Gene Ayers, age 60, of Harrogate, was born January 25, 1941 and passed away October 29, 2004 at the Veterans Hospital in Johnson City. He was of the Jesus Only faith and a veteran of the Vietnam War. Survivors include his wife, Shirley Bussell Ayers of Harrogate; daughters: Katie Clayton of Ft. Meyers, Fl., Valerie Davis of Ky., son, Ray Ayers of Harrogate; grandchildren: Kala Edwards, Damien and Tristen Ayers; sister, Justine Pierce of Harrogate; numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial Services were held 3 p.m. Tuesday, November 2 at Coffey Funeral Home Chapel in Harrogate. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. *************** Bobbie Helen Carpenter, age 81, of Tazewell, passed away October 28 2004 at Morristown Hamblen Hospital. She professed faith in Christ at the age of nine and remained a lifelong member of Grissom Island Missionary Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Willie H. Carpenter; children: Billie "Junior", Margaret Ann and George Henry; grandson, Randy "Boonie" Sulfridge; great grandchild, Kathy Massengill: father, Robert Ogan; mother and stepfather: Stella Ogan Collins and Bob Collins; sisters: Ethel West, Nell est, Bernice Ogan; brothers: George and Clarence Collins. Survivors include her children: Earl (Linda) Carpenter of New Tazewell, Wylie (Shelia) Carpenter of Morristown, Shirley (Bud) Pinkston of Talbott, Phyllis (H.) Reece of Tazewell, Joyce (Ronald) Myers of Bean Station, Irene (Larry) Hayes of Morristown, Linda (the late Wayne) Dalton of Talbott; grandchildren: Terry, Helen, Jerry, Lisa, Wylie (Casper), Mark, Melanie, Michelle, Rick, Karen, Angela, Gwen, Chris, Tony, Ginger and Eric; great grandchildren: Whitney, Jessica, Chris, Tasha, Pudge, Heather, Zach, Charlie, Ethan, Brady, Rachel, Hunter, Hallie, Ashlely, Shane, Jessica, Kristy, Katrina, Katlin, Allison, Leah, Landon, Paxton, Wyatt and Jared; great great grandchildren: Justin, Charity Paige, Shelley and Jacob; a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral Services were held 2 p.m. Sunday, October 31 in the Coffey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Johnnie Meyers and Rev. Doc Hensley officiating. Songs by Dry Valley Quartet. Burial in the Carpenter Cemetery at the home place. Pallbearers: Wylie Carpenter, Mark Carpenter, Eric Carpenter, Tony Dalton, Chris Hayes and Dan Singleton. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. ************************* Annette Mabe Chadwell, age 66, of Tazewell, was born February 9, 1938 and passed away October 22, 2004 at the Hamblen Healthcare System in Morristown. She was a member of Highland Baptist Church in Sharp's Chapel. She was preceded in death by her parents: Clarence and Tennie Mabe; husbands: Robert Chadwell and Clyde C. Wolfe; grandson, Travis Aaron Cornish. Survivors include her sons: Louis Wolfe of Thorn Hill, Donald Wolfe of Tazewell, Ronnie Wolfe of Tazewell; daughters: Joyce Ann Metcalf of Johnson City, Rose Hulsey of Rutledge, Tammy Noah of Tazewell; grandchildren; 16 great grandchildren; brothers: Herman, Lawrence, Earl, Lester, Parlon and Lewis Mabe; sisters: Sally Wilder, Kay Shoffner and Onalee Hayes. Funeral Services were held 2 p.m. Monday, October 25 at Coffey Funeral Home Chapel in Tazewell with Rev. Willard Wilder officiating. Songs by Ray and Doris Duncan, Thelma Wolfenbarger, Hubert Turner and the Highland Baptist Church Singers. Burial in Margraves Cemetery Mabetown in Lone Mt. Pallbearers: Louis, Donald and Ronnie Wolfe, Rickie Hulsey and Tyler Cornish. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. ************************** Arvel Lee Montgomery, age 82, was born January 9, 1922 and passed away October 26, 2004. He was a member of Indian Creek Baptist Church of Harrogate, Shawnee Masonic Lodge #546 and served his country in Patton's Army during W.W.II. He owned and operated Montgomery Grocery since 1955. He was preceded in death by his wife, Pauline Ramsey Montgomery; parents: Lillie Yeary Montgomery and Lillie Montgomery; brother, Marshall and Howard Montgomery; sister, Mary Stanley and Sharon Pond. Survivors include his son and daughter-in-law: Bill (Brenda) Montgomery of Ewing, Va.; daughter and son-in-law: Valarie (Emette) Thompson of Knoxville; grandchildren: Paula (Tim) Wilson, Derrick (Kristen) Montgomery of Ewing, Va. and Gray Thompson and Mandy Thompson of Knoxville; great grandchildren: Cameron Wilson, Hayden Gilbert, Jacob Montgomery all of Ewing, Va.; brothers: Floyd (Opal) Montgomery, Kenneth (Betty) Montgomery, Eugene (Frances) Montgomery of Ewing, Va., Tip (Ruth) Montgomery of New Carlisle, Oh., Henry (Juanita) Montgomery of Bel-Air, Md.; sisters: Hazel (Hal) Gaddis of White Pine, Frances (Gary) Hauk of Vine Grove, Ky., Peggy (Bob) Owens of Loyal, Ky.; brother-in-law, Jim Pond of West Liberty, Oh., James Maude Ramsey of Harrogate; sister-in-law, Ollie Ramsey of Shawanee; a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral Services were held 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 28 with Rev. Preston Smith and Rev. Floyd Montgomery officiating. Songs by Gibson Station Singers. Burial in Shoffner Cemetery with Military Honors. Pallbearers: Wayne Blakemore, Greg Pendleton, Don Ramsey, Jim Montgomery, Derrik Montgomery and Gray Thompson. Honorary pallbearers: James Ramsey, Bill Pendleton, Claude Stanley, John Russell, Frank Hammerling and Darrell Pendleton. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. *************************** Edward Carson McMurray Sr., age 81, of Cumberland Gap, was born August 19, 1923 and passed away October 29, 2004 at the Veterans Hospital in Johnson City. He was a lifelong member of the Underwood Grove Baptist Church. A veteran of WW II and was in Pearl Harbor during the bombing. He delivered meals-on-wheels to the senior citizens for many years. He was preceded in death by his parents: Sam and Verdie (Vance) McMurray; brothers: Ralph, Arnold, Earl and Milford McMurray; sister, Opal Epperson; wives: Dorothy McMurray and Bobbie McMurray. Survivors include his son, Edward McMurry Jr. of Morristown; daughters: Debra Jean Drenkhahn and husband, Donald of Sellersville, Pa., Barbara Lee Derr and husband, Terry of Hamburg, Pa., Jo Anne Greninger of Harrogate; sister, Juanita Tuttle of Cumberland Gap; 7 grandchildren; 7 great grandchildren; special friend, Sue Goins of Harrogate; a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Funeral Services were held 1 p.m. Monday, November 1 in the Claiborne Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Don Bannister and the Rev. Kenneth Brummitt officiating. Music by the McMurray Family. Burial in the Kibert Cemetery with Military Honors. Pallbearers: Michael Curry, Kevin Curry, Steven Curry, Randy D'Angelo, Christopher D'Angelo and Philip Drenkhana. Claiborne Funeral Home in charge. ****************************** Nanci Leigh Pace, age 48, of Tazewell, was born March 8, 1956 and passed away October 29, 2004 as a result of an auto accident. She was a member of Caney Valley American Christian Church. She was preceded in death by her parents: Clarence and Dorothy Estep Pace; husband, Steve Nicely; father-in-law, Jimmy Nicely; brother-in-law, Mitchell Fletcher. Survivors include her daughter, Kacee (David) Johnson of Tazewell; son, Kiplen Dale Evans, Jr. of New Tazewell; son's fianc/, Melissa Simpson; grandchildren: Chelcee Evans, Savannah Johnson, Raegan Lee, Jackie and Tre' Evans; sister, Vicky (Johnny) Gibbs of Harrogate; Judy (Steve) Radcliff of Ohio; brother, Dick (Judy) Pace of Middlesboro, Ky.; sisters-in-law, Debbie (Jeff) Miracle, Sue Fletcher both of Tazewell, Vickie Evans of Harrogate; several nieces, nephews, a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral Services were held 8 p.m. Monday, November 1 at Coffey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Boyd Meyers and Rev. Scott Munsey officiating. Songs by Caney Valley Choir. Burial in Yoakum Cemetery in New Tazewell. Pallbearers: Michael Fletcher, Brad Russell, Wayne Web, David Webb, Chuck McBrayer and Bobby Joe Raby. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. ***************************** Lora Lee Tallent Sayne, age 41, of Alpharetta, Ga. and Rocky Hill Community of Knoxville, passed away October 24, 2004 at Portsbridge Hospice of Dunwoody, Ga. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her father, Lee Tallent; grandfather, Charlie Purdo; grandmother, Ethel Chadwell. Survivors include her husband: Edward Sayne of Knoxville; daughter, Heather Sayne and fianc/, Shaun Walker of Alpharetta, Ga.; son, Andrew Sayne; brother, Jeff Tallent all of Alpharetta, Ga.; mother, Jessie Demaris "Dee" Purdom Tallent of Knoxville; uncles: James "Bud" Purdom of Knoxville, Dennis Tallent and wife, Frankie of Sweetwater, Ernest Tallent and family of Featherbed, N.J.; aunt, Sue Purdom of Knoxville; cousins: Bud Purdom, Jr., Karen Purdom, Coleby Purdom of Knoxville, Frankie Tallent and family, Junior Tallent of Sweetwater; father-in-law and mother-in-law: Glenn and Maryanne Sayne; brother-in-law, Charlie Sayne; sister-in-law, Becky Dixon and Darrell of Rockford; nephew, Bradley Dixon. Funeral Services were held 1 p.m. Thursday, October 28 at Coffey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Julian Reese officiating. Burial in Hopewell Cemetery on Cedar Fork Road in Tazewell. Coffey Funeral Home in charge. ************************end of obits

Hello all, I spoke with Joyce Ramsey, President of the Claiborne County Historical and Genealogical Society, on the phone tonight, regarding the expected delivery date for the new Heritage Book. As many of you well know, there have been several delays on the publisher's end, so we basically were stuck in neutral while the publisher was getting the problems all taken care of. Because of the delays, the publisher has had to subcontract much of their work in order to get caught up with all of their customers they serve. From what Joyce is telling me based on her conversations with the publisher, the expected timeframe for delivery of the new Heritage Book is shortly before Christmas, as long as there are no more problems surface to cause further delay. I can assure you that Joyce, along with everyone else who has worked on getting this book completed, is just as frustrated as many of you are, but this is how things go in the publishing business. I'm sure however, that the finished product will make it worth the wait, so if everyone would please just be patient, you will hopefully have a new book to read through and share with your friends and family while sitting around the Christmas tree this year. Cheers, Darrell Waddell