Obituaries for Feb. 17

Kathleen Gardner Olds

Mrs. Kathleen Gardner Olds, 82, of Martin, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 at her residence.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Gardner United Methodist Church with Rev. Franklin L. Gardner officiating. Burial will be in Gardner Cemetery in Martin with Murphy Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements.

Devon Rister, Brad Sawyer, Bryan Sawyer, Garrett Klein, Roger VanCleave and Tyler Gardner will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Allen Gardner, Waymon VanCleave and Terry VanCleave.

Mrs. Olds was born Jan. 27, 1929 in Weakley County, daughter of the late James Franklin and Alva Hester Gardner. She was a 1947 graduate of Martin High School, was retired from Martin Manufacturing Company and member of Gardner United Methodist Church.

Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Scotty and Vickie Olds of Martin; one daughter and son-in-law, Sherry and Bill Rister of Welsh, La.; one brother and sister-in-law, Rev. Franklin L. and Ann Gardner of Martin; one sister, Russellene VanCleave of Martin; six grandchildren, Brad Sawyer, Bryan Sawyer, Amy Olds, Sara Olds, Amanda Rister Klein and Devon Rister; five step grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

She was also preceded in death by children’s father, Bill Olds; one daughter, Donna Hauhe; one brother, James Fred Gardner; and one grandson, Michael Rister.

Web site: murphyfuneralhome.net

Terrance Allen Postlewaite

Terrance Allen Postlewaite, 44, of Martin, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 at the Volunteer Community Hospital, Martin.

Services will be held at 6 p.m. Friday at McCabe Temple United Methodist Church in Martin with Rev. Jimmy Carter officiating. Burial will be in Spring Lake Cemetery in Aurora, Ill. with Murphy Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral services.

Postlewaite was born Jan. 8, 1967 in Aurora, son of Mary Durham Postlewaite of Aurora and the late Edward Postlewaite Jr. He was a truck driver and a member of Main Baptist Church of Aurora.

Survivors also include his wife, Wanda Terry Postlewaite of Martin; three brothers, Edward Postlewaite III and Zen Postlewaite, both of Aurora and Courtney Postlewaite of Tampa, Fla.; and one sister, Tihida Postlewaite of Aurora.

Web site: murphyfuneralhome.net

Katie Lou Swearingen Smith

Mrs. Katie Lou Swearingen Smith, 91, of Dresden, died Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at Martin Healthcare.

Graveside services were held at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Woodlawn Cemetery, Sharon with Bro. Paul Williams officiating and Bowlin Funeral Home of Dresden in charge of the arrangements.

Jimmy Jackson, Brad Robinson, Don Swearingen, Kelley Swearingen, Larry Levister, Jeff Green and Brian Sanders served as pallbearers.

Mrs. Smith was born Dec. 24, 1919 in Sharon, daughter of the late Edgar Samuel and Lessie Martin Swearingen. She was the widow of Booker Maurice Smith, a housewife and member of First Baptist Church, Dresden.

Survivors include one sister-in-law, Sylvia Swearingen of Dresden; and several nieces and nephews.

She was also preceded in death by three sisters and five brothers.

Web site: www.bowlinfuneralhome.com

Sterling L. Smothers

Sterling L. Smothers, 88, of Union City, died Saturday, Feb. 12, 2011 at his residence.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at White-Ransom Funeral Home Chapel in Union City with Tommy Hall officiating. Burial will be in East Side Cemetery in Martin. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 5-8 p.m. tonight.

Mike Thompson, Ted Montgomery, Justin Smothers, Clay Smothers, Tim Quinn and Vic Brown will serve as pallbearers.

Smothers was born Sept. 14, 1922 in Blytheville, Ark., son of the late Gary Smothers and Robbie Alford Bell. 

Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Opal Smothers of Union City; one daughter, Jeannette Priest of Austin, Texas; two sons and daughters-in-law, Mike and Debbie Smothers of Dover, Don and Lee Smothers of Burna, Ky.; three brothers, Phillip Smothers and Larry Smothers, both of Union City and James Bell of Ala.; five sisters, Vera McDaniel, Madeline Carey, Crystal McKeel and Jon Smothers, all of Union City and Frances Adams of Humboldt; six grandchildren, Justin Smothers of  Paris, Sherry Proctor of Nashville, Diane Torres of Orlando, Fla., James Clay Smothers and Kelly Marie Colson, both of Martin and Jackie Lyons of Austin; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

He was also preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Lynn Brock Smothers; his stepmother, Idella Smothers; one stepson, Wayne Busby; one sister, Audrey Gallimore; and one granddaughter, Valerie Smothers.

Dewey D. Taylor

Dewey D. Taylor, 85, of Martin, died Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 at the Volunteer General Hospital, Martin.

Services were held at 11 a.m. today at Murphy Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Randy Cooper officiating. Burial was in East Side Cemetery.

Trent Taylor, Scott Taylor, Jeremy Lamb, Justin Cheek, Bobby Stewart and Ray Lamb served as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Richard Maloan, John Fisher, John and Marie Fletcher, Joe and Verneal Johnson, Tom and Kit Haynes, Mavis Glasgow and Laura Jo Hurst.

Taylor was born July 29, 1925, son of the late Okie and Kennie Ward Halliman Taylor. He was the widower of Ruth Tomlinson Taylor. He was retired from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company in Union City and a member of First United Methodist Church, Martin. He was a veteran of WWII in the U. S. Navy.

Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, David and JoAnne Taylor of Dyersburg; one daughter, Nan Lamb of Martin; five grandchildren, Christie Stewart of Las Vegas, Nev., Jeremy Lamb of Dawsonville, Ga., Megan Cheek of Paris, Trent Taylor of Richmond, Va. and Scott Taylor of Knoxville; and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorial may be made to the First United Methodist Church or We Care Ministries.

Web site: murphyfuneralhome.net

Larry Dan Walker

Larry Dan “Yogi” Walker, 65, of Dresden, died Sunday, Feb. 13, 2011 at the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital, Jackson.

Services were held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Bowlin Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. David Rogers and Pastor Christina Colley officiating. Burial was in New Hope Cemetery, Latham.

Storm Spurlock, Chuck Brundige, Scott Walker, Clay Smothers, Bobby Doughty, John Mitchell, Trent Hornbeak, Randy Pogue and Christopher Cavens served as pallbearers.

Walker was born Feb. 21, 1945 in Weakley County, son of the late Herman Neal and Dorothy Alice Hatler Walker. He was a painter at the University of Tennessee at Martin.

Survivors include three daughters, Teena Walker and Necole Spurlock, both of Martin and Tracey Adams of Gleason; five sisters, Renee Smothers of Martin, Dorothy Neal Snider of Latham, Faye Daniels of Columbia, Wanda Boyanton and Patsy Hornbeak, both of Dresden; one brother, Tony Walker of Latham; six grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Web site: www.bowlinfuneralhome.com

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