Tennessee Society, Sons of the Revolution

TNSOR# 2329, admitted 2/18/1998, ancestor John Sexton

Eldridge Massey, 90, of Mosheim, died Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at the Johnson City Medical Center due to injuries received in an automobile accident.

He was a member of Mount Carmel United Methodist Church in the Sunnyside community for more than 80 years.

Mr. Massey was born April 30, 1919, and was the widower of Minnie B Southerland Massey, his wife of 63 years who died Dec. 19, 2007.

He was a veteran of World War II, a member of the tank destroyers of Fort Hood, Texas, and the 1290th Engineer Combat Battalion.

His family stated, “He enjoyed attending all churches and loved to sing, singing with several groups over the years. He sang at nursing homes each week and was a volunteer with Smoky Mountain Home Health.

“He enjoyed partaking in historical events with his son and had just recently attended the Encampment of the Society of the Descents of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge in Valley Forge, Pa., where he received the Commander-in-Chiefs Award of Merit.

“While in Pennsylvania, Mr. Massey visited the 1696 Thomas Massey House, where he got to hold the family coat of arms brought from England in the mid 1600s by his seventh great-grandfather. He also visited Amish country and Gettysburg.

“Mr. Massey was a life member of the Sons of the Revolution and a member of the Society of the Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge.

Survivors include two daughters and sons-in-law: Gwen and Rex Gray of Tucumcari, N.M., and Lyn and Richard Brown of Douglasville, Ga., his son and daughter-in-law: Tim and Karen Massey of Afton; three grandchildren and their spouses: Rick and Angie Brown of Roswell, Ga., Kathy and Nathan Finley of Flowery Branch, Ga., and Becky and John Hammond of Maple Grove, Minn.; five great-grandchildren; two sisters and a brother-in-law: Lola Jaynes of Greeneville and Edith and Don Haney of Limestone; a sister-in-law: Elizabeth Massey; and his special friends: Sandy and Leyton Brown and Elizabeth Swatzell.

He was a son of the late Thomas Jackson and Flora Lamons Massey and was preceded in death by three sisters: Cona Sauls, Arlene Davis, and Geneva Huff; and a brother: Winson Massey.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. today and Saturday at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be held at 12:30 Sunday afternoon in the funeral home chapel. The Rev. Buster Shelton and the Rev. Martha Beamer will officiate.

Interment will be in GreeneLawn Memory Gardens. A military graveside service will be conducted by the Greeneville-Greene County Honor Guard.

Pallbearers will be Edwin Haney, Rick Brown, Pat Crum, Eric Southerland, Jimmy Dale Southerland, and Kenneth Southerland.

Honorary pallbearers will be the members of Mount Carmel Men’s Sunday School Class and the chaplains of Smoky Mountain Home Health and Hospice.

Condolences may be sent to the Massey family at loc1067@sci-us.com

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See Tim Massey’s comments about his father’s funeral and pictures at:

http://nathanaelgreene.tnsor.org/EldridgeFuneral.html

David Whaley sends this note about an unfortunate accident.

“Tuesday, July 7, 2009

I just received word that Tim Massey’s father was killed in an automobile accident this afternoon. Tim was notified @ work about 8:30 pm. Tim & his father had attended a Valley Forge encampment together just a couple week ago, visiting the Massey house and viewing their family coat of arms. Tim had written soon afterwards how much his father had enjoyed their trip & how he was so pleased by getting to witness his father’s enjoyment. Keep their family in your prayers. I will forward any updated information.”

WHITTLE, STEWART COLEMAN – age 70 of Knoxville, died of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) on June 30, 2009. Mr. Whittle was born in Columbia, Missouri on March 3, 1939 to the late Warren Stewart Whittle and Hughlett Lyle Coleman. He was raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas and was a graduate of Southwestern at Memphis (Rhodes College) where her was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. He served three years in the United States Army, having trained in Russian at the Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California. For 35 years, he was employed by the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland. During his career, he held posts in Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom. After retiring from NSA, he formed and operated a computer consulting firm in Maryland until his move to Tennessee. Stewart was a member of the Tennessee and Maryland chapters of The Order of the Founders and Patriots, holding the offices of National Chaplin and Governor of the Maryland chapter. He was also a member of the St. George’s Society of Maryland and served as Treasurer of the Washington Assembly in the District of Columbia. Mr. Whittle was a Vestryman for nine years at the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ellicott City, Maryland. Stewart is survived by his wife, Sue Bracewell Whittle; daughter, Allison Elisabeth Whittle Hodges and son in law, Philip Lloyd Hodges. Graveside service will be held 11:30 A.M. Monday at Tennessee Veterans’ Cemetery with The Reverend Canon Thomas J. Rasnick officiating. The family requests memorials be made to Holy Cross Church (in Stewart’s name), 515 Herron Road, Farragut, TN 37934. Arrangements by Rose Mortuary Mann Heritage Chapel. www.rosemortuary.com