94 year old Teemus Johnson of Smithville died Friday morning at his residence. He was a Baptist, a farmer, and a World War II Army Veteran. The funeral will be Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Regina Lynne Bolden will officiate and burial will be in the Leeville Cemetery in Wilson County. Visitation will be Saturday from 1-8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. until the service at 2 p.m. Johnson was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Johnson and Nettie Mai Miller Johnson Kelley; two daughters, Joyce Ann Smith and Sharon Louise Petty; five brothers, Elmerray, Derwood, Jimmy, Albert, and Robert Johnson and one sister, Mary Ann Cluck. Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Joanne Johnson; six daughters, Eloise Power, Peggy and Donald Minnear, Linda and Clarence Standridge all of Smithville, Gwen Hayes of Lebanon, Marsha and Mike Franks of Saltillo and Gail Jones of Dickson. Several grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren. Three brothers, Roy and Pat Johnson of West Virginia, Jessie and Deloris Johnson of Wyoming, Barrett and Claudine Johnson of Readyville. One sister, Ruby Vaught of Murfreesboro. Devoted son-in-law, George Petty of Nunelly. Several nieces, nephews, and family also survive. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements
Author Archive: Dwayne Page
Jean Goodman Atnip
Mrs. Jean Goodman Atnip age 62 of Smithville, passed away Thursday afternoon, August 27, 2015 at Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital ER. Jean was preceded in death by her father, Riley Goodman. She was a member of the Keltonburg United Methodist Church and a homemaker. Survivors include her husband, Austin Atnip of Smithville; 2 children, Barry Atnip and Angela Atnip both of Smithville; 3 grandchildren, Zackery Walker, Meranda Atnip and Hunter Murphy; mother, Clara Mae Goodman of Smithville; 2 brothers, Lloyd (Pat) Goodman and Donnie Goodman both of Smithville. Funeral services will be conducted 2:PM Sunday, August 30, 2015 at the Keltonburg United Methodist Church with Bros. Mike Neal and Michael Hale officiating. Visitation with the family will be on Saturday 10AM until 8:PM and Sunday 10Am until 1:15 at which time Mrs. Jean will be taken to the church for the service at 2PM, all visitation will be held at the funeral home. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Charlene Hale Coffee
Charlene Hale Coffee age 92 of Dowelltown, passed away Wednesday night, August 26, 2015 at NHC HealthCare in Smithville. She was born March 1, 1923 to her parents, the late Clarence and Minnie Hill Hale. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Glen A. Coffee; 2 daughters, Betty Sue Davis and Cindy Lou Coffee; 2 grandsons; 1 great-granddaughter; 2 sisters, Frances Taylor and Altie Bain; 4 brothers, Cordell, Ed, Brown, and James Hale. She was of the Apostolic Faith and was a retired shirt factory worker. Survivors include 5 children, Paul (Linda) Byford of Smithville, J.C. (Christine) Byford of Dowelltown, Linda (Ron) Hoffman of Cookeville, Eva Sevier of Dowelltown, Elaine Sherrell of Sparta; 11 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, 16 great-great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Jodie (Bud) Forbes of Mt. Juliet. Funeral services will be conducted 2:PM Saturday, August 27, 2015 at DeKalb Funeral Chapel with Bros. Billy Hale and Michael Hale officiating and burial to follow in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be on Friday 2:PM until 8:PM and Saturday 9:AM until the time of the service at 2:PM. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Kenneth Lee Cabral
Mr. Kenneth Lee Cabral age 68 of Smithville, passed away Wednesday night August 26, 2015 at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville. Ken was born December 9, 1946 to his parents, the late Joseph and Rosa Belle Cabral. Mr. Cabral was a self-employed Janitorial Contractor. A lifelong Jehovah’s Witness, he was baptized in 1959 and was an Elder in the Smithville Congregation. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marilyn Cabral of Smithville; 4 children, Kim Cabral of Smithville, Kristen (Eric) Kulkarni of Smithville, Allen (Trisha) Cabral of Duffield, VA, Kathleen Cabral of Murfreesboro; 3 grandchildren, Allisha, Kara and Evan Cabral; 2 brothers, Ronald (June) Cabral of Sparta and Steven (Lynda) Cabral of Smithville. Visitation with the Cabral family will be on Saturday, August 29, 2015 2:PM until 5:PM at DeKalb Funeral Chapel. A Memorial Service will be held 6:00PM Monday, August 31, 2015 at The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Smithville with Greg Pearson officiating. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Bridge in Blue Springs Community to be Replaced
Construction is expected to begin next month on the replacement of a bridge in the Blue Springs community.
The bridge is located on Underhill Road over Sink Creek.
According to Road Supervisor Butch Agee, Concrete Structures, Incorporated of Charlotte, Tennessee was recently awarded a bid to be the contractor for the project. The cost is $310,729.
The project is being funded under the state’s 1990 Bridge Grant Program. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will pay for 98% of the costs to replace the bridge, $304, 514, and the county’s portion will be $6,214 to be funded by the DeKalb County Highway Department.
The job entails the construction of a reinforced concrete box bridge and approaches on Underhill Road over Sink Creek.
Underhill Road is currently scheduled to be closed as of Monday morning, September 14 in preparation for construction. Traffic will be detoured to Jacobs Pillar Road. The targeted completion date for the bridge is January 12, 2016.
The 1990 Bridge Grant Program enables the county highway department to replace or rehabilitate certain bridges when the TDOT commissioner finds that a bridge is structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. Typically, the state share is no more than 80% of the approved project cost and the local government share must be at least 20%. However, the County Bridge Relief Act of 2014, provides that counties may use unexpended state-aid bridge grant funds to pay the county portion of project costs. Counties must only provide two percent of the project cost from county funds or in-kind contributions. This funding formula is available for projects initiated in fiscal years 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Other bridge projects are also expected to be funded in DeKalb County under this grant program in the coming months.
“Purple Out Day” to raise Alzheimer’s Awareness
Alzheimer’s disease impacts Tennessee families in every county from west to east, and now court clerks across the state, including DeKalb County are showing their support by participating in the inaugural statewide “Purple Out Day” benefitting Alzheimer’s Tennessee, a not-for-profit organization.
“Alzheimer’s is truly devastating, and we all know how hard it is to watch a loved one begin to forget things and then eventually need care and support twenty-four hours a day. This is a brain disease that shows no mercy, and while there is no cure, we want to make sure there is hope and help available for everyone in our county,” said Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack.
From Memphis to Mountain City, 205 court clerks and their deputy clerks are expected to wear purple and participate in the first “Purple Out Day” on Friday, Sept., 18, to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s and related dementias, as well as raise funds to support the work of Alzheimer’s Tennessee. Circuit Court Clerk Pack has already made a personal donation of at least $50 and each deputy clerk in the office has made a $10 donation.
“If the public would like to pitch in, and other court clerks in the state make similar donations, together we can raise more than $15,000,” said Pack. “There is a competition for “Purple Out Clerk Champion” in East, Middle, and West Tennessee, and we hope to represent our county well.”
Everyone in DeKalb County is encouraged to wear purple on Friday, Sept. 18, for the state’s first “Purple Out Day”.
Because Alzheimer’s disease and dementia impact at least 110,000 Tennesseans, the Board of Directors for the State Court Clerks Association of Tennessee voted to adopt and support Alzheimer’s Tennessee, a Tennessee-based 501c3 not-for-profit organization that provides support services, promotes brain health through education and champions research for better prevention and treatment strategies. Court clerks had the opportunity to learn more about the disease at their annual conferences this year.
Information about Alzheimer’s and related dementias will be available to the public at www.alzTennessee.org or by calling toll-free statewide 888-326-9888.
Thank you DeKalb County for your support in this great cause.
Sheriff’s Dept Plans More Patrols in Austin Bottom Area
Residents in the Austin Bottom Community can expect to see law enforcement patrols a little more often over the next few weeks.
In response to a public outcry, the sheriff’s department will be stepping up patrols at least through the end of the summer boating season. The lake site in that area may also be added next year in the contract the Corps of Engineers has with the county for the sheriff’s department to provide extra patrols during the summer.
“They (public) are concerned about activities that have been going on there at the lake access at Austin Bottom. It was a pretty spirited discussion (at public meeting last Tuesday). Basically what is going to happen right now is that the sheriff is going to increase patrols out in that area. I have talked to Center Hill Lake Resource Manager Kevin Salvilla and he will try to include that area next year in our law enforcement agreement to try and provide some money for that. We have in our law enforcement agreement now where the sheriff patrols the different campgrounds. He’ll (Salvilla) try to add some money there where that area can be patrolled more,” said County Mayor Tim Stribling during Monday night’s county commission meeting.
Last Tuesday, August 18, many residents in the Austin Bottom community of DeKalb County met with several local officials and the Corps of Engineers at the fire station there to vent their frustrations about public nuisance issues at a boat ramp in the area.
Resource Manager Salvilla took questions and comments from the group. County Mayor Stribling, Sheriff Patrick Ray, County Fire Chief Donny Green, and Fourth District County Commissioners Wayne Cantrell and Jonathon Norris were also there.
While most of the residents at the meeting said they don’t want the Putco Boat Ramp (Austin Bottom Lake Boat Access Area) closed, they would like to see more law enforcement to keep undesirables out.
Complaints range from issues of illegal drug activity, public intoxication, excessive noise during the night, using the area as a camp ground, non-boaters parking on the ramp preventing access, littering the area with beer bottles, cans, etc. One person was wounded in a recent shooting there. A contributing factor is that the lake level is lower than normal due to work on the dam which exposes more beach area for patrons to congregate.
Sheriff Ray said his officers patrol the area but residents are concerned about the time it takes DeKalb County law enforcement to respond if called. Because the community is cut off from the rest of the county due to the lake, residents say it could be as much as forty five minutes to an hour before help arrives.
DeKalb County has mutual aid agreements with surrounding counties including Putnam to assist in case of emergencies.
Kenneth Lee Cabral
Mr. Kenneth Lee Cabral age 68 of Smithville, passed away Wednesday night August 26, 2015 at Sarah Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville. Ken was born December 9, 1946 to his parents, the late Joseph and Rosa Belle Cabral. Mr. Cabral was a self-employed Janitorial Contractor. A lifelong Jehovah’s Witness, he was baptized in 1959 and was an Elder in the Smithville Congregation. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marilyn Cabral of Smithville; 4 children, Kim Cabral of Smithville, Kristen (Eric) Kulkarni of Smithville, Allen (Trisha) Cabral of Duffield, VA, Kathleen Cabral of Murfreesboro; 3 grandchildren, Allisha, Kara and Evan Cabral; 2 brothers, Ronald (June) Cabral of Sparta and Steven (Lynda) Cabral of Smithville. Visitation with the Cabral family will be on Saturday, August 29, 2015 2:PM until 5:PM at DeKalb Funeral Chapel. A Memorial Service will be held 6:00PM Monday, August 31, 2015 at The Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Smithville with Greg Pearson officiating. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
Charlene Hale Coffee
Charlene Hale Coffee age 92 of Dowelltown, passed away Wednesday night, August 26, 2015 at NHC HealthCare in Smithville. She was born March 1, 1923 to her parents, the late Clarence and Minnie Hill Hale. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Glen A. Coffee; 2 daughters, Betty Sue Davis and Cindy Lou Coffee; 2 grandsons; 1 great-granddaughter; 2 sisters, Frances Taylor and Altie Bain; 4 brothers, Cordell, Ed, Brown, and James Hale. She was of the Apostolic Faith and was a retired shirt factory worker. Survivors include 5 children, Paul (Linda) Byford of Smithville, J.C. (Christine) Byford of Dowelltown, Linda (Ron) Hoffman of Cookeville, Eva Sevier of Dowelltown, Elaine Sherrell of Sparta; 11 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren, 16 great-great-grandchildren; 1 sister, Jodie (Bud) Forbes of Mt. Juliet. Funeral services will be conducted 2:PM Saturday, August 27, 2015 at DeKalb Funeral Chapel with Bros. Billy Hale and Michael Hale officiating and burial to follow in Whorton Springs Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be on Friday 2:PM until 8:PM and Saturday 9:AM until the time of the service at 2:PM. DeKalb Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements.
John Payton Turner
66 year old John Payton Turner of Smithville died Tuesday at Saint Thomas DeKalb Hospital. He was a foreman at Pirtle Nursery. The funeral will be Friday at 1:00 p.m. at the Chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Leonard Herman will officiate and burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Gardens. Visitation will be Thursday from 10:00 a.m. until 8 p.m. and Friday from 9:00 a.m. until the service at 1:00 p.m. Turner was preceded in death by his parents, David Oscar and Ella Mai Herman Turner; three sisters, Halena Driver, Evalena Redmon, and Rose Cobble; and two brothers, Jerry Turner and Elton Turner. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Glenda Dyer Turner; two sons, John Michael and Tina Turner and Chase Turner; two daughters, Crystal and Cayalyn Turner all of Smithville. One grandchild; two sisters, Helen and Malcolm Turner of McMinnville and Ruby Parsley of Smithville. Sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Altie and Gerald Knowles of Smithville. Two sisters-in-law, Gladys and Ella Chaffin both of Cookeville. Brother-in-law, Raymond Dyer of Smithville. Also survived by several nieces, nephews, and family. Love-Cantrell Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. In addition to flowers, donations may be made to the Cayalyn Turner Scholarship Fund.