David Patton, Palmer Historian
2009
Due to time constraints, Mr. Patton regrets that he cannot personally respond to every comment and inquiry. Like most small town historians, he is an unpaid community volunteer and makes no claim of “knowing everything” about local history. For a detailed account of Grundy County history, he recommends that you consult your copy of the Grundy County Heritage Book.
However, if you have information you would like to share, you may write him at
50 Dogwood St.; Palmer, TN 37365, and he will attempt to respond through this page as time and circumstances allow. Your courtesy and understanding will be appreciated. Ms. Susan Sissom and other volunteers will be assisting Mr. Patton in transmitting this material, but have no personal knowledge as to the veracity of its contents.
APRIL 2009
Palmer and Related Deaths in 1996
Every once in a while someone will ask us, “Is so and so still living”?
Although this list is from 1996, we thought it might be helpful in answering such questions in the future.
Deaths in the Palmer town limits included well-known World War II veterans Obed Marion “Soap” McNabb and Rufus Kilgore, Jr; Grace Smartt Crabtree Brown, widow of Will Crabtree and Clarence Brown, Sr.; Freeman D. :Doug” Nolan, son of Fate Knowlan; Kenneth D. James, son of Marvin Dee “Little Red” James, Ophelia Weaver Fisher, daughter of Andrew Weaver; and well known preacher Rev. Irvin Lee King.
Over in Barker’s Cove – Tatesville, we lost a young mother, Jerri Dee Harrison Cannon, daughter of Jerry Harrison; and Irene Cooke, sister of Paul Cooke. While in Gruetli-Laager former Palmer residents James Edward Grimes, Alfred “junior” Morrison, Jr.; Mildred Byers Sissom, widow of Pascal Sissom, Sr., and 96-year-old Lois Brooks Henley, sister of Mrs. Olive “Ollie” Brooks McBee died.
Other deaths across the state and country with Palmer ties were Ella Naomi Parsons, daughter of Mrs. Tennie Will Parsons; Leila Mae Anderson Clements, widow of Dr. Oscar Howell Clements; Jessie Thompson Worley, mother of Allie Jean “Shorty” Sanders; Margaret Louise McGovern Dick, sister of Clarence McGovern, and their cousin James Alton McGovern; Fay James, daughter of Emmett James; Clyde Kilgore, brother of Rufus Kilgore, Jr.; Hilda Levan, sister of Robert and Jarvis Levan; Robert Malcolm Geary, brother of Naomi Geary Pocus; Johnnie Gifford Patterson Partin, wife of Pat Patterson and Bill Partin; Rev. Alfred S. Tate, brother of Woodrow Tate; Bobby Gene White, son of Grady White; Gladys Overturf Sissom, wife of Rev. Buford Sissom; Martha Dee Brown Tate, widow of Fred Tate; Odell Lewis Minton, daughter of Herbert Lewis; Louise Finch Arms, daughter of John and Carrie Partin Finch; Veola Goforth Heard, widow of Homer Heard; Peggy Elizabeth Perry, daughter of William :horsefly” Perry; Tony Alan Cannon, son of Freddie “Jew Babe” Cannon; Keiba “Mac” McCubbins Brown, wife of Harvey E. Brown; Celina Elizabeth “Bluedy” Crabtree Johnson, widow of Johnnie Johnson; Thelma Hale Brown died in Michigan and James smith and his sister Frankie Smith Caldwell in Florida.
Paul Fred Parks, longtime teacher and principal at Grundy County High School, died in Monteagle. William C. “Bill” Wiggins who leased and operated the Phillips 66 Service Station owned by Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company in the late 1950’s and ‘60’s died in Tracy City. Although neither lived in Palmer, they were known by many here.
Even though these loved ones and friends left us 13 years ago, we know that they are still missed and extend to you our sincere sympathy.
Palmer and related deaths in 1995
Every once in a while someone will ask us, “Is so and so still living”?
Although this list is from 1995, we thought it might be helpful in answering such questions.
Deaths in the Palmer town limits included Charlotte Long Cannon, wife of Jerry Cannon and Palmer town recorder for many years; Fred Tate and Lonnie A. “Tood” Morrison, retired from the Palmer Big Mine; Stella Andrews Wideman, wife of Howard Wideman; Ronald E. “Ronnie” Cox, brother of Martha Carroll Cox Hensley; James C. Seagroves, widower of Ethlene Garner Seagroves; Nora Layne Dyer, second wife of Tommy Dyer; Joyce Anderson Hammers, daughter of Alfred “Dogtick” Anderson; Buster Edward Caldwell, son of Chick Caldwell; and Lawrence Nunley , husband of Beatrice “Beet” James Nunley.
Over in Dock White Hollow we lost Marlie Magouirk Doss, daughter of Ambrose Magouirk; and in nearby Tatesville-Barker’s Cove, James F. White, son of Dock White; John A. Cordell, Charles Ray Layne, grandson of Rev. J. Hugh Layne; and Alfred Louis Stoker.
Gruetli-Laager death with Palmer connections were Andrew Layne, son of Rev. J. Hugh Layne; Ricky “Chigger” Morrison, Jr.; Carl Raymond “Todd” Cunningham, son of Webb Cunningham.
Other deaths across the state and country with Palmer ties were Ova Owen Long, mother of Ted and Sherwood Long; Billy G. “Bill” Nunley, Sr., Palmer businessman and son of E.L. “Edd” Nunley; W.F. “France” Braden, Louella Grimes Norris, widow of Elmer Norris; Clyde W. Grooms, Dorothy Arlene Taylor Davis, widow of Theodore “Spunk” Davis, Polly Webb Tate, sister-in-law of Woodrow Tate; Frank Scruggs, widower of Ophelia Holt Scruggs; Paul H. Worley, father of Allie Jean “Shorty” Sanders; Franklin Hershel Knowlan, son of Fate Knowlan; and Alton David Boyd, son of David Alonzo Boyd.
Even though these friends and loved ones left us 14 years ago, we know that they are still missed and extend to you our sincere sympathy.
Old sayings and figures of speech in Grundy County, TN
1. Don’t plant your garden until the leaves on the oak tree are as big as a squirrel’s ear. - One of the biggest mistakes by gardeners is planting before the weather gets warm enough. “ The late Freddie “Jew Babe” Cannon always had a good garden and he told me this,” Jerry Cannon said. Thousands of tomato plants have been killed by frost over the years in Grundy County.
2. Good natured - This described a person with a friendly and pleasant personality. Such people were also said to have “a good turn”.
3. It don’t faze me. – This meant you weren’t upset or distracted by a situation.
4. He just wants to peck around – Have you ever noticed how chickens dart here and there constantly pecking? A person who “pecked around” wasn’t a serious worker and had a variety of jobs that didn’t require a lot of hard work.
5. He’s not worth the powder it would take to blow him away. – This meant the powder in a gun shell to shoot him. Often this was used to describe drunks, thieves, or someone who was lazy.
6. I need to have a tiel-unt put in – This was a culvert or tile under a road or ditch to drain rainwater. Many people in Grundy County still say “tile-unt” instead of tile or culvert.
7. Hand me my jumper. – We hadn’t heard about a jumper in years and had completely forgotten about it. Do any of you young whippersnappers have any idea what we’re talking about? Earl Rigsby, 89-year-old World War II veteran, mentioned a jumper recently. It was a thin unlined jacket worn in the 1930’s –1950’s.
8. It’s just a hop, skip and jump – We seldom hear this anymore. It described something located nearby.
9. That’s a bunch of baloney. – This hillbilly staple used to be cheap but many times now it’s more expensive than ham or other finer meats. People would say “ a bunch of baloney” when they heard something that sounded like a lie or exaggeration or when they thought someone was trying to pull a trick on them.
10. We’re on speaking terms – We heard this the other day, but seldom do any more. It most often described a situation where you had a conflict with a friend or close acquaintance, had quit speaking, but reconciled just enough to speak to each other although you weren’t friends or close anymore.
Raymond Hargis Recalls...
Raymond Hargis (left) and former student David Patton at the 1996 Palmer Elementary School Reunion. Today, Mr. Hargis, 81, lives in Manchester, TN. He is a member of the Grundy County Historical Society.
Here is a story told by Raymond Hargis in a .pdf file.
More From Raymond Hargis
Palmer New
Watered by April showered, my big pink dogwood in the front yard is covered in beautiful blooms. Redbuds and white dogwoods are also taking a bow in one of the prettiest months of the year in Tennessee.
“Give Me That Old Time Religion”: The week of April 6 saw two revivals almost side by side. Rev. Sam Allen had a tent revival behind the Palmer Library while just a few feet away Rev. Charles Slatton’s Gospel Trumpet Holiness Church had a revival in their sanctuary in the former Margie Sanders Store building on School Road.
We sadly report that Bonnie Smith Watts is now a resident of the same nursing home as her husband Parker Watts, Jr. who entered the facility last year.
Happy 53rd birthday April 17 to Ricky Layne. He had a big one with monetary gifts, two restaurant dinners, and a homemade chocolate cake. He’s a son of the late Roy and Louise Geary Layne.
We continue to get abundant rainfall with 6” recorded in March. A wet 3” show on April 7 closed schools and took everyone by surprise.
The Isom Patrick home burned March 23. It had been empty for years and many remember Mr. Patrick and his brother Charlie Patrick from the early days of Palmer.
Joe “Proxy” Curtis was baptized March 29 at Laager Independent Methodist Church By Rev. James Jacks and Greg Ross. Freddie Meeks was also saved recently.
Bobby Stinnett visited Franklin King recently. He’s a patient at the Sara (Minnie Pearl) Cannon Cancer Center in Nashville.
“Go fly a kite” Miss Susan Faye Sissom, son Ross, and niece Lauren did just that April 9 at the Palmer Community Park where the old railroad “y” was located. It was fun watching the colorful kites climb, dip and twist in the wind.
Mr. Raymond Hargis of Manchester, TN, has written us an article about his days as the principal at Palmer Elementary School from 1955-1958. It’s now on this page, so please check it out if you want a trip down memory lane. He later served as Grundy County School Superintendent, a position his son Jody holds today.
Scott Smith is the new president of the Greater Chattanooga Sports and Events Committee, which brings major sports events and conventions to the city. He’s a former Palmer resident as are his parents Martin and Rita Smith. Many of you will remember his grandparents, Hub and Pearl Green Smith, and Jip and Margaret Summers Crabtree.
Mary Cannon Stinnett attended an Alzheimer’s seminar recently at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. She’s a retired R.N. and the caregiver for her mother Mrs. Scott (Velma) Cannon who is in her 90’s now.
Students at Palmer School had a “fun day” April 17 after a week of TCAP testing to gauge their academic progress. Ice cream and other treats were served by parents and staff.
We enjoyed a phone conversation March 22 with Lee Swann of Macon, Ga. He’s the son of the late Hampton Swann and grandson of the late Raymond and Hattie Hampton Swann. His Aunt, Sara Swann Shipley, is in her 90’s now and lives in Johnson City, TN.
It’s always good to meet new people and we enjoyed talking with Mrs. Jessica Hobbs Slatton during the county “Spring Break” last month. She’s originally from Beersheba Springs and works in the central office for the Grundy County Board of Education. Jessica and her husband live on Ducktown Circle where the late Herschel and Elvenia Sanders Johnson lived for years.
Casey Kilgore and his brother Alex are home after a job-related trip to the Johnstown Flood victims and the nearby scene of the 9/11 plane crash that terrorists had hijacked as part of that tragic day. The brothers work for a Chattanooga firm that makes towers for wind turbines, which generate electricity.
Rhonda Harrison Green, daughter of Jerry Harrison, is now living on Burnt Orchard Circle in the home of her late grandparents Hershel and Willie Mae Sissom Harrison. She also obtained the nearby vacant lot where the late Roy and Louise Meeks Pocus lived.
Rev. Billy Dean of Chattanooga, former pastor of first Baptist Church of Palmer, retired recently after 62 years as a pastor. His last church was Frawley Road Baptist in Chattanooga.
Faces in the crowd: We enjoyed talking with Leon Woodlee and Earl Grimes as they landscaped the new sign for Volunteer Perk in Gruetli-Laager.
Jim Crabtree, son of the late Gordon Crabtree, and Horace Ray Slatton seemed to be doing well and it was nice chatting with them. Horace’s dad, Houston “Huke” Slatton, is a member of the Palmer Big Mine crew pictured in the latest book by the Grundy County Historical Society, Pictures of Our Past.
Happy 40th anniversary to Lowell and Dot Layne Lockhart, who were married on April 17, 1969. He’s the son of the late Henry “Rub” Lockhart and she’s the daughter of the later Roy Layne. They have lived in Griffith’s Creek for many years.
Palmer United Methodist has 61 for Easter services. Chris Grooms sang “Watch the Lamb” and Mary Stinnett sang “Low in the Grave He Lay”. Refreshments were enjoyed after the service.
Palmer’s oldest church was on the verge of closing when Francis Conry passed away October 1, 1999. Miss Conry and her sisters Ann and Joyce were the mainstays during the lean years, and she would be so happy to know that the church has survived and is now thriving. Ann and Joyce still attend. Everyone knew Frances from her 45 consecutive years of teaching at Palmer Elementary.
That’s all for now. Good-bye “from where the good people live” and make plans to join us next month. In the meantime, please remember our troops and our nation’s leaders in your prayers.
