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Who’s Who in Tennessee Nursing Homes

Francis Geneva Alexander

A patient at Reelfoot Manor in Tiptonville, Alexander was working for the U.S. Postal Service when World War II broke out. She joined the Women’s Army Corps and served in Colorado and at the Pentagon. After the war, she returned to the post office and worked there for 41 years, including several as the postmaster. She has also been active in the Methodist Church, the Ridgely Junior Women’s Club and the XYZ Club.

D. Patricia Appleby

A patient at Shannondale Assisted Living Center in Knoxville, Appleby loves helping people “find their roots.” She has studied and taught genealogy for more than 20 years and has assisted hundreds of people with tracing their family lineage. Appleby has connected with relatives all over the United States and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

William Archer

A patient at Crestview Health Care & Rehabilitation in Brownsville, Archer grew up in St. Malachy’s orphanage in New York after his mother’s death. He learned how to play the trumpet and played in burlesques during the Big Band era. He worked as the director of housekeeping in a New York nursing home and waited tables at the Adirondack Hotel. He also wrote comedy routines and still gives his “good lines” to the staff at Crestview.

Lettie Mae Artry

A patient at Quince Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Artry has done many things in her 106 years. She taught at a grammar school and worked at Ivers & Pond Piano Company until she retired and began traveling. She lived independently until a recent stroke and continues to amaze her caregivers with her strong will and determination to walk again.

Doyle Avery

A patient at Bells Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Avery worked as a salesman for Coca-Cola for more than 40 years and farmed when he wasn’t working. He served in a sonar search unit in the Navy during World War II. He is active at Bells Nursing & Rehabilitation Center and recently served as president of the residents’ council.

Phyllis Ball

A patient at Durham & Hensley Health & Rehabilitation in Chuckey, Ball traveled with her husband, Homer, for many years as part of a bluegrass quartet. After her children were grown, she entered the workforce and served as the activity coordinator at Durham & Hensley for 15 years. She was also active in the Activity Coordinators of Tennessee organization and held many leadership roles in her church and community.

Roger Balph

A patient at Quality Care Health Center in Lebanon, Balph and his brother, David, walked from Los Angeles to Nashville pushing a cart loaded with musical instruments, sound equipment and camping supplies as a gimmick to appear on “The Jack Paar Program” in 1963. His brother wrote a book called “The Big Walk” about their journey. Roger also appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” playing the “12th Street Rag” on his clarinet after winning the All-Army Talent Show during his military service.

Wanda Bates

A patient at Christian Care Center of Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, Bates graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in electrical engineering and worked for BellSouth for 31 years. Bates was also a founding member of the Brentwood Chapter of the Business and Professional Women Foundation (BPW) and held local, state and national offices for the organization.

Nell Baugh

A patient at Primacy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Baugh rode the trolley daily to work at the Cotton Exchange. She became one of the first female members of the Memphis World Trade Club and served as an officer for many years. The club gives business scholarship at the University of Memphis each year in her honor.

Hoover Bowden

A patient at Pleasant View Health Care Center in Bolivar, Bowden is a deacon at New Mt. Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church and a World War II veteran. He worked for Shelby County for many years as a nurse’s aide and transporting school lunches. Today, he often speaks about his experiences at community events.

Tutt Bradford

A patient at Shannondale of Maryville Health Care Center and lifelong newspaperman, Bradford started his career delivering papers at age 8. He went on to serve as the publisher of the Cleveland Daily Banner and Bristol Herald-Courier before purchasing The Daily Times in 1955. In addition to his achievements in journalism, he was very active in community and philanthropic projects in Blount County and the Knoxville area.

Jacob Bradsher

A patient at Shannondale Health Care Center in Knoxville, Bradsher began practicing medicine in Knoxville in 1953. He has been a prominent figure in the community as a member of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine, Knoxville Surgical Society and the American Heart Association. He also served as a deacon at Second Presbyterian Church. He served in the U.S. Navy’s Medical Corps during World War II after graduating from Duke University School of Medicine in 1944.

Emily Brawner

A patient at Christian Care Center of Johnson City, Brawner graduated with law and chemistry degrees from the University of Alabama in 1948 and became a member of the Alabama Bar Association. She moved to Huntsville and worked at Redstone Arsenal. When she returned to Birmingham to care for her parents, she worked at the Internal Revenue Service, where she stayed until retirement.

Eve Brennan

A patient at Hancock Manor Nursing Home in Sneedville, Brennan was a leader in the South Florida business community before moving to Tennessee in 1999. She was actively involved with the Miami Dade County Community Relations Board, the South Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Florida Federation of Business and Professional Women’s Club. She volunteered for several community groups, including an organization for battered women.

William Brewer

A patient at Golden Living Center - Brandywood in Gallatin, Brewer joined the Army in 1968 and served as a cook, or mess sergeant, for two years. When he returned to Gallatin, he worked at Rogers Group and Company and volunteered with the fire and police departments. He also worked at the veterans home in Gallatin before arriving at Golden Living Center for rehabilitation.

Barbara Brigg

A patient at The Heritage Center in Morristown, Brigg sold artwork to supplement her family’s income. After learning the craft of making corn shuck dolls, Briggs was soon supplying dolls to several Cracker Barrel stores and other customers. After retiring, Briggs volunteered at the Stepping Out Ministry in Morristown before she finally moved to The Heritage Center.

Evalyn Brower

A patient at Ivy Hall Nursing Home in Elizabethton, Brower was one of very few women in her class when she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Latin in 1936. She taught high school for five years, and then got a job working at the American Bemberg factory as a chemist. Brower said she left teaching for chemistry because she made $20 per week as a chemist, but teachers only made $67 per month.

Jean Broyles

A patient at Life Care Center of Greeneville, Broyles studied art in college and worked as a ballet dancer, artist, opera singer and an equestrian. Later in life, she turned her love of planning lavish parties into a career and ran a successful catering business. She has been a member of St. James Episcopal Church for many years and has volunteered with many civic organizations in Greeneville.

William Carter

A patient at Allen Morgan Health & Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Carter volunteered at Trezevant Manor for 20 years, showing weekly movies. When he retired from volunteering, he donated his entire movie collection to the assisted living residents. He worked at General Motors for 32 years.

Lovell Chaffin

A patient at Smith County Health Care Center in Carthage, Chaffin was a teacher and worked at Carthage Jewelry and Pipers Department Store for many years. She loved to volunteer, including helping on the campaigns of former vice president and Carthage native Al Gore.

Halton Charlton

A patient at McKenzie Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, Charlton taught vocational education for many years in four different school systems. He helped open the Huntingdon Vocational School and served as the director. He also taught many years of Sunday school and served in the Navy for 12 years.

Thomas Gerald Clyce

A patient at Maplewood Health Care in Jackson, Clyce was born with cerebral palsy and was unable to walk until he went to Memphis for rehabilitation when he was 12 years old. His disability did not slow him down, and he graduated from Lambuth College in 1958 and Cumberland School of Law in 1961. He practiced law from 1961 to 1988. Clyce served on the committee to bring national fraternities and sororities to Lambuth and served on the Madison County Election Commission and the Madison County Republican Party Executive Committee.

Lillie Cobb

A patient at Mission Convalescent Home in Jackson, Cobb moved to Jackson in 1946. She was a dietitian at Lincoln Elementary for 28 years and served as a mentor to many children. She and her friends visited and brought fruit to the residents of Mission Convalescent Home, and she attended Berean Baptist Church.

Nadene Cothran

A patient at Lewis County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Hohenwald, Cothran taught in Lewis County Schools from 1958 to 1984. When she wasn’t teaching, her hobbies included knitting, crocheting, needlework, basket making, painting and ceramics. She also participated in various activities at the United Methodist Church in Hohenwald.

Ioan Covaci

A patient at Hillcrest Healthcare-North in Knoxville, Covaci moved to the United States after a devastating earthquake hit his homeland of Romania. He played violin and joined a five-piece orchestra playing in New York City and Sacramento, Calif., before moving to Tennessee with his family.

Charles Covington

A patient at Dickson Healthcare Center, Covington was an electrician for many years and worked on several projects including Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the World Trade Center in New York. He returned to Tennessee and worked as an electrician and with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

Bobbie Jean Crane

A patient at Soddy Daisy Healthcare Center, Crane attended her roller derby reunion in May. She excelled at roller derby from 1946 to 1952 and was named Most Valuable Skater in 1950. Crane was 20 years old when she made the New York roller derby team by trying out on amateur night. She went on to lead the New Jersey Jolters to the World Series at Madison Square Garden.

James Crutchfield

A patient at St. Mary’s Health & Rehabilitation Center of Campbell County in LaFollette, Crutchfield started a medical practice in LaFollette many years ago. When patients couldn’t pay, he often took vegetables from gardens, fresh fish or handiworks in exchange for his services. He was also instrumental in starting an assisted care living facility in LaFollette. He and his wife Jessie have been married more than 60 years and have two children.

Marcella Cyr

A patient at Jefferson County Nursing Home in Dandridge, Cyr operated a beauty salon for 14 years and even displayed cosmetics at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. During World War II, she started her career with the Navy as civilian personnel and has traveled and lived all over the world. She collected antiques during her travels and opened a shop to display and sell these items when she returned to the United States.

Barbara Darling

A patient at Golden Living Center -Windwood in Clinton, Darling met and interviewed actress Patricia Neal, who was the subject of her master’s thesis at the University of Tennessee. She taught at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in Maryland and had the children of U.S. Senators and Representatives as students. Darling traveled around the world and met several actors, actresses and dignitaries.

Betty Darnell

A patient at Pine Meadows Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Bolivar, Darnell was a singer in the 1960s. She performed in Nashville and met many country music greats. Her work is featured at Country Cabin Records and Museum in Hornsby.

Jacob Davis

A patient at Tri-State Health and Rehabilitation Center in Harrogate, Davis worked for 40 years as the district director of the Farmers Home Administration and traveled to many places, including the United States Virgin Islands, in this position. After retiring, he worked as manager of the Arthur-Shawanee Water District and took flying lessons and got his pilot’s license. Davis served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army and graduated from the University of Tennessee.

Jerry Day

A patient at The Highlands of Dyersburg in Dyersburg, Day was an ordained deacon who did mission work after graduating from a Bible college in San Diego. He had a love for athletics that started when a family sponsored him to become a member of the YMCA in the 1930s. There he learned tumbling and went on to participate in baseball and track as well.

Rena Debaker

A patient at Center on Aging and Health in Erwin, Debaker began her career as a registered nurse at Holston Valley Hospital after graduating from Johnston Memorial School of Nursing in Virginia. She eventually became the supervisor of the medical/surgical floors. After retiring, she worked part time as a house supervisor for a hospice for two years and traveled around the United States and Europe.

Jean Dilley

A patient at Meadowbrook Health & Rehabilitation Center in Pulaski, Dilley was an accountant and owned Dilley’s Collection Service and Dilley’s Tax Service, offering tax services for businesses and individuals. She closed her office in 2000 and moved to Tennessee to be closer to her daughter. She also plays piano and loves to read.

Bonnie Dodd

A patient at Dyer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Dodd taught many students during her 30 years of teaching in the Yorkville school system. Times were tough when she graduated from high school, but she was able to attend Union University on a work scholarship. Today, she writes daily and attends many activities at Dyer Nursing and Rehabilitation Center.

Mattie Proctor Downs

A patient at Douglas Nursing Home in Milan, Downs published her first book of poetry in 1976. She taught at a school in Gibson County for a few years before moving to Kentucky to work for Freeman’s Fund Insurance. She met her husband there and lived there until his death and then returned to Milan.

James Elliot

A patient at Summit View of Lake City, Elliot joined the U.S. Army at 18 to provide financial support to his mother and six brothers. He trained at Camp Wheeler, Ga., and had no idea what was in store for him until he arrived in England. He was injured at Normandy but continued to serve until 1946. He received a Distinguished Service Medal and other military honors for his service.

Wanda Engle

A patient at Tri-County Healthcare Center in Adamsville, Engle played semi-professional softball for more than 15 years and played in many tournaments including seven World Series. She traveled around the United States and received many honors for her athletic abilities. During World War II, she worked in an airplane factory. She went on to be one of the first women working for the U.S. Postal Service, and after her retirement, she became an amateur geologist and paleontologist.

Eileen Estep

A patient at Hillview Health Center in Elizabethton, Estep is known for her helpful and caring attitude. She welcomes new residents to the facility and assists with special meals and activities. When the facility needed a new TV for the activity room, Estep raised more than $1,300 selling homemade quilts and apple butter.

Diane Evans

A patient at Life Care Center of Collegedale, Evans served in the Army for two years before breaking her leg and leaving the service. She settled in Geneva, Ohio, where she met her husband, Robert, and raised three children. Once her children were older, she worked at Peyton’s and as a nurse’s aide at Bradley County Nursing Home before retiring. She is a member of AmVets, and her hobbies include dancing, gardening, playing bingo, crocheting and watching soap operas.

Claude Fleming

A patient at Golden Living Center -Windwood in Clinton, Fleming was featured with one of the many cars he’s restored on the cover of a 1958 issue of Hot Rod magazine. Fleming is a retired auto parts salesman and mechanic who ran his own garage in Knoxville.

Frank Fondren

A patient at Hardin Medical Center Health & Rehabilitation in Savannah, Fondren served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and said one of the highlights of his tour of duty was a visit to Tokyo, Japan. After the war, he farmed and drove a school bus before taking a job with Gross & Janes Cross Tie Company, where he worked for 30 years. He and his wife of 71 years, Carrie, also raised hogs and chickens and sold eggs.

Dwight Fowler

A patient at Oak Manor Health Care Center in McKenzie, Fowler has lived all over the United States and has had several interesting jobs and hobbies. He ran a music shop and soda fountain called “Note Float” in New Mexico, performed and created artwork for several plays in New York, worked at Disneyland and has written several children’s stories.

Mary Alice Freeland

A patient at Henry County Healthcare Center in Paris, Freeland sold wood, handicrafts and baked goods to help provide for her family, but she’s best known for her gingerbread cookies. She has been baking cookies for special occasions and shipping them around the world since 1945. Known as “The Gingerbread Lady,” Freeland recently made cookies for the residents and staff of Henry County Healthcare Center. She will share the recipe, which has been passed down in her family for more than 150 years, with anyone who asks for it.

Carl Frost

A patient at Community Care of Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, Frost traveled in the United States and Canada singing in a gospel quartet with his brothers. He opened a canoe livery on the Duck River and sold log homes in Rockvale before inventing and selling Carl’s All Purpose Seasoning, a special blend of herbs and spices for meat and vegetables. He also worked for AVCO in Nashville for 26 years.

Kenneth Fullen

A patient at John M. Reed Nursing Home in Limestone, Fullen joined the Army in 1942. He spent 107 days on the frontlines during World War II. For his service, he received three Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and various campaign medals.

Gary Garrett

A patient at Palmyra Healthcare Center, Garrett spent eight years in the U.S. Marines serving in Vietnam. He was a drill sergeant and received a Purple Heart when he was wounded by shrapnel. After the war, he returned to help his father on their family farm. He and his wife, Bonnie, raised four children.

Ila Garrigus

A patient at Golden Living Center-Union City, Garrigus became a school teacher in the 1930s, and one of her students made an impact on her life. Robert Waggoner was younger and smaller than the other students, but he was always kind and helpful. Shortly after arriving at Golden Living Center, Garrigus stopped to ask a man in the hallway for directions and thought he looked familiar. It was Waggoner, and they spent hours getting to know each other and looking over his old photos from his school days. Until his death, Waggoner continued to help his former teacher at the nursing home.

Grace Gary

A patient at Union City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Gary taught children for more than 30 years in various areas of Tennessee. She collects quilts and built doll houses. She has been involved with many organizations over the years, including the Daughters of the American Revolution, and currently serves as vice president of the patient council at Union City Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Martha I. Geary

A patient at Beech Tree Manor in Jellico, Geary trained champion show dogs and raised deer for a petting zoo in Kentucky. She also owned a successful gas company and made many contributions to her community.

Grover Gosnell

A patient at Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville, Gosnell is a successful business owner, avid hunter and automobile restorer. He owned a construction company for 35 years and worked with the forestry department to build and maintain roads. He has hunted all over the United States and Canada for elk, moose, caribou and black bear.

Phyllis Haga

A patient at The Cambridge House in Bristol, Haga decided to serve her country after her husband’s death. A registered nurse, Haga joined the U.S. Army and served in Germany and Japan. She retired as a colonel and received many medals and awards for her service.

Norman Harrison

A patient at The Wexford House in Kingsport, Harrison received 14 scholarship offers based on his accomplishments in high school athletics and decided to go to the University of Georgia. He played in the 1943 Rose Bowl, when the Bulldogs defeated UCLA 9-0. Also in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army and served for two and a half years. He returned to Athens after the war and obtained a master’s degree in education. He taught high school football, including a Newnan High School team that won the State Championship. He was inducted into the Coweta (Ga.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2004.

Lena Lorena Harvey

A patient at Summit View of Farragut in Knoxville, Harvey taught school for the Knox County school system for more than 30 years. Before that, she taught at Browder Elementary School in Lenoir City. The building had three classrooms, but her first year there, she was the only teacher for first through eighth grade. Harvey remembers when all the roads were gravel and most people traveled by horse and buggy. She has witnessed many inventions and historical moments in 102 years.

Edward Hassel Jr.,

A patient at Park Rest Hardin County Health Center in Savannah, Hassel was an exceptional athlete in baseball, football and basketball. He went on to play football at Middle Tennessee State University and attracted the interest of the Cincinnati Bengals before an injury ended his football career. He taught in Hohenwald before becoming a timber man for Champion Paper Company and a truck driver.

Marie Hensley

A patient at Shannondale Health Care Center in Knoxville, Hensley was one of the first nurses at the Knox County Health Department and retired after 33 years of service. She also worked as a nurse with the Knoxville Head Start program and taught nursing courses. She felt that working in health care, especially with children, was her ministry but she also taught Sunday school at her church for more than 30 years.

Rosa Herron

A patient at The Wexford House in Kingsport, Herron has written a book, “Mountain Love & Laughter,” and was a columnist for the Big Stone Gap Post, writing about the community and sharing recipes. She has also been an active volunteer with the June Tolliver House & Folk Art Center. She was instrumental in the renovation of the house and also helped organize the “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” outdoor drama, which is based on the book of the same name.

Vivian Hight

A patient at Humboldt Health Care & Rehabilitation Center, Hight started her health care career while volunteering at the health department in high school. She graduated from nursing school and then worked in several counties as the nurse supervisor for the Tuberculosis Control Program. She also served on many health care related boards and committees and has received awards and recognition for her work.

Bob Taylor Hime

A patient at Wayne County Nursing Home in Waynesboro, Hime has been married to Ruth Allen Hime for 68 years. They have four children, eight grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. In 1941, he joined his father running the family farm. He is a member of First Baptist Church in Clifton and has served as a deacon. Hime also has been a member of the Masonic Lodge since 1942.

Mary Elizabeth Hitchcock

A patient at Hardin Medical Center Health & Rehabilitation in Savannah, Hitchcock graduated from Florence State Teachers College (now the University of North Alabama) and went on to teach math at several schools. She was active in the Tennessee Education Association and the National Education Association and was instrumental in reactivating the Hardin County Retired Teachers Association. She was also active in the library association and the Hardin County Pictorial History Association, which published the first Hardin County History Book in 1994.

Joe Holland

A patient at The Palace in Red Boiling Springs, Holland was a promising baseball player with a college scholarship when his father fell ill. He decided to stay home to take care of his father and the family farm and played baseball on the weekend. He also worked as a surveyor for the family business, Holland Survey Company, and helped a local mailman with his delivery route so he could visit his wife at a Nashville hospital. He also enjoyed golf, gardening and woodworking.

Martha Holt

A patient at Shannondale Assisted Living Center in Knoxville, Holt was very active in the Knoxville community during her husband’s tenure as president of the University of Tennessee. She was treasurer and president of Ramsey House, First Lady of Beta Sigma Phi and president of the Knoxville Garden Club. Before living in Knoxville, she and her family lived in Nashville and Washington, D.C. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with an education degree.

Harris Houston

A patient at Forest Cove Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Houston was a teacher and principal at many elementary schools in the area. She is a lifetime member of the National Education Association and served on various committees in the Tennessee Education Association and Jackson Education Association. She was very involved in the integration of Jackson’s schools. She was also active in volunteerism and served as leader to several Girl Scout troops.

William Houston

A patient at Baptist Health Care Center in Lenoir City, Houston used his knowledge of electronics to build a career, starting with a radio repair business. During World War II, he installed radio and radar equipment on planes and ships and then taught vocational programs to veterans after the war. From the 1950s to the 1970s, Houston worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory designing and creating electrical equipment.

Mary Hudgens

A patient at Life Care Center of Sparta, Hudgens had three children of her own and was a foster parent to more than 30 children. She was a dietician at West Sparta School and president of the PTA. She was very active at Mt. Gilead Church and served as the church’s historian. Currently, she is involved with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, working with the Loaves and Fishes food ministry and doing craft projects for the children’s hospital.

Charles Hudson

A patient at Camden Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center, Hudson makes a difference in the lives of others through his kind and caring nature. In his younger days, he worked two jobs not only to support his family but to send money to help his mother, as well. He also served in the U.S. Army.

Caswell Huff

A patient at Masters Health Care Center in Algood, Huff graduated from Tennessee Technological University and worked in the rubber chemistry industry. He worked for Shaw Carpeting, Best Manufacturing and Granite Industries before returning to his hometown of Oneida to start a company called Coated Glove House, which he sold in 2003. He holds four patents for his inventions.

Robert Irvin

A patient at Dickson Healthcare Center, Irvin grew up in Hershey, Pa., and after his father’s death, he lived in an orphanage run by famed chocolatier and philanthropist, Milton S. Hershey. He served in the Navy for 26 years and worked for the space program building rockets until he was laid off and went back to school for a business degree.

William Jakes

A patient at Community Care of Rutherford County in Murfreesboro, Jakes worked in the pit crew for race car driver Richard Petty from 1965 to 1992. He also built houses and drove a truck. Jakes served as a medic in the Army during World War II.

Faye Rose Jeffers

A patient at Oneida Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Jeffers retired from teaching in 1996, after more than 36 years. For most of her career, she taught first and third grades at Huntsville Elementary School. She and her husband, James, had four children.

Kelly Jernigan

A patient at Life Care Center of East Ridge, Jernigan was a sergeant in the Army in World War II, serving in Italy. His superiors were so impressed with his military service that they begged him to stay when his tour of duty was ending. Jernigan told them he wanted to go home and be with his wife, and they have been married for 67 years.

Colleen Johnson

A patient at Belcourt Terrace Nursing Home in Nashville, Johnson moved to Nashville to be closer to her daughter and attends many of the activities of her three grandchildren. She grew up in Missouri and met her husband when he came to New Madrid to work for Buckeye Oil there. She was also involved for many years with her local Methodist church.

Garlon Johnson

A patient at McNairy County Health Care Center in Selmer, Johnson decided to become an educator after his own struggle to earn a high school diploma. Despite there being no high school for African Americans in McNairy County, he attended and graduated high school and attended Lane College. He received many awards during his teaching career, including an award for outstanding service to the state from then-Speaker of the House and former Gov. Ned McWherter.

Mary Lou Johnson

A patient at McNairy County Health Care Center in Selmer, Johnson won many awards for her dedication and service to students during her 39-year teaching career, including the Bridge Builders Award in 2002. She was also active in the community as a member of Christ Methodist Episcopal Church, the Order of the Eastern Star and other civic organizations.

Nathaniel Baxter Key Jr.

A patient at Celina Health and Rehabilitation Center, Key attended Tennessee Technological University and the Cumberland School of Law. After graduating, he had a private practice in Carthage before going to Nashville to serve as the Fifth District Attorney General from 1962-1977.

Quentin Knussmann

A patient at Savannah Health Care & Rehabilitation Center, Knussman started Pickwick Catfish Farm Restaurant with his wife, Betty, in 1974. The restaurant is known for its smoked catfish, which Knussmann was inspired to make from his Army days stationed in Alaska. He was also a teacher and guidance counselor at the local high school.

Gerald LaDuke

A patient at Decatur County Manor in Parsons, LaDuke was a leader and protector in his community in his work as a patrol officer for the Groton, Conn., police department. LaDuke and his wife cared for many foster children he encountered in his work. They ultimately adopted two of these children, their daughter, Penny, and son, Fred.

Bailey Leopard

A patient at Grace Healthcare of Franklin, Leopard covered the University of Alabama’s football team during Coach Bear Bryant’s reign as a sportswriter at the Birmingham Post Herald. He wrote for other newspapers before starting the Williamson Leader in Franklin. He has won several awards for print journalism.

Evelyn Love

A patient at Grace Healthcare of Franklin, Love was a sixth grade teacher for many years at West Jackson Elementary School. The building had three stories, and when one of her students was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Love carried the student down the stairs to the lunchroom and made sure she got to all of her classes. Love retired from teaching when she could no longer climb the stairs of the school.

Jeanne Love

A patient at Unicoi County Memorial Hospital Long Term Care in Erwin, Love has always lent a helping hand to her community. Many years ago, she washed milk bottles to earn enough money to buy her church a piano and has sold bags of pecans to raise money for mission trips and needy families. When a loved one was in a nursing home, she and her late husband delivered meals to the staff members to let them know they appreciated their hard work. She was very active when her children were in school, serving as a room mother, assisting with band fundraisers and chaperoning trips.

Robert Maclin

A patient at Milan Health Care, Maclin was drafted into the U.S. Army and moved through the ranks quickly, which was rare for a black man during that time in history. He received an education degree from Lane College and became a teacher and a school principal. He also served as a deacon in his church and loved hunting and gardening, often sharing his bounty with neighbors and friends.

Bertha Magee

A patient at Hermitage Health Center in Elizabethton, Magee volunteers at the information desk at Sycamore Shoals Hospital. She enjoys knitting and has made a hat for every baby born at Sycamore Shoals since 1987. She has volunteered 9,973 hours at the hospital and plans to return after she completes rehabilitation for a broken leg.

Ruth McAnally

A patient at Appalachian Christian Village in Johnson City, McAnally earned her master’s degree in education and became a teacher before working as a school principal for 41 years. She has touched the lives of many children throughout her career.

Georgiana McConnell

A patient at Bordeaux Long Term Care in Nashville, McConnell earned her pilot’s license at age 18 in 1943. She followed in the footsteps of her uncle, a Tennessee National Guardsman for whom McConnell Field (formerly Nashville’s airport) was named, and joined the Civil Air Patrol. In the 1950s, she was in the initial group of women invited by NASA to test for the Mercury program, before NASA decided only military pilots would be eligible. On her 83rd birthday, McConnell went on a flight and her co-pilot said her love of flying was as strong as ever.

H.E. McDaniel

A patient at Alamo Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, McDaniel served as a Naval aviator during World War II, and one of his flight instructors was John Glenn. After the war, he attended the University of Tennessee and became a dentist. He served his patients for more than 50 years and was involved in a variety of civic and professional organizations.

Mary Lou McMacken

A patient at Baptist Convalescent Center in Newport, McMacken traveled most of the United States telling stories to children. She worked with Girl Scouts, the Red Cross and taught swimming lessons. Her hobbies are making jewelry, crocheting, singing and cooking.

Iola McNutt

A patient at Rainbow Health & Rehab in Memphis, McNutt is a talented performer and songwriter who has written hundreds of songs. She performed in light opera productions and led a children’s choir. She has also written poetry and recently completed a semi-autobiographical novel.

Rotraut McWhorter

A patient at The King’s Daughters & Sons Home in Bartlett, McWhorter spent her youth in Konigsberg, East Prussia, trying to avoid being recognized as half-Jewish by the Nazis. When Konigsberg was invaded by Russia, she and her family spent over a year in a refugee camp. During a visit to the United States, she met a soldier in the U.S. Army and got married almost 50 years ago. She studied and passed her United States citizenship test and supported her husband while he served in Vietnam.

Guy Mignault

A patient at Madison Health Care & Rehabilitation Center, Mignault performed with many well-known musicians during his years as a drummer, playing the clubs and working as a studio musician. He also worked in Hollywood as a stuntman on television shows like “Baretta,” “Starsky and Hutch” and “Gunsmoke.” A former Elvis Presley impersonator, Mignault has an extensive collection of Elvis memorabilia. memorabilia.

Carolyn Murphy

A patient at Covington Care Center, Murphy received a “Thousand Points of Light Award” for establishing a home-delivered meals program for shut-ins in the Munford area. She was the assistant field director for the American Red Cross at the Memphis Naval Air Station and served on the Tipton County Election Commission for 15 years. She has been a member of Munford United Methodist Church for more than 70 years, serving in the choir, teaching Sunday school and doing other volunteer duties.

William Nace

A patient at Northbrooke Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Nace served as a United Methodist minister at several churches in Tennessee, the campus minister at the University of Tennessee at Martin and a chaplain in the Tennessee Army National Guard. He was a vice president at Lambuth University, Columbia College in Columbia, S.C., and he worked for the United Methodist Church in Nashville and New York.

Helen Neas

A patient at Shannondale Health Care Center in Knoxville, Neas recently celebrated her 100th birthday with her twin, Louise Kaderly. The twins, who have lived in Knoxville most of their lives, join a very small group of twins who have both lived to be 100. The sisters are extremely close, and Kaderly visits Neas several times each week at Shannondale Health Care Center.

Ed and Marian Newman

Patients at Fairpark Health Care Center in Maryville, the Newmans started dating while attending the University of Tennessee and have been married for 68 years. Ed’s career with the Air Force enabled them to live in many places over the years, including Tokyo. After retiring from the military, Ed practiced law in Nashville. They have three children.

Sarah Maxine Beard Nicks

A patient at Shannondale of Maryville Health Care Center, Nicks competed in the 1935 Miss America pageant as the very first Miss Tennessee. In the 1970s and 80s, she worked on the political campaigns of her nephew, former U.S. Rep. Robin Beard. She married her husband, James, when she was 20 and has two daughters and several grandchildren.

Richard Oakley

A patient at Primacy Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Oakley is a self-taught musician who plays the piano and the organ. He has played the organ at The Orpheum. He is also a magician and ventriloquist and has performed at state fairs across America.

Modena Owens

A patient at Paris Health Care Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Owens started shooting guns as soon as she was old enough to carry them and was known by many as the best shot in town. When soldiers from Fort Campbell would come to the shooting range in Paris, those who wagered that they were a better shot than Owens often went home broke. She started hunting for food for her family as a child and ended up traveling with the Alvin C. York Women’s Shooting Team from 1958 to 1962.

Joseph Page

A patient at Lewis County Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Hohenwald, Page earned a Bronze Star for his service in the Philippines during World War II. After returning home, he worked with youth, coaching and raising money for the local ball fields. He has a passion for life and has flown small planes, ridden motorcycles, driven race cars, hunted and fished.

Maurice Parker

A patient at Smith County Health Care Center in Carthage, Parker entered the U.S. Army in 1942 and fought in the Pacific Theater during World War II. He received several medals and citations for his service. After the war, he married his wife, Hazel, and became the stepfather of four children.

Bettie Paulk

A patient at Life Care Center of Rhea County in Dayton, Paulk has traveled all over the world and loves to share stories from her adventures. Her husband worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and they traveled for his work. She has also visited 22 states and 20 different countries on vacations.

Evelyn Pearson

A patient at Roan Highlands Nursing Center in Roan Mountain, Pearson attended school in New Jersey and at the University of Texas at Austin. After college, she taught fourth through sixth grade math classes.

Jewell Poag

A patient at Wayne County Nursing Home in Waynesboro, Poag was an elementary school teacher for 41 years. She taught in Arkansas from 1939 to 1970, and then taught in Waynesboro from 1970 until she retired in 1980. She and her late husband, Hughe, had three children and several grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Flora Powell

A patient at Northside Health Care Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Murfreesboro, Powell ran the Fosterville Store, which was the hub of the community, for many years. Her customers were her neighbors and her friends, and she always helped out in the community, cooking meals or offering assistance to others. She was also an active member of the Fosterville Church of Christ.

Jimmie Sue Powers

A patient at Hardin Medical Center Health & Rehabilitation in Savannah, Powers worked as a factory worker, waitress and sitter for the elderly, but her favorite job was working at the Buford Pusser Home & Museum in Adamsville and was an acquaintance of Pusser, the sheriff whose life was depicted in the film “Walking Tall.”

Herman Presson

A patient at Paris Health Care Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Presson ate bananas to meet the minimum weight requirements for enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1943. He served for 26 years, starting as a pilot in the Pacific during World War II and ending as a commander with two tours of duty in Vietnam.

Robert Rainwater

A patient at Forest Cove Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, Rainwater had never been outside Tennessee before he was sent to England in the Army in World War II. He was stationed in England, France, Holland and Germany during his tour. After returning from World War II, he worked for the Tennessee Highway Department. An avid golfer, Rainwater made his first hole-in-one at age 80.

Margaret Sue Range

A patient at Center on Aging and Health in Erwin, Range operated a dance studio, instructing dancers from ages three to adult from all over the Tri-Cities area. Her dance teams competed in competitions all over the nation and often won. Range and some of her students were asked to dance in the film “Dirty Dancing,” and she can be seen in several of the ballroom scenes. Her daughters, Lisa and Angie, still operate the dance studio today.

James Reece

A patient at Clarksville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Reece was president of J.A. Reece Company in Clarksville for more than 50 years. He was a graduate of North Carolina State University and received many commendations for his military service during World War II. He is currently the president of the resident council at Clarksville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Pauline Reed

A patient at Oneida Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Reed was struck by tragedy at age 30. A few weeks after her husband died from a rare kidney disease, her home burned down and three of her eight children died in the fire. She and her five surviving children moved back to her hometown. She remarried and entered the workforce as a housekeeper. She worked for many years for U.S. Sen. Howard Baker. While working for him, she had the opportunity to meet President Reagan.

Austin Eugene Ridenour

A patient at Clarksville Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Ridenour worked as a school principal and counseled many students on how to improve themselves in the academic arena. He developed a spelling course for the visually impaired and wrote two books. He was also named the Midwest’s Senior Weight Lifting Champion when he lived in Illinois.

Bill Riggins

A patient at Rainbow Health & Rehab in Memphis, Riggins represented Shelby County in the Tennessee Senate in 1968. He played football for Memphis State University before being drafted into the U.S. Marines during the Korean War. Riggins returned to college after his service and opened the Riggins Real Estate Company in 1960.

Vincent Riqueros

A patient at John M. Reed Nursing Home in Limestone, Riqueros was born in Italy, where he helped his father build fishing boats. After arriving with his parents in the United States, they settled in Kentucky where they raised and sold horses. He went to college and obtained a psychology degree and traveled around the world.

Charles Roberts

A patient at Greystone Health Care Center in Blountville, Roberts began installing and repairing slot machines, jukeboxes and pinball machines at age 15 to support his family. He was drafted into the Army in 1943 and served in the Philippines and Japan. After the war, he went to Chattanooga to continue his repair and installation work and eventually bought the company where he was working.

Beverly Sanders

A patient at Alexian Village Health & Rehabilitation Center in Signal Mountain, Sanders served in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) in World War II. After the war, her horsemanship skills won many competitions, and she became a master of the German fox hunt. She taught riding and owned a farm in Virginia. In addition to working with horses, she worked as a juvenile probation officer and raised 15 children.

Josefina Hilda Sanjurjo

A patient at Sevier County Health Care Center in Sevierville, Sanjurjo left Cuba on one of the last authorized flights out of the country after Fidel Castro took control. She and her family went to Chicago, where she worked in a factory, learned English and became an American citizen.

Jane Schaff

A patient at Ivy Hall Nursing Home in Elizabethton, Schaff has been very active in community life in Elizabethton. She served on many committees and taught Sunday school at First United Methodist Church and worked as a pink lady at Carter County Memorial Hospital. She also volunteered with the Elizabethton Emergency Child Shelter, Arm, Friends of the Library and the Elizabethton Women’s Civic Club. She also served on the board of directors of the Elizabethton Electric System and was a supporter of Carter County schools.

Estel Seals

A patient at Life Care Center of Sparta, Seals began his ministry when he was 24 years old, while running a logging and carpentry business. He traveled to four different congregations to preach and built their churches. He was always there when someone needed help, driving people to the store or doctor‘s appointments or helping them with repairs to their homes.

Wendel Sharif

A patient at Allenbrooke Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Sharif had many jobs but is best remembered for his work at Kemmons Wilson Companies and his friendship with Kemmons Wilson, the founder of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels, and his wife Dorothy. He served in the military, had five children and traveled around the United States.

Eugene Shermer

A patient at Roan Highlands Nursing Center in Roan Mountain, Shermer was a radio operator in the U.S. Army. He spent 13 months as a prisoner of war after the Germans shot his plane down. Shermer received several medals for his service. After his military service, he worked as a technical engineer for Ford Motor Company.

Howard Shofner

A patient at Christian Care Center of Bedford County in Shelbyville, Shofner graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and served in the Navy for eight years as part of the underwater demolition team. He worked for Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles for four years before returning to Tennessee and working for Arnold Engineering. After he retired, he became a farmer.

Lucille Statler

A patient at Mission Convalescent Home in Jackson, Statler has seen two world wars, the civil rights movement, Vietnam and other historical milestones in 101 years. She worked for an attorney in St. Louis for more than 40 years before retiring to Jackson. She is a faithful member of Greater St. Luke Baptist Church.

Furman Swett

A patient at Applingwood Health Care Center in Cordova, Swett worked in Chicago, Atlanta, San Carlos, Calif., and North Carolina as he moved up the ranks at Lenkurt Electric Company. He and his wife moved to Tennessee to be closer to their only daughter and their grandchildren. He served in the Army during World War II.

Thomas Roger Teague

A patient at Pine Meadows Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Bolivar, Teague worked as a scientist at NASA for many years, including 10 years setting up satellites in Australia. He also served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Teague lived in Las Vegas for many years and opened a pet hotel there.

William Torner

A patient at Cumberland Village Care & Rehabilitation Center in LaFollette, Torner has spent his whole life on boats. He served as a SeaBee in the Navy during World War II and wrote memoirs about his military service. He was also a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and a lifetime member of the Waterloo Boat Club.

Shirley Tyus

A patient at Bright Glade Health & Rehabilitation Center in Memphis, Tyus is known for her skills as a seamstress and costume maker. She started designing and sewing change purses at age nine, and entered her first craft competition at the Mid-South Fair in 1942. She worked as a seamstress and window designer, and she also designed floats for the Memphis Christmas Parade and the Cotton Carnival. Tyus is still crocheting, sewing, making Christmas decorations for her nursing home and entering craft competitions.

Jean Upchurch

A patient at Hillcrest Healthcare-North in Knoxville, Upchurch takes pride in her family, church and community. Being raised during the great depression helped her family grow closer and learn to appreciate the things they had in life. Upchurch married in 1935 and became a stay-at-home mom to two daughters. She volunteered in her community and helped those in need. One of her many community projects was starting a choir called The Golden Notes.

Zella Van Buren

A patient at Erwin Health Care Center, Van Buren traveled the world with her husband, who was a doctor in the U.S. Navy. In Taiwan, she worked with children with deformities and helped to change many of their lives. When she moved back to the United States she worked as a home health nurse and a nanny before moving to Tennessee in 2007.

Helen Vittum

A patient at The King’s Daughters & Sons Home in Bartlett, Vittum joined the WAVES, the women’s branch of the U.S. Navy, during World War II. She met her husband while serving, and they were transferred to Newfoundland after they got married. After the war, they were stationed in Jacksonville, Fla. They had three children.

Edwin Voyle

A patient at WyndRidge Health & Rehabilitation Center in Crossville, served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was in the 30th Infantry Division in Europe, fighting at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge.

William Ward III

A patient at Bordeaux Long Term Care in Nashville, Ward was the last member of his family to serve as the president of the family business, Baird-Ward Printing Company, which was the second-largest printing company in Tennessee. After selling Baird-Ward, he went on to work in television, serving as the executive producer of several shows on Country Music Television (CMT). His family also started Ward Seminary for Ladies, which merged with Belmont College for Young Women to form the predecessor to what is now Belmont University.

Nolan Warren

A patient at Woodbury Health Center, Warren graduated from Woodbury High School in 1935 and attended college at what is now Middle Tennessee State University. He taught at Crossroads School before joining the U.S. Army during World War II. In 1952, he and his family moved to Michigan where they stayed until he retired in 1985. He and his wife, Mazel, moved back to Woodbury and have been active in the community and are members of Woodbury Church of Christ.

W.S. Waters

A patient at John M. Reed Nursing Home in Limestone, Waters served in the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army for three years before joining the U.S. Navy. In the Navy, he was a 2nd Class cook and was injured in the Pacific Ocean. He received a Purple Heart for his efforts.

Oscar Weaver

A patient at Erwin Health Care Center, Weaver was a radiologist who worked at hospitals in Welch, W.Va., and Tell City, Ind., before moving to Johnson City to take a position at North Side Hospital, where he stayed until his retirement. In addition to being a successful doctor, Weaver is an accomplished pianist and a licensed pilot.

Benjamin Wexler

A patient at Laughlin Healthcare Center in Greeneville, Wexler was a circuit court judge in the Third District for 20 years. He also served as a Greeneville city judge, assistant district attorney and other positions since receiving his law degree from the University of Tennessee in 1948. He is active in the Republican Party and a member of the Greeneville Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars for his service in World War II.

Earlie Williams

A patient at Chester County Healthcare Center in Henderson, Williams was a 25-year-old sharecropper when he and his family were evicted from the farm for registering to vote in Fayette County. They lived in Tent City for two years before he was offered a job and home in Chester County. The struggle for civil rights was difficult and dangerous, but Williams focused on his faith and hope for equality for his children to get through it.

Norma Willis

A patient at Lexington Manor, Willis has always helped others. From caring for ailing parents and working at Milan Arsenal Plant during World War II to going above and beyond her duties as a school teacher, Willis has tried to make a difference in the lives of others. After 34 years of teaching she retired but still taught Sunday school and served on the board of the Sardis Senior Citizens.

Bridget Witort

A patient at Loudon Health Care Center, Witort was very active in her church, on political issues and in helping others. She opened her home on the weekends to children from an orphanage, read to the blind and transcribed books into Braille, and allowed refugees to stay in her home until they got settled in the United States. She was active in many charitable and civic organizations and organized food, clothing and voter registration drives.

Martha Wolfe

A patient at Life Care Center of Hixson, went to work at her father’s radio station in Fort Payne, Ala., in the 1950s. She did everything from writing copy and selling ads to on-air announcing in a time when female radio announcers were very rare. A few years ago, Wolfe toured a Chattanooga station to see how things have changed. Station operations are computerized now and there are more opportunities for women, but the thrill of speaking on-air is still there.