Military services for Vernon Wayne Harrison, 77, of Crossville, will be held on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 11:00 at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home. He is survived by his wife, Dhanatcha Jane Harrison.

Betty Jo “Joy” Blevins (née Garrison), age 76, of Crossville, went to be with the Lord on January 7, 2021 with her family by her side. She was born March 25, 1944 to the late Elbert and Ruby Garrison. She is survived by her loving husband, Ralph Walden Blevins, of almost 60 years. She was the amazing mother of Kris King (Rush), of Knoxville, TN; and Kim Barnett (John), of Thomson, GA. She was the proud Grandy of granddaughters Callie Ann Barnett, Anna Fulmer, Ashley Woods, Jaclyn Evans, and Audrey Mills.

Joy leaves behind a huge, loving family including sisters Susie Farley, Lillie Mae Garrison, Peggy Barnes, and brothers Elbert Garrison, Jr and Charles Sonny Garrison. She is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews, and special friends Delores (Smith) Hickerson, Margaret Judd, and Linda Kerley. However, anyone who knew Joy almost immediately became part of her family. Joy was preceded in death by her sister Emogene Threet and brothers D.M. Garrison, Otis Garrison, and James “Jimmy” Garrison.

Joy was the epitome of her name: a true joy! She always made sure that her family and friends were cared for and looked after. She made everyone around her happy because she saw the good in everyone. Letter writing was one of her love languages and she was constantly sending cards, whether for a special occasion or just to let someone know she was thinking of them. She said that there was a special happiness about opening your mailbox to find a letter or card, especially if it was unexpected. She wanted the people she cared about to know they were important enough to her to find a card, write a note, address an envelope, put a stamp on it, and then mail it. It was a dear and precious gift from her!

Joy married Ralph on July 18, 1961 while he was still in the Marine Corps. She was a military wife and then she became a stay at home mom while Ralph traveled for work with TVA. They found a way not only to make it work, but they made it look easy. Joy made their home the place that everyone felt welcome and she made sure that family was always a priority.

Joy loved animals, especially her dogs and cats. Elvis Presley was her favorite singer and bluegrass was her favorite kind of music. She loved reading books, listening to talk radio, and talking about Callie Ann. Her favorite pastime was going to yard sales, especially with her sisters. While she loved to find a bargain, she mostly loved meeting new people and seeing old friends. Joy had a unique way of making anyone she met feel like they had known her forever. Perfect strangers would just start talking to her no matter where she was and, by the time they parted ways, she knew their life story and they left feeling they had made a new friend. Joy was full of life, laughter, and love! She was an angel on earth!!

Visitation will be at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home on Monday, January 11, 2021 from 1-2 pm with funeral services to follow at 2:00pm then graveside services immediately following at the City Cemetery. Please know the family understands that, due to the COVID-19 virus, friends & family may prefer not to attend.

Diane Ruth Pollock, age 75, of Crossville TN was born on May 30, 1945 in Detroit, MI to John and Ruth (Franz) Wiles and she took her last flight with Angels to Heaven on January 7, 2021 surrounded by her loving family.  

Diane is survived by her husband of 52 years, James Thomas Pollock; children, Sonya Eubanks and Catherine Pollock; Grammy/MaMaw to grandchildren, Staci, Paul, Ciarra, Emma, and David; brothers, Thomas (Laura) Wiles, Ray (Ilidia) Wiles, and sister, Joanne (Larry) Robinson; former sister-in-law, Roseanne (Tim) Coger; several nieces, nephews, and dear friends. Diane was preceded in death by both of her parents, John and Ruth Wiles and brother-in-law, Gary Harper.

Diane was a remarkable lady inside and out. She was the rock of her family, most beautiful smile and a more beautiful heart. She saw the best in everyone she met and was always there to lend a helping hand.

Diane was completely devoted to her family and most of all to God. Her faith was unwavering even when she was diagnosed with cancer 18 months ago. She said “God will take care of me.” She was an awesome school teacher, her “kids” had (and still do) the highest respect for her. She had a very special gift of Art and Creativity, and a longtime member of the Assembly of God churches. She enjoyed cross-stitching, scrapbooking and most of all her family, especially her grandchildren. She was greatly loved and will be deeply missed by so many that were fortunate/blessed to have crossed paths in her life whether it was a short time or many years.

Visitation will be Tuesday, January 12, 2021 from 5-8pm at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral service will be Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 2pm at Faith Assembly of God, Pastor Steven Pickard officiating with burial to follow at Green Acres cemetery. Donations can be made to Faith Assembly of God church in memory of Diane, 2155 West Avenue, Crossville TN 38571.

Herman Davis Ashburn (Dude), 79, of Crossville, passed away unexpectedly on January 7, 2021 at his home. He was born April 3, 1941 in Fentress County, TN. He was a farmer and of the Baptist faith.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Earby and Myrtle Livesay Ashburn; his wife, Oma Jane Ashburn, all of Crossville; daughter, Marsha Houston of Crossville, and granddaughter, Whitney Swafford (his Rose Bud) of Crossville; brothers, Billy and Bobby Ashburn; and sisters, Wanda Presley, Paulette Johnson, Ann Brown, and Rose Turner.

He is survived by his sons, DM Murphy (Terry), Roger Norris (Nancy), and Eddie Norris (Beth), all of Crossville; daughters, Connie Garrett, Rose Swafford (Brian), Beverly Ashburn, all of Crossville, Charlene Witt (Mike) of Russelleville, TN, and Elizabeth Ashburn; grandsons, Matthew Ashburn, Greg Dixon, Tyler Swafford, Stephen Garrett, Danny Murphy, Eddie Norris Jr. (Goober), Josh Norris, Roger Norris Jr., all of Crossville, Ricky Houston of Sparta, TN, and Joe Ashburn; granddaughters, Donna Hatfield, BJ Waldo, Becky Back, Tiffany Ritchey, Ashley Shockley, Samantha Barnes, Casey Rollins, Kristin Stafford, all of Crossville, and Karen Buchanan of Spruce Pines, NC. He has 40 great grandkids and two more on the way, and 10 great great grandkids; several nieces and nephews and many friends.

Family will receive friends on Monday, January 11, 2021 from 5 – 8 at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at Crossville Memorial Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 12. He will be laid to rest in Campground Cemetery.

Lawrence “Larry” Matthews, age 79, passed away Thursday, January 7, 2021 at his home in Crossville. Larry was retired from the Crossville Public Works and was a member of Lantana Grace Church.

He is survived by his wife, Lola (Tinch) Matthews; children, Tammy Davis and husband Knob, and William Matthews and wife Jennifer; step-children, Tim Harvey and wife Cindy, Ted Harvey and wife Geneva, Faye Pile and husband Gerald, and Fred Harvey and wife Tracey; nine grandchildren, including Bill, Travis, and Micheal Matthews; and 11 great-grandchildren; brothers, Sam Matthews and Horace “Doc” Matthews; and sister, Ruby Sherrill.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Elmer and Frannie Bell Boles Matthews; brothers, Ray, Owen, Hugh Roy, and Lee Matthews; sisters, Etta Smith, Nancy Pugh, Audrey Matthews, and Mary Matthews; and grandson, Brian Harvey.

Graveside services for Larry Matthews will be Sunday, January 10th at 1 p.m. at the Linary Cemetery in Crossville.

Florence Elizabeth (“Betty”) Knoll Streich entered the Lord’s presence January 2, 2021, six weeks before her 98th birthday.  She died peacefully from natural causes in the Wharton Nursing Home in Pleasant Hill, TN.

Betty was born in Reading, PA, on February 23, 1923, the first of 4 children born to George A. and Marie (Frey) Knoll.

Though hardship came to the family upon the death of her father when she was 10, she was blessed with the loving care of her hard-working mother Marie (who became a nurse) and her grandmother Minerva (“Minnie”) Frey and her generous uncle Braynard (“Barney”) Frey. After graduating as valedictorian from Fleetwood High School (PA) in 1939, Betty earned a BA from Ursinus College (’43) in English and Social Studies. Later she took graduate courses from U. Alabama, U. Massachusetts, Bloomsburg U., Azusa Pacific U., Columbia U. and Union Seminary. This lifelong learner became an outstanding teacher!

She met her future husband (a young pastor serving a church in the Bronx) when they both attended a seminar at Camp Mensch Mill in Berks County, PA. During the summer of 1943 they became better acquainted when Betty took classes at Union Seminary in NYC. On September 9, 1944, she married Paul Streich, the man who grew to be her dearest friend for over 60 years. A year after their marriage, she and Paul were commissioned as the first missionaries of the United Andean Indian Mission, and in 1946 arrived in highland Ecuador. In the face of initial adversities God enabled them to persevere in evangelism, church planting, and education efforts. They teamed up with dedicated Ecuadorians to establish 5 schools in mainly indigenous communities. Later, Betty was an innovative teacher at two schools in Quito, Ecuador.

After 32 years in Ecuador, the Streichs returned to Fleetwood, PA, to help care for Betty’s ailing mother Marie. Betty taught social studies at Fleetwood Middle School until 1991. They then moved to Sun City West, Arizona, and she taught homebound students in a predominantly Hispanic school district. In 1997 they settled in Uplands Village, Pleasant Hill, Tennessee. Her husband Paul (ten years older than Betty) died there in 2005. Betty’s activist nature found expression supporting social justice issues including Avalon (Women), PFLAG, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Save our Cumberland Mountains, among others. She was the ultimate fan of the Tennessee Lady Vols!

Betty was “gifted” by God with good health and a cheerful, “young-at-heart” personality! She exuded joy for life in all she undertook and loved people of all cultures and walks of life. Shaped by her “Pennsylvania Dutch” roots and the Great Depression, Betty was known for her diligence, good humor, hospitality, and compassion for the poor. She built deep friendships with several Ecuadorians and with expatriate colleagues from various countries, and treated her employees with genuine kindness. A great cheerleader in school and in life, she would lead the singing or break into song just for the fun of it. Her godly selflessness and optimism were an inspiration to many. Betty’s writing skills were evident in her countless letters to family and friends chronicling personal and ministry news. Sweater knitting filled many hours, as did reading. Her passion was history (especially Civil War and Western Hemisphere). She also loved adventures and traveled to many exotic places. Her “sticky buns” were a favorite of family and friends, and she never turned down a hot fudge sundae. She will be greatly missed!

Betty was preceded in death by her husband Paul, their first daughter Heather Ann, and Betty’s brothers George F. (“Bud”) and Richard (“Joe”).  She is survived by brother Robert (& Joanne) Knoll, Richard’s wife Gerry Knoll, 5 children: David (& Judy) Streich of Durham, NC, Mica (& Ray) Beauregard of Paoli, IN, Jonathan (& Jennifer) Streich of Lilburn, GA, Stefanie (& Dan) Morgan of Boulder, CO, and Erika (& Kevin) Bond of Ft Wayne, IN, 11 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and 8 nieces & nephews.

In keeping with her wishes her body was cremated, and an “Affirmation of Life” celebration is being planned for this coming summer. Memorials may be made in her name to: UCC Wider Church Ministries, Uplands Village (including summer camp), Heifer Project, Mennonite Central Committee, or OMF International.

One of Betty’s favorite hymns was:

“Jesus, I live to Thee, The Loveliest and Best,

My life in Thee, Thy life in me, In Thy blest love I rest…

Living or dying, Lord, I ask but to be Thine;

My life in Thee, Thy life in me, Makes heaven forever mine.”

Ida Isabelle Brown Frady was born May 17, 1931 and passed away on January 6, 2021 at the age of 89. She was married to Evans Frady on February 18, 1955. They were married for 65 years.

She was the daughter of Owen and Lillie Brown of the Linary community. She lived in Xenia, Ohio for 20 years and returned to the Big Lick community for 30 years. She attended Stevens Gap Church of Christ. She was a homemaker.

She had one son, Gary, that died of a brain tumor at the age of 22. She is survived by her husband, Evans, one brother, Luther (Virginia) Brown of Crossville, one sister, JoAnn (Marvin) Wyatt of Crossville, one sister-in-law, Maxine Brown of Crossville. A host of nephews and nieces which were special to her.

She is preceded in death by her parents, brothers, James, Wilker, Carson, and Willard Brown, and two sisters, Manza Goddard and Christine Lockhart.

Ida loved her vegetable garden and her flowers. She loved watching her birds. When martins arrived, she talked to them, they responded.

Family will receive friends on Saturday, January 9, 2020 from 10 to 11 at Stevens Gap Church of Christ. Funeral services will also be held on Saturday following visitation with Thom Hassler officiating. She will be laid to rest in Music Cemetery.

Funeral services for Oma Estelle Britt, 86, of Crossville, will be held on Sunday, January 10th at 2:00 at Main Street Church of Christ. Family will receive friends prior to the service from 1:00 – 2:00. The burial will be on Monday, January 11th at 10:00 in Pikeville City Cemetery.

If you look in the dictionary for “Jack of All Trades” you might see a photo of Robert Edward Hardwick. “Rob”, as he was known to family and friends, had the Midas touch when it came to entrepreneurship, electronics and sound design, outdoor grilling, and eventually, sales.

Rob was born May 28, 1971, in North Carolina. He loved spending time on Watts Barr Lake with family and friends, enjoyed traveling and had a penchant for LOUD music. Rob was an adrenaline junkie…He got a thrill from jumpin’ out of “perfectly good” airplanes, riding roller coasters, scuba diving, fast cars and anything that made his heart race– which included the love of his life, Wendy Wade. It was during a family vacation in Birmingham, AL, where they met. At the age of 13, he began a long-distance pen-pal relationship with Wendy, who at 15 years of age, he playfully called his “older woman”.

They began dating after Rob graduated from Joshua High School in Joshua, TX. During their first kiss, church bells started ringing (literally). After two years of courtship, they married in January 1991 at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Pearl, MS and began their adventures together.

By the age of 26, Rob successfully started his own business, Mobile Connection in Jackson, MS providing quality audio and visual systems for home and auto. Rob’s motto was simple: “if it was too loud, you were too old!” Approachable, friendly, and easy to talk to, he loved to strike up a conversation and help folks adjust to being young again with the newest and most advanced audio-visual system available. Also, he was always willing to help his friends and neighbors by giving them a hand with any household project.

In 2008, he answered the call of the Aflac Duck and began another career in the service of others. Quickly rising through the ranks, he and Wendy relocated to Crossville, TN where he became an award-winning District Coordinator.

Rob is survived by his Wife, Wendy Wade Hardwick; his daughter, Haley Nicole Hardwick (Daniel Kett); his son, Chandler Wade Hardwick (Juliette Harstick); and his Nephew Harley Hardwick, who was really more like a brother than a nephew. He was preceded in death by his parents Bob and Pansy Hardwick and sister Angie Byrd.

Visitation only will take place Saturday, January 9, from 3:00 to 6:00 at Crossville Memorial. In celebration of Rob’s 50th birthday this May, the family will scatter his ashes on his favorite beach in North Carolina, where he loved going as a child, and which became a favorite family vacation spot throughout his life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Little Light House, Central MS (LLHMS.ORG).

Richard James Shilling, 89, a long time resident of Crossville, TN, died unexpectedly of natural causes on Sunday, December 27, 2020 at Cumberland County Medical Center. He was born August 9th, 1931 in Meadville, PA, the son of John Hugh and Ruth Arvilla (Stainbrook). Dick was a graduate of Meadville High School. Following graduation, and during the Korean War conflict, he served with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard while stationed in Germany. He was attached to the 112th Infantry Regiment, heavy mortar. He received an honorable discharge and was awarded the German Occupation and Good Conduct medals. Prior to his military service, Dick was wedded to Polly Ann Shilling (Etheridge) for 35 years; they were blessed with 4 children. He later married Mary Louise Kidd (Hoffman); they celebrated 33 years together on February 14th as husband and wife. Joining in the family construction business at an early age, Shilling became the president of his own commercial venture, Meadville Remodeling. Learning to fly in 1958, he then sold the business and followed his dream to become an aviator. He earned all of his ratings including his Airline Transport Rating and flew professionally for many years. He became the president of Skyline Aviation, and then Erie Airways. Shilling served on the Pennsylvania Board of Aviation, and was also a board advisor to the aviation fuel producer Triton Energy Group. He was passionate of all things aviation. Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania in a loving home, he moved to Crossville, TN 22 years ago where he was an avid civic leader. He and Mary were deeply involved in the Cumberland County Playhouse. Shilling served on the Board of Directors for the local Council of Churches, twice as Chairman. He was involved in the numerous activities at the Crossville Flying Association and assisted in the production of several local airshows. He was a lifelong member of the Order of Free and Accepted Masons.

In addition to his parents, his brother Jack, his infant sister Shirley and stepson Jeff predeceased Shilling.

Surviving in addition to his wife Mary Louise of Crossville, TN, and his former wife Polly Ann Murray of Easley, SC, are his two remaining brothers, Daniel Shilling of Conneaut Lake, PA and Ronald Shilling of Charlotte, NC, his three daughters, Cindy Polliard of Charleston, SC, Susan Allen of Landrum, SC, and Sally Castle of Easley, SC, and his son, James Shilling, of Bradenton, FL. Also surviving are his stepchildren, Karen Todak of Anaheim, CA, Sara Beach of San Diego, CA, Ellen Kidd of Meadville, PA, and Todd Kidd of Linesville, PA, and many loving nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.

His body was cremated Wednesday, December 30th.

A memorial service celebrating his life will be held on June 19, 2021, at Christ Lutheran Church in Fairfield Glade where he will he interned.

He hunted, fished, and golfed, he traveled the world, he lived life, he loved, and he flew. He was a kind, gentle, patient teacher and will be sadly missed by all those who knew him. Those who wish to remember Dick in a special way may make gifts in his memory to the Cumberland County Playhouse, 221 Tennessee Avenue, Crossville, TN 38555.