Obituaries

Jimmie J. Pollard, age 66, of Readyville passed away Sunday, August 1, 2021 at Alive Hospice of Murfreesboro.  He was a native of Ft. Leonardwood, MO.  

Survivors include his wife, Savannah “Van” Odom Pollard; Son, Chris Pollard of Readyville; Daughter, Jennifer Pollard of Readyville; Grandchildren, Austin Pollard of Woodbury, Mackenzie Pollard of Manchester, Jackson Metzler of IL, & Mahalia Pollard of Readyville; Mother, Shirley Branham Pollard Hicks of SC; and Sister, Yvonne (Dennis) Yarborough of SC. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Pollard; Brother, Jerry Pollard; Sister, Jeri Lynn Pollard; Father-in-law, Edward Odom; and Mother-in-law, Rachel Rogers Odom.

He was a member of the Baptist Church and worked at Perfect Equipment, but more recently at Jemtop.  He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

Funeral Services will be 11 AM Wednesday, August 4, 2021 in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Brian Harrell officiating.  Interment will follow at Coleman Cemetery.  The family will receive friends for the visitation from 4 PM to 8 PM Tuesday, August 3, 2021.

Pallbearers will be Johnny Radford, Austin Pollard, David Rollyson, Jeff Odom, Tracy Gorrell, & Dennis Yarborough.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615.563.2311, www.woodburyfuneralhome.net

Dr. J.C. Wall age 66 of Smithville, passed away Saturday night July 31, 2021 at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. He was born June 13, 1955 to his parents, the late James Clinton and Maureen Redmon Wall, Sr.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his father-in-law and mother-in-law, John Robert and June Nixon.  

He leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 32 years, Sandra Wall of Smithville; sister-in-law, Gwen (Harrell) Tolbert of Smithville; niece, Tara (Steve) Crook of Liberty; great-nephew, Nixon James Crook of Liberty and several cousins.  

He was a local physician for 40 years, DeKalb County Medical Examiner, and on the Medical Staff of St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital.  Dr. Wall was a farmer, a director on DeKalb Farmer’s CO-OP board of directors, member of the Cattlemen’s Association and loved John Deere tractors.  

Graveside Service and Entombment for Dr. J.C.Wall will be 4:PM Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at DeKalb Memorial Gardens with Bro. Michael Hale officiating.  There will not be any visitation or services at the funeral home.  Family and friends will meet at the cemetery for the 4:PM Service.  DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.

Mr. Joe Don Cook, 80, of Sparta, TN passed away on July 29, 2021. He was born in Woodbury, TN on July 9, 1941. Preceding him in death were his parents, John B. and Mabel Clara Markum Cook; brother, Gary Cook; and daughter, Donna Jo Cook.

He is survived by his children, Kim Cook of Murfreesboro and Zachary Cook of Readyville; brother, Frank (Sissy) Cook of Hermitage; sisters, Debbie (Ronald) Demumbreum and Kathy Byford of Murfreesboro; grandchildren, Ali Peckham, Mikayla Cook, and Daiton Kinser; and great grandchild, Kenton Mikal Bean.

Mr. Joe Cook was a hustler in every sense of the word. As the oldest child, he took on the responsibility of helping his parents to take care of his siblings and began working in a donut shop at the age of 13. Even when he enlisted in the Army, he would send his checks home to his family. He worked in Intelligence for the Armored Infantry and served in Germany prior to Vietnam. The military changed him and his perspective, and his heart was set on helping other veterans.

For several years, Joe and his children ran a recovery home in Murfreesboro. Though they accepted anyone, their primary work was with veterans, and they quickly became the main place for veterans to be sent. They poured themselves into the work and the building, doing all of the necessary renovations in order to start it. However, politics ended up causing the recovery home to close, but Joe never lost his hustle.

For lack of better terminology, his children call Joe an entrepreneur. He worked in a little bit of everything at some point during his life. He raised gamecocks, and Kim remembers him treating them like they were his children. Anyone that knew him knew he was an avid gambler. He would bet on anything he knew he could win.

He knew how to hustle and how to make money. His gift for seeing and knowing all of the angles served him well throughout his life. During his time in the military, he got into trouble for beating an officer out of money. Later on, he bought a racehorse and would tell the kids, “This is a goodun.” He made himself into a jack-of-all-trades to earn money through work and through gambling, but it wasn’t for himself.

Taking care of his grandkids was Joe’s number one priority, but he would also go out of his way to take care of all of the neighbors too. He cared about others and placed them before himself. Being born and raised in Cannon County, it held a special place in his heart too. He participated in a lot of the discussions and the work to help develop Cannon into what we have today.

In his free time, Joe enjoyed the simple things in life. He loved living at the lake and off the beaten path. Hunting, fishing, and playing golf were his hobbies. As he grew older, his favorite fishing set-up turned into taking his grandchildren. He started fishing less and decided to sit back and supervise instead.

Visitation will be held at Gentry-Smith Funeral Home on Monday, August 2, 2021 from 4-8 pm. Funeral services will be Tuesday, August 3, 2021 at 10 am in the Gentry-Smith Funeral Home chapel. Greg Mitchell will officiate. Interment will be in Riverside Garden. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337

Jeffery Allen Banta, 48, passed away Saturday, July 24, 2021 at his home in Bradyville from complications of Diabetes.  He was born in Linton, IN.

He is survived by his father, James A. “Jim” Banta and his brother, James F. Banta both of Bradyville.

Jeffery was preceded in death by his mother, Janet Sue Banta.

He was a car racing fan and a member of the Woodbury Church of Christ.

Funeral Services will be 1:00 PM Wed., July 28, 2021, in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Eddie Bogguss officiating. Internment will follow in the Parker Hill Cemetery.  Visitation with the family will be from  4 pm – 8 pm  Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net  

Janet Sue Banta, 70, of Bradyville passed away Saturday, July 24, 2021 from an extended illness at St. Thomas Stones River E/R.  She was a native of Sullivan Co. and the daughter of the late Harry Wayne and June Lang Carpenter.

She is survived by her husband of 52 years, James A. “Jim” Banta of Bradyville; her son, James F. Banta of Bradyville; siblings, Darrell Carpenter of IN., Cheryl Carpenter of Hymera, IN., Pat Ford of West Palm Beach, FL. And Michelle Carpenter of Farmersburg, IN.

Mrs. Banta was a member of the Woodbury Church of Christ  and a housewife. 

Funeral Services will be 1:00 PM Wed., July 28, 2021, in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Eddie Bogguss officiating. Internment will follow in the Parker Hill Cemetery.  Visitation with the family will be from  4 pm – 8 pm  Tuesday, July 27, 2021.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net 

William “Bill” Campbell Melton, 69, passed away peacefully in Paola, KS with family. Bill was a retired deputy sheriff with the Rutherford County Sheriff’s department for 21 years.  He was also a member of the First Baptist church in Woodbury, TN.

He loved to watch old western movies, enjoyed yard selling and auctions. His favorite music included the Beetles, ABBA, Rod Stewart, and Cher. His daughter Tina took him to a Cher concert in January 2019 which he loved and enjoyed so much.

He is survived by his only daughter Tina Elaine Melton Meador of Murfreesboro, TN. He has three grandchildren, grandsons include, senior Airman Stephon Harris of Valdosta, GA, currently severing in the US Air Force, Kenan Gaines of Woodbury, TN, and his only granddaughter a Siegel Middle School cheerleader, Elodie Noelle Meador of Murfreesboro, TN. He was certainly very proud of them.

Bill had one sister, Sandy (Darrell) Barton; three nieces Rebekah (Jason) Luck, Amanda Allen, Melissa Jones, and two great nephews, Zackery Luck and Seth Jones.

He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Bratten and Hazel Melton of Woodbury, TN, and his wife of 39 years, Mary Melton or Woodbury, TN.

Bill had a very special friend that he cared for and loved deeply Ms. Paulette Potter of Woodbury, TN.

Mr. Melton’s request was to be cremated and no services held.  He wanted everyone to remember him smiling and laughing.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net

Della Katherine Frazier Young, 88, of Woodbury passed away Wednesday, July 21, 2021 at St. Thomas Rutherford.  She was born in Saltville, VA., to her parents, Clyde and Georgia Talbert Frazier.

Survivors include her husband of 69 years, Nile Young of Woodbury; her children, Brenda (Richard) Weathers of Murfreesboro, Doug (Gloria) Young of Woodbury, Suzy Young of Jacksonville, FL. And David Clyde (Cindy) Young of Woodbury; grandchildren, Jared Young, Anthony Young, Ashley (J.B.) Harris, Angela Young, Lindsey (Will) Eipper, Stefanie Winter, Corey (Michelle) Young, Sarah Young, Clay (Eve) Young, Connor (Haleigh) Young; siblings, Grace Young and David (Joyce) Frazier all of Woodbury and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Doris Frazier of Smithville and Jesse Harrington of Lebanon.

Also surviving are 10 great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and extended family.

In addition to her parents, Della was preceded in death her brother, John C. Frazier and sister, Mary Lou Harrington.

Ms. Frazier was a devoted member of her beloved church, the First United Methodist Church of Woodbury where she sang in the choir and was a member of the United Methodist Women’s Group.  She volunteered for many organizations including Stones River Women’s Auxiliary, Cannon County Senior Center, and the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. She was an excellent seamstress, always enjoyed crocheting and making prayer shawls for her church.  Above everything else, she was a homemaker who was especially devoted to her husband and her family of whom she was so proud.

Funeral Services will be 2:00 PM Saturday, July 24, 2021, in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. John Hembree officiating.  Interment will follow in Riverside Cemetery.  Visitation with her family will be from 10 AM until 2 PM Saturday, July 24, 2021.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Woodbury or to the Cannon Co. Senior Center

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences for her family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net  

Helen Louise Hall Miller, age 78, of Woodbury passed away Friday, July 16, 2021 at Centennial Medical Center.  She was born on September 5, 1942 in Cannon County to her parents, James Herbert & Johnnie Bell Parker Hall.

Survivors include her sister, Jerry Hall Stiver of Woodbury; Niece & Nephew, Kristy (Travis) Anderton & Jamie Trail, both of Manchester; Brother-in-law, James Trail of Manchester; and Great Nephews, Dominick Trail & Kaden Anderton, both of Manchester.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Carl Thurman Miller, Jr.

Mrs. Miller was a member of the Dillon Street Baptist Church and was retired from the Good Samaritan Hospital.

Graveside Services will be at 11 AM Tuesday, July 20, 2021 at Riverside Gardens Cemetery.  Visitation with her family will be from 10 AM until time of the service on Tuesday.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615.563.2311, www.woodburyfuneralhome.net

Stephen Adam Brown, 37, of Woodbury passed away Thursday, July 15, 2021at Alive Hospice of Murfreesboro.  A native of Dayton, OH, he was the son of the late Donnie Joe Hill, Jr. and Judith Lynn Fox Hill.

He is survived by his wife, Deeanna Sullins Brown of Woodbury; his children, Jordan Brown and Jadyn Brown both of Woodbury; brothers, Donnie Joe Hill, Jr. and Gregory (Teya) Brown both of Woodbury and nieces and nephew, Audrianna Hill, Koby Brown and Britain Brown. Also surviving is his special uncle, Buddy Vassar.

In addition to his parents, Stephen was preceded in death by his brother, Bryan Brown.

A member of Leoni Church of Christ, Stephen was a mechanic and a devoted volunteer fire fighter for Woodbury, Mooretown and Westside fire departments for 17 years.  He was also a member of the Cannon Co. Rescue Squad. He was dedicated in serving the citizens of Cannon County. 

Funeral services will be 3:00 PM Sunday, July 18, 2021, in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Garland Robinson officiating.  Interment will follow in the Gilley Hill Cemetery.  Visitation with his family will be from  5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Saturday, July 17, 2021.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences and memories for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net  

Tony Wayne Spray, age 41, of Woodbury, passed away suddenly Monday, July 12, 2021 at St. Thomas Dekalb hospital in Smithville, TN.  He was born in Rutherford Co. to his parents, Terry Wayne and Judy Carol Thomas Spray on June 26, 1980. 

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife of 12 years, Erica Tramel Spray; his children, Kail Wayne Spray (13), Kane Thomas Spray (8), and Kasen Ann Spray (7); his brother and best friend, Brian (Kelly) Spray; 5 nephews, Zeke, Jaxon, Dawson, Braylon, Kieyler and his niece, Emery; aunts and uncles, Russell and Linda Helmers, Roger and Kay Patterson, Bobby and Kay Spray, Lisa Spray, Billy and Sherri Spray; grandmother, Bonnie Spray; special aunt, Racine Mooneyham; cousins, Christy, Troy, Colby and Gracie Oakley, Brigette, Robby & Lilly Allen, Jason (Karisse) Spray, Greg (Jessica) Spray, Josh (Christine) Spray, John (Lindsey) Green, Kayla Spray and Kenzie Patterson.  Also surviving, father-in-law, Ralph (Kathy) Tramel; mother-in-law, Terri Loftus and sister-in-law, McKenzie (Wesley) Chockley.   

Tony was preceded in death by his grandparents, Oscar & Walline Thomas, grandfather, Bobby Ray Spray, Sr.; uncle, Loyd Thomas and baby cousin, Donald Wayne Blanton. 

After working for several years in factories, Tony started a career in driving dump trucks for Moody’s Trucking, Alcorn & Son, Williamson Construction and Big Orange.  He went from driver to truck supervisor to mechanic for Power Equipment.  Tony achieved so many of is goals in his short life to only find his forever job as a mechanic at IMI. 

Funeral services will be 4 pm Saturday, July 17, 2021 in the Chapel of Woodbury Funeral Home with Bro. Tony Burnett officiating.  Interment will follow at Prater Cemetery.  Visitation with his family will be from 2:00 PM until 9:00 PM Friday, July 16, 2021.   

For those wishing to do so, donations may be made towards his children’s scholarship fund that will be set up at a later date.  Those donations may be made to Woodbury Funeral Home %Erica Spray.  

The family suggest that mask be worn while at the visitation and funeral because of family members with compromised immune systems.

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 or to leave condolences and memories for his family, please visit www.woodburyfuneralhome.net