished coach at the high school and college level. He was a three-sport player at Unaka High School. He was former chairman of the Carter County Republican Party.
• FRANKLIN D. RICHARDSON, 77, died Feb. 25. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Carter County Honor Guard.
• SADIE M. SMITH, 97, died Feb. 24. She was a retired veteran of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve, serving from 1942 until 1975. She was a mechanic, wheeled driver, nurse, and clerk typist among other jobs.
• NETTIE YATES, 100, died Feb. 23. She and her husband, Ralph, were former owners of Yates Service Station and Grocery Store in the East Side Community. She was a Baptist and a Democrat.
• RICHARD TITTLE, 85, died Feb. 21. He served in the Army National Guard and was employed many years as a pharmacy tech at Burgie Drugs. He was also active in the drama “Liberty” at Sycamore Shoals State Park.
• MARTIN H. CLARKE, 75, died Feb. 17. He was a former Carter County deputy and security guard at Sycamore Shoals Hospital.
• OLAN “PIE” HARDIN, 74, died Feb. 16. He sang with a number of quartets in the area and was a second generation member of the Hardin Brothers Quartet.
JANUARY
• LORETTA PETERS COLBAUGH, 76, died Jan. 31. She was a pastor’s wife (Ray Colbaugh) for 49 years. She retired from the Social Security Administration.
• JESSE JAMES, JR., 70, died Jan. 29. He was a former basketball player at Hampton High School, served in the United States Army, and retired from Eastman Kodak Co. He later coached basketball at Hampton, and enjoyed going on mission trips.
• BERNARD “SONNY” YOUNCE, 84, died Jan. 26. He was an Elizabethton fireman and had a recording studio for 60 years.
• LARRY SHOUN, 69, died Jan. 18. He was a 3rd generation owner and operator of Shoun Lumber Co. in Butler. He was a member of the Butler Ruritan Club, formerly serving as president.
• RICHARD “DICK” GRINDSTAFF, 86, died Jan. 10. He was a U.S. Navy veteran, serving in the Korean War. At the time of his death he was a member of First United Methodist Church, but had taught the Intermediate Boys Class at Stoney Creek Baptist Church more than 30 years.
• CLELLA MAE GRINDSTAF, 73, Elizabethton, died Jan. 5. She was a retired beautician.
• MARY LOU GUY NAVE, 66, died Jan. 3. She was well-known in the Elk Mills Community, and was an employee of Elk Mills General Store.
