>From The Oak Ridger 15 Dec 2003 Jack Ray Monroe, 63, of Oak Ridge, Lillie Frances Ambos Johnson, 58, of Oak Ridge, Charles Everette Irwin, 72, of Clinton, Ruth McGlothin Hamby, 88, of Coalfield, Dorothy "Dot" Leab Bennett, 70, of Oak Ridge, Vernon Wiley Cooper, 87, of Clinton, Helen Vaughn Pettet, 92, of Hendersonville, N.C., David Nance, 56, of Oak Ridge, Jean C. Sessoms, 80, of Knoxville, ========================================= Jack Ray Monroe, 63, of Oak Ridge, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Born Nov. 21, 1940, in Knoxville, he was the son of Everette Verlin Monroe and Bessie Edna Lennon Monroe, both now deceased. Mr. Monroe was a 1959 graduate of Oak Ridge High School. He was the resident manager of Elza Gate Self Storage for 23 years and a member of St. John's Cathedral in Knoxville. His family described his talents as a jack-of-all-trades and as one who was willing to help anyone, regardless of their need, great or small. His family said those who knew and loved him will be left with an emptiness that can never be filled by another. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a son, Jack Ray Monroe II, in 1977. Mr. Monroe is survived by a son, Brian Monroe and wife, Sarah, of Lenoir City; a daughter, Linda Denise Davis and husband, Jack, of Oliver Springs; his sister, Pam Cummings and husband, Dan, of Oak Ridge; four grandchildren, Matthew Davis, Brandy Davis, Bailey Monroe and Madison Monroe; his niece, Jennifer Stevens and husband, Donnie, of Oliver Springs; and his nephew, Jason Shelton, of Knoxville; and by two grandnieces, Kalley Stevens and Cassandra Stevens, both of Oliver Springs. LaNelle Monroe, of Lenoir City, is considered a special friend. The funeral will be at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at Weatherford Mortuary. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Greenwood Cemetery in Knoxville. Jason Shelton, Dan Cummings, Perry Davis, Ralph Clough, Matthew Davis and Donnie Stevens served as pallbearers. The family requests that any memorials be in the form of contributions in honor of Kalley Stevens to the Shriner's Hospital for Children, 1900 Richmond Road, Lexington, KY 40502. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the mortuary. Lillie Frances Ambos Johnson, 58, of Oak Ridge, died Thursday Dec. 11, 2003, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, after a short illness. Born Oct. 27, 1945, in Savannah, Ga., she was the daughter of Henry and Lena Semken Ambos, both now deceased. Mrs. Johnson was a member of First United Methodist Church and was a self-employed antique dealer and decorator. She graduated from H.V. Jenkins High School in Savannah and attended Armstrong State College. Her family said she was a loving wife, mother, sister and grandmother "Mitzy" and will be sadly missed by all. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a stepson, Craig Leon Johnson. Mrs. Johnson is survived by her husband, Jack L. Johnson; her son, Peter Nesbitt, of Bastrop, Texas; two stepdaughters, Brenda Holbrook and husband, Jay, of Canyon Creek, Texas, and Jayne Johnson of San Antonio, Texas; two brothers, Henry Ambos Jr. and Louis Ambos, both of Savannah; and by her sister, Lena Meeks, of Savannah. She is also survived by two grandchildren, Kristen Nesbitt and Jennifer Nesbitt; four stepgrandchildren, Sally Sanchez, Holly Barrow Smith, Rick Barrow and Crystal Johnson; and by three stepgreat-grandchildren, Stephen Schmidt, Kaitlyn Smith and Hailey Smith. The funeral was Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, in the chapel of Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home with the Rev. Bob Cantrell officiating. A graveside service will be at 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Oak Ridge Memorial Park. Charles Everette Irwin, 72, of Clinton, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Mr. Irwin retired from Martin Marietta Energy Systems at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant after 45 years of service in research development. He worked at the Clinton Courier News from 1949 to 1953 as a printer and typesetter. Mr. Irwin was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Japan from 1946 to 1948. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie F. and Mettie Waggoner Irwin; and by four brothers, Fernde Irwin, Floyd Irwin, Milas Irwin and Carl Irwin. Mr. Irwin is survived by two daughters, Belinda Ford and husband, John, of Knoxville, and Gay Irwin of Johnson City; his son, Chuck Irwin, of Clinton; four grandchildren, Sean Blevins and wife, Maha Ayesh, Nathan Irwin, Bret Ford and Savannah Irwin, all of Knoxville; two sisters, Mary Ellen Elliott and Cleo Robbins, both of Andersonville; and by several nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton. The family requests that any memorials be in the form of contributions to Clinton Public Library, 118 S. Hicks St., Clinton, TN 37716. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Ruth McGlothin Hamby, 88, of Coalfield, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at her home with her husband, daughters and family by her side. Born Dec. 2, 1915, in Morgan County, she was the daughter of Robert Harvey McGlothin and Maude Hinds McGlothin. Mrs. Hamby was a teacher who began her career in 1935 in a one-room school in Ruppee. It was during that time she met her husband, Fred Hamby, while boarding with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Clenice Hamby. Before moving back to Coalfield she also taught at Deermont and White Oak schools. She was honored by being elected Coalfield Teacher of the Year, Morgan County Teacher of the Year, Upper Cumberland Teacher of the Year and one of the seven teachers across the state to be nominated as Tennessee Teacher of the Year during the 1971-1972 school year. Mrs. Hamby was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. She was active in church programs, including being the first librarian of the church, Sunday school teacher and a Bible school teacher. Her family said her hobbies included photography, reading, bird watching and traveling. She also visited 46 of the 50 states along with Mexico and Canada. Her stepmother, May McGlothin; a brother, Glen McGlothin; two sisters, Marie Tanner and June Kesterson; and a son-in-law, Bill McPeters, also preceded her in death. In addition to her husband of 65 years, Mrs. Hamby is survived by four daughters, Karen Teague and husband, Joe, Ann Lindsay and husband, David, and Peggy Jones, all of Coalfield, and Rita Brown and husband, David, of Oceanside, Calif.; nine grandchildren, Katrina Moore, Scott McPeters, Lee Ann Couture, John Lindsay, Andrew Brown, Paul Brown, Pamela Klicka, Brad Jones and Beth Roberts; and by 13 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by a sister, Madge Jones and husband, Robert, of Oliver Springs; a sister-in-law, Ivadell McGlothin, of Coalfield; a brother-in-law, Jesse Kesterson, of Coalfield; and by several extended family members. Her family said she will be remembered by many special friends and teachers. The funeral was Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, in the chapel of Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs with the Rev. Mack Smith and the Rev. Todd Hardin officiating. A graveside service was to be at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at Anderson Memorial Gardens on the Oliver Springs Highway. Dorothy "Dot" Leab Bennett, 70, of Oak Ridge, died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at Bristol Regional Medical Center. Born in Bristol, where she lived until 1960 when she moved to Oak Ridge, she was the daughter of John and Willie Mae Brown Leab. Mrs. Bennett was a Baptist, a homemaker and a member of the Mideast Senior Citizen's Group in Oliver Springs. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Earl Bennett. Mrs. Bennett is survived by her daughter, Janice Bennett, of Oak Ridge; two sons, James Bennett and wife, Brenda, of Powell, and Mike Bennett and wife, Bonnie, of Oliver Springs; two sisters, Earleen Maxwell of Lakeland, Fla., and Vada Biggs of Bristol; and by three brothers, Kenneth Leab of Thonotosassa, Fla., Jack Leab of Zephrhills, Fla., and Tom Leab of Lakeland. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Michael Bennett Griffith, Janet Bryant, Christie Bethel, Amanda Arnold and Rhiannon Seibers; five great-grandchildren; and by several nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, in the chapel of Weaver Funeral Home in Bristol with the Rev. Sam Haynes officiating. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Glenwood Cemetery Mausoleum Chapel in Bristol. Don Bennett, Fred Bennett, Howard Bennett, Jack Leab, Tom Leab, and Kenneth Leab will serve as honorary pallbearers. The family requests that any memorials be in the form of contributions to East Tennessee Children's Hospital, 2018 Clinch Ave. Knoxville, TN 37916. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:45 p.m. Monday at the funeral home. Vernon Wiley Cooper, 87, of Clinton, died Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at his home. Mr. Cooper attended Clinton Church of God. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Wiley and Alice Webb Cooper; a daughter, Connie Tipton; a nephew, Jimmy McGhee; two brothers, Clarence Cooper and Carl Cooper; a sister, Gertie McGhee; and by a half brother, Henry Beech. Mr. Cooper is survived by his wife of 50 years, Jeannine Cooper; a daughter, Dotty Cooper, of Clinton; three grandchildren, Suzanne Lawson, Laura Tipton and Jason Tipton; a great-granddaughter, Katelyn Flatford; a brother, Ulys Cooper, of Clinton; two sisters, Edna Long of Clinton, and Mabel Birchfield and husband, Harley, of Maryville; and by several nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, at Clinton Church of God with the Rev. Curtis Akers officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Cemetery in Clinton. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at Holley-Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton. Helen Vaughn Pettet, 92, of Hendersonville, N.C., died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at Pardee Care Center in Hendersonville. Mrs. Pettet was a native of and lifelong resident of Hendersonville. She was the daughter of William Jerome Vaughn and Annie Henderson Vaughn. She was a member of First Wesleyan Church of Hendersonville and had attended Main Street Baptist Church. Mrs. Pettet retired from Superior Laundry in Hendersonville after 55 years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Pettet. Mrs. Pettet is survived by her son, Thomas E. "Gene" Pettet and wife, Lila, of Clinton; her sister, Annette Vaughn, of Hendersonville; two brothers, Grady Vaughn and Chester Vaughn, both of Hendersonville; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren; and by several nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003, in the Chapel in the Pines of Jackson Funeral Service in Hendersonville. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 17, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hendersonville. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. David Nance, 56, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, Dec. 15, 2003, at The Estates of Oak Ridge. Weatherford Mortuary is in charge of arrangements, which were incomplete at press time. Jean C. Sessoms, 80, of Knoxville, died Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003, at Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge. Weatherford Mortuary is in charge of arrangements, which were incomplete at press time. =========================================== 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