From The Oak Ridger 17 Jun 2004 Claire Porterfield Cary, 88, of Pinehurst, N.C., formerly of Rockingham, N.C., R. Frank Porter, 91, Claire Porterfield Cary, 88, of Pinehurst, N.C., formerly of Rockingham, N.C., died Wednesday, June 16, 2004, at the home her daughter following a lengthy illness. Born April 4, 1916, in Rock Camp, W.Va., she was the daughter of Ulysses S. Porterfield and Lura "Lucy" Elizabeth Fortner Porterfield. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Elva Ernest Cary of Knoxville, and by her son, John Hale Cary, former United States Attorney, of Knoxville. Mrs. Cary is survived by her daughter, Martha Cary Davidson and husband, Allen, of Pinehurst; five grandchildren, Laura Simmons and husband, Steve, of Stafford, Va., John Hale Cary Jr. and wife, Jennifer, of Bowling Green, Ky., Rebekah Garrett and husband, Hugh, and Christin Goldsmith, all of Jacksonville, Fla., and Emily Davidson of Durham, N.C.; and by five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two beloved nephews, James E. Porterfield Jr. of Fredericksburg, Va., and Michael Reedy of Beckley, W.Va.; two beloved nieces, Mildred Mann of Beckley and Geraldine Bermeister of Alburquerque, N.M.; and by her beloved sister-in-law, Ruth Cary, of Oak Ridge. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Friday, June 18, 2004, in the chapel of Boles Funeral Home in Pinehurst with the Rev. Mike Branscome and the Rev. David Marks officiating. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at Oak Ridge Memorial Park with the Rev. Dr. Eugene Fleming officiating. The family requests any memorials be in the form of contributions to the building fund at First Baptist Church in Aberdeen, N.C., or First Baptist Church in Pinehurst, N.C. The family will receive friends from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 17, at the funeral home. R. Frank Porter, 91, died Wednesday, June 16, 2004. Born Sept. 17, 1912, in Rome, Ga., he was the son of a minister in the Holston Methodist Episcopal Conference and joined the Holston Annual Conference himself in 1937. He served as a student pastor at West View Methodist in Knoxville, Trinity Methodist in Lenoir City, and received his master's of divinity from Vanderbilt University School of Religion in 1944. He received his honorary doctor of divinity from Tennessee Wesleyan College in Athens. He was a Master Mason. He served White Oak Methodist in Chattanooga until October 1948, when he was appointed as pastor of First United Methodist Church in Oak Ridge, the "City Behind the Fence." He was instrumental in the purchase of the first private property in Oak Ridge on which the current First United Methodist Church is now standing. In addition to the building at Oak Ridge, he was instrumental in leading building programs at several of the churches he served in the Holston Conference. Among the facilities he helped build were White Oak, Fountain City and Broad Street in Kingsport. He also had the honor of serving as a delegate to both the Jurisdictional and General Conferences of the Methodist Church. He served as district superintendent in Johnson City and served the Knoxville district for six years during the transitional period as the Methodist and Evangelical Brethren Churches merged to form the United Methodist Church. He retired from First United Methodist Church in Knoxville in 1978. During retirement, he served as longtime associate pastor at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church in Knoxville and part-time chaplain at Shannondale Retirement Community until just a few months ago. He will be greatly missed by his family, his friends, and his fellow co-workers in ministry, his family said. He was preceded in death by his wife, Christine Smith Porter; his parents, Robert F. and Alice Cooke Porter; and by a brother, Steve Porter. Mr. Porter is survived by his son, Chris Porter and wife, Sherry, of Sevierville; two daughters, Carolyn Gass and husband, David, of Knoxville and Francis Harmon and husband, O.T., of Jonesborough; six grandchildren, Lacy Rector, Jim Gass, Brad Porter, John Gass, Robert Harmon and Christine Rebelo; several great-grandchildren; and by his special friend, Billie Blakely. The funeral will be at 8 p.m. Friday, June 18, 2004, at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church in Knoxville with the Rev. Don Ferguson and the Rev. Nathan Malone officiating. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Greenwood Cemetery. The family requests any memorials be in the form of contributions to the Frank and Christine Porter Foundation at Middlebrook Pike UMC, 7234 Middlebrook Pike, Knoxville, TN 37909. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at the church. Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel in Knoxville is in charge of arrangements. =========================================== SUPPORT OUR TROOPS---FLY THE FLAG "Genealogy is like playing hide and seek. They hide I seek!!! www.byrge.com/genealogy/ Searching: BYRGE/BUNCH/DAUGHERTY/DUNCAN/KENNEDY/ PATTERSON/PHILLIPS/SEIBER/TACKETT/WARD