Tennessee, U.S., Delayed Birth Records, 1869-1909
Jay Wells
Jay C. Wells, a retiree from Erlanger Medical Center after 32 years, died Saturday, Jan. 31, 1998, in a local nursing home. He was 69.
A native of Chattanooga, he was a Korean War veteran and of the Church of God faith.
He was the widower of Viola Wells.
Survivors include three daughters, Janice White, Bridgeport, Ala., Mittie Thurman and Jackie Finney, both of Chattanooga; one sister, Opal Coffman, Greenville, Tenn.; two brothers, Kenneth Wells, California, and David Wells, North Carolina; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Services will be Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home with the Rev. Marshall Roberson officiating.
Burial will follow in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be today until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Spencer Williamson
Spencer 'Spink' Williamson of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and formerly of Chattanooga, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1998. He was 87.
A native of Chattanooga, he was a Baptist pastor and began his ministry as an evangelist in High Point, N.C., in 1939. He founded churches from Alaska to Florida and has pastored churches in Williamsport, Pa., Lakeland, Fla., and Fort Laudersale.
He founded the Gold Coast Christian School in Fort Lauderdale, preached in Bible conferences throughout the U.S. and conducted tent meetings in the Southern states.
In the early 1950's, he was heard daily in the Carolinas on his radio broadcast, 'Daily Manna.'
Survivors include his wife, Bevelyn Frances Noah Williamson; three children; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Monday in Fort Laudersale.
Arrangements are by the Forest Lawn Funeral Home, Pompano Beach, Fla.
Pauline Thompson
CLEVELAND, Tenn. - Pauline Thompson died Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998 in a nursing home there. She was 89.
She was a former Red Cross volunteer at Bradley Hospital, a cook at Riceville (Tenn.) School and a seamstress at Cleveland Chair Co.
She was the widow of John Henry Thompson and the sister of the late Lee and A.R. Melton.
Survivors include her son, David Thompson, Charleston, Tenn.; daughter, Nellie Key Jones, Cleveland; three sisters, Clarrisa Morrison, Cleveland, Hazel Thompson, Riceville, Louzelle Curtis, Athens; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and two great-great-granddaughters.
Services will be at noon today at Grissom Funeral Home, Cleveland, with the Rev. Michael Roach officiating.
Burial will be in Riceville City cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to Riceville cemetery Fund, c/o First National Bank, P.O. Box 100, Athens, TN 37371-0100.
Gladys Thompson
Gladys Horn Thompson of Cleveland, Ohio, and formerly of Chattanooga, died there Sunday, Jan. 18, 1998.
Arrangements will be announced by Franklin-Strickland Funeral Home.
Clyde Swope
Clyde Winfield Swope Jr. of Ventura, Calif., died Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998, at his family's home in Chattanooga. He was 76.
A memorial service will be held today at 7 p.m. at the Christ Church, Episcopal, with Father Jim Bills officiating.
The body will be cremated and scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
The family will receive friends at the Christ Church, Episcopal today from 6 to 7 p.m.
Arrangements are by the Coulter Chapel of the Lane Funeral Home.
Lacy Swafford
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. - Lacy Carmack Swafford died Monday, Feb. 9, 1998, in a local hospital. He was 87.
He was a lifelong resident of Bledsoe County and was a member of New Harmony Church of Christ.
Survivors include his wife, Ethel Swafford; four daughters, Shelby Cunnyngham, Dayton, Tenn, Faye Criss and Myrna Giaimo, Woodstock, Ga., Billie Tollett, Pikeville, Tenn.; two brothers, Sam Swafford and Loran Swafford, both of Battle Creek, Mich; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Coulter Garrison Funeral Home, Dayton.
Burial will be in Rigsby cemetery.
Visitation will be today from 3 to 9 p.m.
Randall Howe
Randall E. Howe died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 1998. He was 51.
Arrangements will be announced by Heritage Funeral Home, East Brainerd Road.
Floyd N. Suits, 87, Dies;
Retiree Of Truscon Steel
Floyd Newton Suits, a retired salesman for Truscon Steel Co., died Thursday, Feb. 5, 1998, at a local hospital. He was 87.
Mr. Suits, a resident of Rossville, Ga., was a longtime Chattanoogan and a graduate of Central High School. He was a member of First Christian Church and a 50-year member of East Ridge Masonic Lodge.
Survivors include his wife, Allene Carroll Suits; a son, Art Suits, Chickamauga, Ga.; daughter, Amy L. Suits, Nashville; grandson, Tim A. Suits, Rocky Face, Ga.; granddaughter, Lona M. Shaver, Nashville; and two great-grandchildren.
The funeral will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Chattanooga Funeral Home, East, with minister Gary Grogg officiating.
Burial will be in Lakewood Memory Gardens, South.
Memorial contributions may be made to a favorite church.
The family will receive friends today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Brig. Gen. C.T. Howland
Brig. Gen. Charles Turner Howland, who served nearly 40 years in the U.S. Army and the Tennessee Army National Guard, died Sunday, Feb. 15, 1998, in a Murfreesboro, Tenn., hospital. He was 98.
Gen. Howland was a resident of Hixson and a native of Tuscumbia, Ala. He was honored by the state of Tennessee on Feb. 5, 1988, and promoted to brigadier general (brevet) by Adjutant Gen. Carl Wallace.
Gen. Howland served in Europe in both world wars and helped the National Guard reorganize after World War II. Known as 'Mr. Charlie' or 'Sarge,' he retired in 1961 as chief warrant officer.
He was a member of Troop B of the 109th Cavalry at Fyffe Barracks, the Retired Officers Association, and was an original charter member of the 40 & 8.
He was a 32nd-degree mason with the John Bailey Nicklin Lodge.
Survivors include his son, Robert Charles Howland, Hixson; four grandchildren, Pamela H. Garrett, Chattanooga, Robert T. Howland, Nashville, David W. Howland, Atlanta, and Katherine Ann Howland, Chattanooga; and seven great-grandchildren.
A graveside service with full military honors will be Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in Chattanooga National cemetery with Lt. Col. Bill Henry officiating.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, 619 Memorial Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37415, or a favorite charity.
The family will receive friends today from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Coulter Chapel of Lane Funeral Home.
Gregory Strong
Gregory A. Strong died Tuesday, Feb. 3, 1998, in a Crossville, Tenn., hospital. He was 31.
He was a Baptist, a son of the late Ronald Strong, and grandson of the late Mildred Lloyd.
Survivors include his daughter, Kearia Strong; mother, Doris J. Strong; grandfather, Charles Lloyd Sr.; brother, Jeremiah Strong Sr.; and a sister, Cassandra E. Strong, all of Chattanooga.
The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Taylor Funeral Home with minister Melvin Goree officiating.
Burial will be in Forest Hills cemetery.
The body will be at the funeral home after 1 p.m. today..
Bernice Stone
Bernice Deerman Stone of Rossville died today, Friday, Jan. 23, 1998, in a local health care facility. She was 86.
She was a member of South Rossville Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Leonard V. Stone; two sons, Ray Deerman, Fort Oglehtorpe, Ga., and Gary Deerman, Greenville, Miss.; three sisters, Lorene Anderson, Rome, Ga., Toots Crawford, Dutton, Ala, and Ruth Neely, Sylvania, Ala.; brother, Albert Shirey, Fort Payne; five grandchidlen, five great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Services were to be today at noon at W.L. Wilson and Sons Funeral Home with the Rev. Frank Bell officiating.
Additional services will be held at 2 p.m. CST at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Dutton, Ala.
Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the church.
Alto Stewart
BENTON, Tenn. - Alto Airlene Stewart died Tuesday, Jan. 27, 1998, in an area hospital. She was 57.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Mrs. Stewart was a member of the RSVP Quilting Club in Benton.
She was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Priest.
Survivors include her husband, Ronald L. Stewart; two daughters, Grace Peters, California, and Gretchen Nuzum; three sons, Wallace Tauch, Kodiak, Alaska, David and William Stewart, both of Benton; six grandchildren; three sisters, Alvern Spillman and Betty Priest, both of Alaska, and Cynthia Zamzow, Montana; five brothers, Wallace, Harry and Ross Priest, all of Alaska, and Lee and Waymon Priest, both of Montana.
A memorial service will be Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Oak Grove Baptist Church in Benton with the Rev. Don Smith officiating.
Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Buckner-Rush Funeral Home, Cleveland, Tenn.
