From Cheatham County, Tennessee:
James Orville Bates
James Orville Bates, 65, of Manchester died Friday, Dec. 20, 2002, at the Medical Center of Manchester.
Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 24, 2002 at 11 a.m. at New Haven Community Church. Officiating clergy were Bro. Jimmy Kesey and Bro. Robert Payne. Entombment was in Rose Hill Memorial Gardens in Coffee County.
Mr. Bates was a member of the New Haven Community Church. The family has asked that donations be made to the New Haven Community Church Building Fund. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marines.
He was preceded in death by parents: James R. Bates and Beatrice Evans Bates.
He is survived by wife, Bee Simmons Bates, Manchester; six daughters, Melissa (Shirley) Sells of Winchester, Karen (Tom) Sheehan of Hammond, Ind., Marilyn (Kevin) Hayes of Hebron, Ind., Dora (Richard) Haggard of Ashland City, Tina (Virgil) Jasper of Gravette, Ark., and Millie S. (Harry) Long Jr. of Estill Springs; two sons: Kevin (Dede) Bates of Hammond, Ind. and Cliff (Tish) Simmons of Fort Collins, Colo.; 14 grandchildren: Shaun Sells, Christina Sheehan, Joey Sheehan, Braden Hayes, Kelyn Hayes, Steven Haggard, Amanda Jackson, Jake Skidmore, Josh Skidmore, Jackie Skidmore, Charles Hayden Long, Nikki Bates, Devin Bates, David Simmons, two great-grandchildren: Alexis Haggard and Emily Jackson; two brothers: Mel Bates of Tullahoma and Willard Bates of Graysville; two sisters: Sylvia Prince of Shelbyville and Bertha Hunt of Tullahoma; many nieces, nephews, cousins and loving friends.
Coffee County Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.
Jay E. Ellis
Jay E. Ellis, 81, died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002, at The Windsor House in Nashville.
He served in the Army during World War II.
Funeral services were held Saturday, Dec. 28, 2002, at 1 p.m. at Boyd Funeral Home. Rev. Randall Riggs officiated. Burial was in the Joelton Memory Gardens in Joelton. Active Pallbearers were Reggie Nicholson, Ron Nicholson, Rick Nicholson, Wayne Nicholson, Chip Duke and Randall Bracey. Honorary pallbearers were Roman Road Sunday School Class as Goodsprings Church, members of 628th Tank Destroyers and Music City Record Distributors.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie and Laura Ellis; wife, Willie DePriest Ellis; brother, Austin Ellis, and his sister, Jean Tetreault.
He is survived by wife, Odessa Ellis of Joelton; son, John "Jay" Ellis of Joelton; sister, Lavon Nicholson of Stroudsville and five stepchildren.
Boyd Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.
Jewel Ann Kesterson
Jewel Ann Kesterson, 57, died Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, at her home in Pleasant View.
Funeral services were held Sunday, Dec. 29, 2002, at 2 p.m. at Boyd Funeral Home. Bro. Terry Boyd officiated.
She was preceded in death by her father, Edward Alexander and her mother, Jeanette Walker.
She is survived by her daughter, Kelly Kesterson of Pleasant View; sisters, Mary Nettie (Red) Burch of Oakland, Rose (John) Hickman of South Haven, Miss., and Betty (Erv) Grimmit of Severn, Md.
Boyd Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.
James B. Middleton
Major General James B. Middleton, 82, Huntsville, Texas, died on Dec. 21, 2002.
He was born on Aug. 10, 1920, in Ashland City and was preceded in death by his father, George Middleton, his mother Lucille Middleton and wife Ruby McKinney Middleton.
He is survived by his wife, Marie Middleton of Huntsville, Texas; three children, George Middleton of Vicksburg, Miss., Lynn Bean of Independence, Ky. and Craig Middleton of Huntsville, Texas; four grandchildren, Patti Lynn Hamilton of Rowlett, Texas, Jennifer and Michael Bean of Independence, Ky., and Ashley Middleton of Nashville; two great-grandchildren, Alec and Blake Hamilton of Rowlett, Texas, stepchildren, Linda West of Houston, Texas, Herbert Atkinson of Roswell, N.M., and step-grandchildren, Beth Marie and Mindy Atkinson of Roswell, N.M.
He served in the Army Air Corps during WWII, remaining in the Army Reserve until his retirement as a Major General in 1980.
He graduated for LA Tech University, Rustin, La. In 1948 with a degree in civil engineering after which he joined the Vicksburg District Corps or Engineers serving in numerous capacities until his retirement in 1974 as Chief of the Vicksburg District.
He also served in the 412 Engineers Brigade in Vicksburg until his retirement in 1980 as a Major General and its Commander. Among many accomplishments of the 412th during his command was the establishment of The European Engineer Command, which has become a model worldwide.
While in Vicksburg he was involved in many community and civic activities including Vicksburg Public Schools Board of Education, Rotary Club, Vicksburg Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Upon retirement from the Corps, he became a director of Associated General Contractors in Memphis.
He moved to Huntsville, Texas, in 1981, where he was a member of the First Baptist Church and on the Board of Directors of Elkins Lake.
A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Dec. 27, 2002, at the Huntsville Funeral Home. Internment with full military honors was at 1:15 p.m. on Dec. 30, 2002, at the National Cemetery at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. Honorary pallbearers were: Major Gen. Bill Hobgood, Major Gen. Jim Bates, Robert M. Fowler, Jack McKinney, Jack Evans, Tom Luke., Harry Westerlund, John Cunningham, Bill Coley, Gordon Brown, Gov. Kirk Fordice, Cliff West, Members of the 412th Engineer Command.
Memorials may be made to Myosistis Association of America or the First Baptist Church of Huntsville, Texas.
James Dotson Barfield
James Dotson Barfield, 50, died Saturday, Dec. 28, 2002, in Horizon Medical Center in Dickson. A native of White Bluff, he was the son of the late James Dempsey and Dorothy Belle Brown Barfield. He was a retired insurance agent with American General Insurance Company. He was a member of the White Bluff Church of Christ.
Funeral services were held Monday, Dec. 30, 2002, at 2 p.m. from the White Bluff Church of Christ with Brother Doug Couch and Brother David Mosley officiating. Interment followed in the Dickson County Memorial Gardens. Service was under the direction of Taylor Funeral Home.
Survivors are: his wife, Judith Welch Barfield of White Bluff; his son, James David Barfield, of White Bluff; his sister and brother-in-law, Bernice A. and Kenneth Stokes of White Bluff; brother and sister-in-law, Billy and Dot Allen of White Bluff; several nieces and nephews.
Those desiring memorials may be made to the Jim Barfield and Allen Stokes Memorial Scholarship fund of White Bluff Church of Christ.
Taylor Funeral Home assisted the family in the arrangements.
Bryan Michael Carson
Bryan Michael Carson, 3 months, died Monday, Dec. 30, 2002 in Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nashville.
Graveside services for the infant were held Friday, Jan. 3, 2003, at 3 p.m. from the graveside at Dickson County Memorial Gardens with Rev. Barry Simpson officiating. Interment followed in Dickson County Memorial Gardens.
Survivors are his parents, Michael and Clarissa E. Carson of Charlotte; paternal grandfather, Mark Carson Sr. of Pleasant View; maternal grandparents, Bryan and Rhonda Fleming, Charlotte; great-grandfather, Paul Martin. He was preceded in death by grandmother, Dorothy Jean Carson.
Services were under the direction of Taylor Funeral Home.
