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.
MAY 2009
Palmer and Related Deaths in 1997
Every once in a while someone will ask us, “Is so and so still living?”
Although this list is from 1997, we thought it might be helpful in answering such questions in the future.
Deaths for 1997 in the Palmer town limits included Hubert Hammers and his wife Rosa Nell Scruggs Hammers, Jessie Lowe Turner Campbell and her daughter Rhonda J. Campbell, William H. “Jip” Crabtree, Jr., Cleo Sanders Layne, widow of Pat Layne; Jewell V. Meeks, longtime cook at Palmer School; Aaron Huling Johnson, son of Huling Johnson; Clara Sue Head Cox, wife of James “Hippy” Cox; Bedford R. Glisson, Nancy Inez Oliver, Geraldine Layne Rogers, wife of “Little Hade” Rogers; Billy Ray Phillips, Elsie Kathleen Nunley Brooks, widow of “Flop” Brooks; Rosa V. Schoenmann James, widow of Fred James; and William “Wet Duck” Dishroon, POW held by the Germans in World War II.
Earl Franklin Creighton and Gladys Davis Henry were in nursing homes and Eddie Nieves died in Tatesville.
Other deaths across the county, the state and the nation with Palmer connections were Matthew Coffelt, Rance Cannon, Buford Campbell, Bernice “Bones” Brewer, Laden C. James, Bessie Lou Givens, Nancy Dee Shrum Skeen, sister of James and John Shrum; David R. “Dick” Stinnett, Sallie Rust Knox, Margie Fultz Layne, a member of Palmer School’s first graduating class of 1928; Martha Cannon Henley, Frances Naomi Merrell Wells, Mildred Weaver Johnson, Horace E. “Gid” Knight; Otsie McGovern Teets, Clarence Stockwell, Irene Layne McBee, Clarine Morrison, wife of Claude Morrison; Cora Patton James and her daughter Edna Parthenia “Parry” James, John E. “Johnny” Keener, Ottis L. Green, Errol Flynn, Gilbert L. Layne, Grace Nunley Highfield, daughter of Lawrence and Beet Nunley; Rachel Rollings Geary, longtime teacher at Palmer School; Louie D. Berry, longtime principal at Palmer School; James E. “Jimmy: Carpenter, Sr.; Virginia Alberta Smith Griffith, Charles W. Boggs, Robert Doyle Moneyheffer, Hollis Durand Meeks, Vivian Lee Byers Anderson, widow of “Dog Tick” Anderson; Nadine Laymon Scott, daughter of Homer Laymon and Nona Sitz Smith, daughter of Frank Sitz.
Many from the Palmer area know former judge and Grundy County Sheriff Elston Clay of Pelham. He passed away in 1997.
Even though these loved ones and friends left us 12 years ago, we know that they are still missed and extend to you our sincere sympathy.
Palmer and Related Deaths in 1998
Deaths in the Palmer town limits form 1998 included Ella rose Flynn Cleek, wife of Chet Cleek; Virginia Triplett, mother of postmaster Darlene Brooks; Howard W. Henry, Juanita “Weedy” Patrick Bishop, and Lillie Lee Ross Cleek, widow of Hearl Cleek.
Hubert “Hube” Henry, Mattie “Matt” Anderson Smith, and Mattie White Mitchell, a member of Palmer School’s first graduating class of 1928, were all in nursing homes.
Other deaths across the county, state and nation with Palmer connections were Lizzie shrum Cleek, Mollie Coffelt Nunley, Jodi “Josie: Burnett Dishroon, Buford E. Anthony, Mava Pittman Privett, James Noah “Jimmy” McBee, Tillman Bone, Ruby Nolan Jenkins, Katherine Myers Meeks, Bobby Gene Brown, Mary Elizabeth Hobbs Terry, Ann
Caldwell Norton, Kenneth Sissom, Nelmon Savage, Nina Gail Sanders Dycus, Lorene Tate Sissom, widow of Clyde Sissom; Brenda Fults Britton, Danny L. Boggs, brother of Charles W. Boggs; John W. Nunley, Anna Cleo Green Kilgore, Melvin Meeks, Jr., Dorothy “Dot” Creighton Davis, Lewis B. King, Kenneth H. Cooksont, James Watson Layne, Robert “Bobby” or as most people knew him by “Shakey” Dyer, Robert L. “Bob” Crouch, Palmer Elementary School Teacher in the 1930’s and Grundy County High School teacher in the early 1940’s.
We would also like to note the death of Floyd Campbell of Coalmont who drove a school bus in Palmer for years, former Grundy County sheriff Billy Gene Reid, Tracy City attorney Charles Kildgore, Robert W. Baggenstoss of Dutch Maid Bakery, Grundy County High School Coack in the 1960’s Oscar Hollie Brown, GCHS teacher Violette Wakeland from the 1960’s also, and Dr. Robert Mabe of Chattanooga. These individuals never lived in Palmer, but were known to many residents here.
Even thought these loved ones and friends left us 11 years ago, we know that they are still missed and extend to you our sincere sympathy.
Then and Now
The big satellite, no longer in use, still stands in Wanda Hampton Meeks' back yard on Tatesville Road. Several people in Palmer had them before cable TV came through in the summer of 1984.
Now, with the constatnt change in technology to make everything smaller, the satellites of today are just a fraction of the size of the first ones.
The little satellite and the buildings are on Palmer Mountain where the state fire tower was located. Behind it is an old "out house" and what looks like a tool shed on the right. Note both are painted green.
A home for the fire tower ranger and his family was also provided and when Isham Hobbs was the fire tower lookout in the 1950's and 60's. We believe that state painted all the fire tower buildings green in keeping with the forestry mission.
Today, all the fire towers in Grundy County are closed. We believe Kenny Smartt was the last Palmer fire tower lookout in the 1990's.
Church Sign
Message at Westside Baptist Church May 2009.
Old sayings and figures of speech in Grundy County, TN
I’ve got to go to Chattanoogie. We heard this the other day for the first time in years. It used to be said a lot and was pronounced “noogie” instead of “nooga”. Yankees and other immigrants to the area used to say “Chat – nooga”.
He’s selling out. Now this mostly means betrayal as in politics, but years ago it meant selling your home and moving away.
I’m pulling in my horns. We heard a poor old man say this recently explaining that at his age and lack of support of his pet project, he was withdrawing. In our old age, we must all accept the fact that we’ll sometimes have to “pull in our horns” and not expect to do what we could as young people.
Even Jesus got angry. This used to be said sometimes when a church person “flew off the handle” and got angry or upset over something. Almost everyone gets “fed up” with things in life and the person meant that they weren’t perfect and that even Jesus got angry as in the temple and the money changers.
He got stobbed. We hadn’t heard this in so many years that we’d forgotten it, but it was said a lot instead of “stabbed”. When a woman said it recently it was such a shock that we almost felt like we’d been “stobbed”.
She said she was all right or he made it right or he said everything was all right between him and the Lord. Years ago a preacher or other Christian would ask a person on their deathbed if they “were ready to go”. Just the other day a person said a man who died recently told someone that he was “all right”, meaning that he had repented of his sins and was “ready to go”.
He hogged it out. We’d never heard this until recently. Of course a hog is associated with greed and a man described a coalmine operator this way meaning he wanted to make a fast buck and left a lot of coal in the mine.
Wait ‘til I get my clothes on. Years ago you seldom heard anyone say “Wait ‘til I get dressed.” A lot of people in these parts still say “Wait ‘til I get my clothes on.”
Palmer News May 2009
Is it a rainy May where you live? Palmer looks like a dark green jungle as all types of vegetation explode with color caused by the heavy rains.
Happy 90th birthday to Hazel Roberts Hornbuckle and Rev. James Roberts who both hit the milstone this month.
Hazel was 90 on Mother’s Day and was joined by out-of-state family members and locals at Palmer United Methodist church services. She’s the widow of Charlie Hornbuckle.
James celebrated his big day with family at a fish fry. He’s a member of the “night shift” crew at the Palmer Big Mine who are featured in the latest Grundy County Historical Society book Pictures of Our Past.
Suzette Nunley, dauighter of the late Glenn and Boots Finch Nunley, is staying with her great aunt Ethel Mae Cantrell who is 95 now. Suzette has been living in Florida for many years.
Palmer Elementary joined other county schools May 15 for their annual “end of school year” visit to the Lake Winnie Amusement Park in Chattanooga. It’s always a fun-filled day of rides and food for kids and adults alike.
What’s for supper? How about kraut and weenies, stewed potatoes with chunks of pork, pinto beans, onions, tomatoes, cornbread and biscuits.
Old people used to talk about “topping off with something sweet”. We “topped off: with a homemade coconut pie. We enjoyed this good supper at the home of Bonnie Payne and son Charles up on Palmer Mountain while out picking up cans.
Bonnie’s son, Roy Payne of Tracy City, is having health problems and faces surgery this summer. He’s been disabled since a coal mining accident in 1981, so remember Roy in your prayers. Many of you will remember his father, the late James E. “Doodle” Payne.
Jerry Cannon is recovering from a bout of inner-ear trouble or “vertigo” as they call it now. Wasn’t that the title of an Alfred Hitchcock movie?
We visited with Carl Worley May 8. He’s home after a two-month hospital stay after suffering horrible burns, but is making a good recovery especially for a 75 year old.
Here due to the death of Jarvis L. Levan were his brother Kenneth of Ohio and sister Genora of Florida.
“I hadn’t seen Kenneth since the 1950’s”, Jerry Cannon said. “He knew me, but I didn’t know him. I noticed he still combs his hair the same way he did back then.”
Anita Finch Crabtree hadn’t seen Genora in a long time, but said, “Genora still looks good. We went to school together.”
Helen Ackerman Arbuckle and Ed Sweeton cam out from Tracy City. Ed and Jarvis grew up together on Burnt Orchard Hill in Palmer and have remained lifelong friends.
“My sister Earlene and Genora went to school together”, Helen said. “Genora has a beautiful voice. When her twin sister Geneva died, she sang at the funeral, and I’d say that there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.”
We didn’t know Jarvis had any health problems and were shocked and saddened to hear of his passing. He was very helpful on our Palmer history research, and we extend our sincere sympathy to his family.
We also extend our sympathy to the family of Franklin Delano King. “Frank” as most called him, was a good friend and a U.S. Navy veteran. Keith McBee read “Taps” at the graveside military funeral. Afterwards, a big crowd attended a memorial service at Collins Church of Christ where childhood friend Howell Gilbert Clements spoke. He’s a son of the late Dr. Oscar Howell Clements who was the Palmer town doctor in the 1930’s and ‘40’s.
Former Palmer residents retuning due to the death of Janice Layne Gulas were Jackie Scruggs and his sister Sandra along with their brother Joe and his wife Joyce Grooms Scruggs. Also here were Janice Overturf, Jerry and Bobby Lockhart, Donna McCullough, Tony and Lana Roberts Summers. Donna Gayle Gifford Basham came out from Tracy City and says she enjoyed talking with Tom Burnette who still lives here. Many will remember Tom’s twin brother, Dick, who has lived in Florida for years.
Janice lived in Chattanooga and attending the funeral there were former residents Henrietta Nunley, Martin and Rita Crabtree Smith, Arthur Huling, Phyllis Tate, Drema Roberts and Faye summers Smith.
Janice had been sick for years and we extend our sympathy to her family in their loss.
Jerry Harrison is home after major surgery at Erlanger Hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery.
My little friend Vanessa Stinnett was attacked recently, by, of all things, a rooster, while visiting a first-grade classmate. She wasn’t hurt, but was scared to death. We’ve heard old people talk about things like this happening years ago.
We sadly report that Thelma Bone Nolan is in a nursing home. She’s the widow of Alfred “Buddy” Nolan and is 82 now.
Harold and Linda Morrison Barnes of Oregon were here to attend a reunion for the 1959 class of Grundy County High School. She’s the daughter of the late Fred “Humpy” Morrison. Locals present were Leon and Pansy Smartt Christian of Gruetli-Laager
Our April rainfall was 6.0”. In 1999 we had 5.5”.
Harold James attended Mother’s Day services at Palmer Free Will Baptist Church with his wife Martha and daughter Lynn.
Mrs. Howard (Oma) Lewis was honored as the oldest mother at First Baptist church on Mother’s Day.
Palmer Church of God had about 150 present, and mothers receiving flowers were Mrs. Eddie (Rita) Crabtree, Mrs. Stanley (Teresa) Myers, Mrs. Marty (Wilma) Layne, and the oldest member, Mrs. Myrtle Hicks.
Palmer United Methodist had 7 present with all the ladies receiving a beautiful red rose.
Mrs. Allie Jean “Shorty” Sanders, widow of Wham Sanders, attended a St. Jude banquet May 5 in Chattanooga with her son Danny. He and his wife Betty traveled to Virginia Beach, VA, recently after the birth of their first grandchild.
We’re coming to you on May 17 and it’s “Blackberry Winter” in Palmer. The berries should be plentiful this year with all the rain.
Well, that’s the latest from “where the good people live.” We hope you enjoy the Memorial Day weekend, and please remember to honor those who gave their lives so that we cab continue to enjoy the everyday freedoms we often take for granted. Good- bye for now.
