Billy Wayne Williams

Mr. Williams, 84, of Hendersonville, passed away Wednesday, May 15, 2013.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Mildred Joan Williams. He is survived by daughter, Beverly Lind; sons, Steve (Patsy) Williams and Ronald (Vicki) Williams; grandchildren, Robin (Josh) Embry, Kelly (Kelly) Hamilton; Steven (Brooke) Lind, April (Brent) Armstrong, Chris (Katy) Williams, Brooke Williams, Stephanie (John) Montgomery and Rachel (Nick) McCarnan and eight great-grandchildren.

A life celebration service was held Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 11 a.m. at Hendersonville Funeral Home, hendersonvillefh.com.

Carl E. Ashworth

Mr. Ashworth, 77, of Gallatin, went home to be with the Lord on May 20, 2013.

Funeral service will be Thursday, May 23, at 2 p.m. at the Worship Center of First Baptist Church of Hendersonville with Larry Gilmore officiating.

Interment will follow at Hendersonville Memory Gardens with Thomas Pugh, Jordan Hall, Joshua Kirby, Terry Kirby, Grover McMurray, Mark Hall and Kenny Warren serving as pallbearers.

Visitation is today, Wednesday, May 22, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Alexander Funeral Home and Thursday, May 23, from12 p.m., noon until time of service at the First Baptist Church of Hendersonville.

Mr. Ashworth was born Sept. 16, 1935 in Lebanon, to the late D.E. and Madeline Ashworth. Also, he is preceded in death by seven siblings, Hester Sullivan, Bill Ashworth, Mollie Denny, Mary Lou Jones, Walter Ray Ashworth, Earline Watson and Helen Sellars.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 53 years, Jean Ashworth; daughters, Mebra Kirby (Terry) of Birmingham, AL, Melanie McMurray (Grover) of Gallatin, Mindy Hall (Mark) of Gallatin and Shelly Warren, (Kenny) of Hendersonville.

He is also survived by eight loving grandchildren, Thomas (Lauren) Pugh, Jordan Hall, April Kirby, Joshua Kirby, Emily Hall, Courtney Warren, and Callie Warren.

He was a member of Hendersonville First Baptist Church and formerly a long time member of College Heights Baptist Church. Carl was recently retired from Nationwide Insurance in Gallatin as an agent for 43 years.

He had a passion for serving his customers in Sumner County and surrounding counties. Granddaddy, Dad, Pinto and Uncle Gene were some of the endearing names by which he was known. His humor and love for family, friends and “policyholders” were felt by many.

Online condolences may be submitted at alexanderfh.info. Alexander Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Stephen Greco

World War II veteran Stephen Greco, 92, passed away Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Greco was a first-generation American who proudly served in World War II, where he was stationed in Scotland. While stationed there, he met and married the love of his life, Barbara McEwan.

He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 41 years, Barbara McEwan Greco; brother, Dominic Greco; sisters, Connie Torre and Lillian Macek.

He is survived by his daughter, Hilary Marabeti (Joseph); granddaughter, Heather Marabeti (Will Pinkston); great-granddaughter, Sloan Pinkston; sister, Josephine Potosna of New Jersey; brother, Peter Greco of New Jersey; and several nieces, nephews and extended family.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to High Pointe Hospice.

A life celebration service was held Wednesday at Hendersonville Funeral Home with burial following in Hendersonville Memory Gardens.

Ruth Jane Austin Aulds

Mrs. Aulds, 87, of Hendersonville, passed away on May 12, 2013.

She was born on Jan. 27, 1926.

She is preceded in death by her son, Eugene Holmes. She is survived by her loving children, Eddie Holmes, Roger Holmes, Jimmy Holmes and Glenda Holmes; 15 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, four great- great-grandchildren and only surviving sibling, Delores Smith.

A funeral service was conducted Tuesday, May 14, 2013 in the chapel of Hendersonville Funeral Home, with interment following in Hendersonville Memory Gardens.

Billy Escue

Mr. Escue, 72, of Bethpage, passed away Monday, May 13, 2013.

Funeral service was Thursday, May 16, at the chapel of Alexander Funeral Home with Marty Scruggs officiating. Interment followed at Crestview Memorial Park.

Mr. Escue was born March 16, 1941 to the late Fee and Myrtle Glover Escue. He is also preceded in death by his wife, Zadie Bell Thaxton Escue and brother, Robert Escue.

Mr. Escue is survived by his sons, Nathan Escue (Sara) of Gallatin, Bily Reese Escue, Jr. (Dianne) of Portland, Richard “Dale” Escue, Sr. (Susan) of Portland and Tommy “TB” Cantrell (Leslie) of Gallatin; daughter, Toni Cantrell of Bethpage; brother, Donald Escue (Nola) of Portland; sisters, Patsy Farley (Bobby) of Gallatin and Eunice Adams of Hendersonville; 13 grandchildren Kyle Escue, Paige Escue, Jared Escue, Amber Escue, Dale Escue, Jr., Jori Justice, Jeffery Escue, Bryson Escue, April Anderson (Andrew), Emma Cantrell, Hayden Cantrell, Nick Stafford and Matt Stafford and great-grandchildren, Seath Anderson, Abigale Escue, Evelyn Justice, Brent Escue, and Taylor Escue.

Online condolences may be submitted at alexanderfh.info.

Irene Taranta Garcia

Mrs. Garcia was born Sept. 4, 1923 in Springfield, Ill. She was a loving and giving mother, who sacrificed all for her children.

A talented artist, a love for life, an eye for perfection. Our best friend. She is survived by her son, Ron Garcia; daughter, Marilyn Garcia; granddaughter, Jenny Cummings and grandson, Eric Garcia.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to High Point Hospice, 575 E. Bledsoe St. Suite 9 Gallatin, TN 37066.

Hendersonville Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

hendersonvillefh.com.

Richard Siebenthaler Wilson

Mr. Wilson, 78, died peacefully on Sunday, March 5 after a long illness.

He was born Nov. 29, 1934 in Dayton, Ohio, son of William Howard and Mary Elizabeth (Siebenthaler) Wilson. He graduated from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) in Flint, Michigan with a degree in mechanical engineering.

After serving in the Air Force, he moved with his wife to Illinois where their three children were born. He served as pack master for his Cub Scout sons and their Pinewood Derby cars won many trophies over a period of six years.

In 1977, the family’s love for boating and the outdoors brought them to Hendersonville. He was a member of the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce and the Noon Sertoma Club, serving as Sertoma’s treasurer for many years. He owned and operated The Telephone Booth, Inc. in Hendersonville, but later returned to Northern Telecom, retiring in 1996.

Tinkering with cars was a lifelong hobby and his ’67 Firebird, which he restored and rebuilt, was his pride and joy. He was the original “Mr. Fix-It” and handled all household and most boat and auto repairs. He was a loving brother, husband, father and grandfather.

His parents and a sister, Mary Ellen Brown, preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Shirley and three children; Douglas Wilson (Cara) of Narrows, Virginia, Gregory Wilson of Hendersonville and Carla Finkle (John) of Hendersonville and five grandchildren: Sara and Rebecca Finkle and Maxwell, Miles, and Mitchell Wilson. A beloved sister, Celia Mehaffey (Joe) of Georgia also survives.

A Life Celebration was held Thursday at 7 p.m. in the chapel at Hendersonville Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Noon Sertoma Club of Hendersonville, or a charity of your choice.

Margaret G. Koshkin

Mrs. Koshkin, 86, died peacefully on April 15, 2013, in her home, surrounded by flowers, birds, light, her children and her favorite grand-dog, Mickey.

In passing she exhibited the same grace and style in which she lived life.

Born in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 1, 1927, she came to New York at the age of 11 months. She grew up in Brooklyn N.Y., and received her undergraduate degree from Queens College and her M.A. in teaching from the University of Maryland.

While in her graduate studies, Margaret met a recently-returned World War II veteran, Victor S. Koshkin.  They fell deeply and passionately in love, marrying on Sept. 2, 1950. Vic went to work for DuPont Corporation and they relocated to Buffalo NY, where their two daughters, Christina and Catherine were born.

Vic’s work took them to Kinston NC, Wilmington DE and Richmond VA before settling in Hendersonville, where Mom put her foot down and said “no more moves.”

Margaret was a career teacher, touching the lives of many hundreds of students.  She had a gift for identifying and encouraging those who were misunderstood. Throughout her life in Tennessee, she constantly encountered former students who would tell her how important she had been to them and how she influenced their lives.

Even with her teaching career, Margaret still found time to raise her daughters, support Vic’s career, feed and care for their horses when the kids went to college, and to participate as a partner with Vic in sailing competitions, where they won many awards.

Thomas Wickliffe (Wick) Comer

age 80, was born September 7, 1932, in Nashville, and died peacefully at home on Sunday, December 2, 2012. He was preceded in death by his parents, Guy and Nicoll (Nick) Comer of Gallatin. He is survived by his wife, Victoria Gilbert Comer of Gallatin; daughters, Lynn Comer Doramus of Nashville and Lori Comer Canale and her husband, Dr. Daniel Canale, of Franklin; granddaughters, Nicoll Doramus Hannaway and her husband, Stephen Hannaway, of Nashville and Victoria Lynn Doramus of Nashville; stepchildren, Michelle Laws Bailey and her husband Terry, Roy Gilbert Laws and his wife, Leah and their children, Lily Virginia Laws and Elijah Grey Laws, all of Franklin, TN.  Mr. Comer attended grammar schools in Gallatin and graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy in 1950 at the top of his class and went on to Vanderbilt University. During the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Army Reserves. As president of Washington Manufacturing Company, founded by his grandfather, Robert Wickliffe Comer, in 1914, he managed 20,000 employees at 26 separate manufacturing sites in the southeastern United States. After leaving Washington Manufacturing, he became president of the Bank of Hendersonville. His later years were spent overseeing the R.W. Comer & Sons Trust. Mr. Comer will be mostly remembered for his love of the natural environment and all of its creatures. He was especially fond of exotic species of animals and birds and made a home for many of them on his beloved farm on Old Hickory Lake. He was also a breeder of Red Angus and Texas Longhorn cattle and a preservationist for native Shorthorn and many rare and endangered species. Private services are scheduled. Online condolences may be submitted at familyheritagefh.com.  Family Heritage Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Leslie Leon Moore

age 71, of Gallatin, passed from this life on Monday, December 3 peacefully in his sleep in his favorite chair in the comfort of his home. Less than two months ago he celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary with Linda Nunally Moore, surrounded by family. He is the father of Paige (Kevin) Collier and Shane Moore; grandfather of Jacob, Chloe, Gracie, Noah and Lucas Leon Collier. He is the son of Calvin B. Moore and the late Rozella Moore. He is also survived by brother, Calvin Dale (Edith) Moore and Mitzi Moore and preceded in death by sister, Cindy (Pete) Fincher. Mr. Moore's lifetime impact on Sumner County has been significant. Not only was he a huge success in several businesses, but his work touched the lives of many people providing jobs and beautiful places to enjoy and live. Above all he was generous. He started in the car dealership business with Moore Motors, which later evolved into North Lake Auto Mall. He created Gulf Coast Development Company, building hundreds of construction projects throughout the southeast. He brought back from ruins Nashville's Union Station to create a grand hotel. He loved flying and owned several aircraft over his flying career. He owned and franchised Shoney's Inns through ShoLodge, which he took public in 1992, developing dozens of hotel properties. As a residential real estate developer, he completed Blue Ridge and Indian Hills subdivisions in Hendersonville, as well as Fairvue Plantation and started Foxland Harbor in Gallatin. He built two of the most beautiful golf courses that many of us enjoy every week. He created the Fairvue Club where so many good memories have been enjoyed. Mr. Moore spent the last few years living in the famed Fairvue mansion built in 1832 and renovated by Mr. and Mrs. Moore. Most of all Leon loved his family, naming several streets and features of his projects after his grandchildren. Remaining visitation is today, 4-8 p.m. at Alexander Funeral Home. Mr. Moore's funeral service will be held at Madison Church of Christ's Bixler Chapel at 2 p.m. on Thursday with the family receiving visitors at 1 p.m. Tom Haddon will officiate the service. Pallbearers include Shane Moore, Kevin, Jacob and Noah Collier, Joe Godfrey, Pat Alexander, Jim Grout and Martin "Woody" Wood. Mr. Moore will then be laid to rest at Crestview Memory Gardens. Online condolences may be submitted at alexanderfh.info.

William Watson

age 90, of Gallatin, was born January 13, 1922 and left this world to be with his Lord on Friday, November 30, 2012, surrounded by his family in Portland. A devout Christian, William was saved as a young teen and joined Maces Hill Missionary Baptist Church.  At the time of his death he was a member and deacon of Salem Missionary Baptist Church in Gallatin. God, his church, and his family were the loves of his life. He was the son of the late Willie and Ethel Dickerson Watson of the Pleasant Shade community in Smith County. Mr. Watson was preceded in death by brothers, Lester, Vestal (Neal survives), Gayle, and Carl Aberdeen (survived by Martha). He is survived by Juanita Parker Watson, his loving wife of 69 years and children, Shirley Gregory (Glen) of Portland, Ronnie Watson (Diane) of Lebanon, Mel Watson (Bev) of Portland and Deborah Ballentine (Richard) of Portland. His surviving grandchildren are Kimberly Martin (Greg) of Owasso, Oklahoma, Michael Watson (Shannon) of Gallatin, Terri Robinson (Jimmy) of Hendersonville, Tonya Gregory (Eric) of Bowling Green, Jason Watson (Sharon) of Portland, Deric Watson (Julie) of Gallatin, Laura Meador (Donnie) of Cottontown, Craig Ballentine (Cala) of Brentwood and Parker Ballentine of Portland. His surviving 17 great-grandchildren and three great great-grandchildren loved their Papa and he had a special love for each of them. Also surviving are E.L. Watson (Betty), brother, of Riddleton and sister, Alyene Shoulders of Carthage and numerous nieces and nephews. Mr. Watson was a veteran, having served his country as an Army PFC, Heavy Artillery, in World War II.  Having grown up with meager resources, his work ethic and determination to provide for his family were unmatched. He worked for Nuehoff Packing Company for more than 33 years, before the Nashville facility closed. He retired from Imperial Fabricating Company in Portland, after working with that company for six years.  He also worked on the family farm, raising tobacco and livestock in the Hollis Chapel community in Portland before moving to Gallatin in 1984. His was known for visiting other churches and those sick or in need and was a special friend to all who knew him. Funeral service was Sunday December 2, at Family Heritage Funeral Home in Gallatin with Brother Jeff Blackwell and Brother Stacey Trout officiating. Pallbearers were Michael Watson, Jason Watson, Deric Watson, Craig Ballentine, Parker Ballentine, Greg Martin, Jimmy Robinson, Eric Gregory and Donnie Meador. The family wishes to thank Shanna Wheeler and the staff of SWS Services for their kindness, care and wonderful assistance for the past year. They served as honorary pallbearers.

Jackie Scruggs

age 78, of Castalian Springs, passed away Wednesday November 29, 2012. Funeral service was Sunday, December 2 from the chapel of Alexander Funeral Home with Dr. Larry Yarborough officiating. Burial followed in Sumner Memorial Gardens with David Brown, Chris Brown, Wendyll Carr, Ron Carr, Austin McCaffery and Dale Kinnard serving as pallbearers. Jackie was born in Mt. Marion, New York, daughter of Mirza V. Tobias and Phoebe Pearson Tobias. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by a brother, Chester Tobias and two sisters, Alice Castiglione and Hazel Churchill. She is survived by her husband, James E. Scruggs; children, Sherry Carr and husband Wendyll of Cane Ridge, Terry Scruggs of Hendersonville, Kathryn “Ann” of Portland and Russell E. Scruggs and wife Maria of Columbia, MO; sisters, Verna Allen and husband Ralph of Kingston, NY, Betty Vantran and husband Bill of New Berlin, NY and Lois Smith of Grahamsville, NY; grandchildren; David Brown, Krista Brown, Amie Scruggs, Clay Scruggs and Mathew Scruggs.  Online condolences may be submitted at alexanderfh.info

Jeffrey Lonnie Hall Sr.

passed away November 19, 2012 at Sumner Regional Medical Center due to prolonged illnesses. Jeffrey is survived by his wife, Sylvia Hall; two sons, Jeffrey Hall Jr. and Samuel John Fithian; two daughters, Candice Bashay, Antioch and Christina Latoya, Phoenix, AZ; brother, Steve Hall, Goodlettsville and sister, Delores Thomas, Goodlettsville. He is preceded in death by his father, Lonnie Hall, his mother, Hilma Hall, sister, Renee Goulette and brother, Ronnie Hall. Jeffrey lived very full life with his two sons before becoming ill with liver disease and other complications. His loving personality and cheerful demeanor will be sorely missed by all those who knew him in life. He was a man about family, a man about hard work and a man about God. We who survive him only find solace in knowing that he is in a better place and no longer hurting in God’s arms.

John L. Davenport

age 76, went to be with the Lord on December 5, 2012 surrounded by his loving family. He was born on September 6, 1936 in Nashville, to John and Fannie Davenport. He was a man of faith who always promoted strong Christian values and work ethic to anyone he knew. He was a family man who was always there to guide and encourage them through every facet of life. John worked as a carpenter throughout his life and was very proud of his wood working skills. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and friend and will be dearly missed by all who knew him. He is preceded in death by his parents, two sisters and one brother. He is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Barbara A. Davenport; daughter, Donna  Davis (Randy); son, Mike Davenport (Gail); grandchildren, Chad (Debi) Davis and Allison Davis, Jessica and Amber Davenport; great-grandchildren, Jonas, Jude, Amos, and Lily Davis; brother, Danny Davenport (Joy); sister, Betty Bull; several nieces and nephews also survive. A Life Celebration Service is being held today, Friday at 1p.m. in the Chapel of Hendersonville Funeral Home. Remaining visitation is today from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. hendersonvillefh.com.