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LAUDERDALE COUNTY, TENNESSEE DEATH NOTICES FROM 2003
Joe Palmer
Robert Joseph "Joe" Palmer, 94, died Jan. 3 at St. Mary’s Medical Center.
Palmer’s son Judson Palmer said his dad loved teaching and felt that he was born to be a teacher.
"My dad said that from the age of accountability, he knew he wanted to be a teacher," Judson Palmer said. "He felt he was led to teach."
And teach Joe Palmer did. His teaching career spanned 46 years and the school systems of Union County, Knox County and Knoxville.
Arguably, Joe Palmer was destined to teach. He was born in 1908 into a family of teachers. His father, Victor Walter Palmer, was superintendent of the Union County schools and his mother, Mary Campbell Palmer, and two sisters, Sally Palmer Stooksbury and Mattie Palmer Stooksbury, were all teachers.
Joe Palmer pursued his "calling" to teach and enrolled at Lincoln Memorial University, but times were tough during the pre-depression ’20s.
He worked on a dairy farm to help pay his way through LMU, but that wasn’t enough. So, just a couple of years into his education, he earned his teaching certificate and left LMU to return home to teach and save some money.
He taught at Long Hollow, which was a two-room school that was in the Sharp’s Chapel area.
During that time, not a lot of emphasis was placed on an education, but Judson Palmer said his dad had some tricks to get the students to learn.
"He used to give incentives to the students to get them to learn," Judson Palmer said. "One incentive he had was to give a buffalo nickel to the winner of each week’s spelling contest. That was quite a bit of money back then."
Joe Palmer’s incentives worked well, because some of his students that year advanced from first to fourth grade in a single year.
But Joe knew he needed to finish his education, so he left for LMU again after just one year of teaching.
He attended LMU year-round, including summers, and continued to work when not in class to pay his way through.
He graduated from LMU in 1930, and taught in Union County for 12 years. There, he met his wife, who was a fellow teacher. By 1941, Joe Palmer was principal of Maynardville High School.
Judson Palmer said his father preferred teaching over supervising as a principal. Thus, he left Maynardville High to become principal of Third Creek Elementary for one year, which would then gain him his wish of teaching math at Central High School.
"He’d rather teach than do just about anything," Judson Palmer said.
Joe Palmer’s teaching days didn’t last too long, because in 1949 the late Maynard Wilson, a school board member, encouraged Joe Palmer to become principal of Halls High School.
Judson Palmer said "it took some talking to get him to quit teaching again."
Joe Palmer served as principal of Halls High from 1949-59.
But the calling of teaching beckoned Joe Palmer from the office of principal once more.
He went back to Central High School and taught Algebra II until he retired in 1974. Following retirement, he continued to tutor struggling math students.
"It gave him a lot of pride to see his students improve and excel," Judson Palmer said.
Joe Palmer was also a developer. He developed Palmer Hills subdivision in Halls and made several other land transactions.
Palmer’s other enjoyment in life was running beagles. Judson Palmer said his father almost always had 20 to 25 beagles that he trained for field trials. He took the dogs to compete in trials across the region and has trophies as proof of his skill.
He was cofounder of the Smoky Mountain Beagle Club and a member of the Atomic Beagle Club.
"It was his outlet in life," Judson said.
Joe Palmer was a member of Rockydale Primitive Baptist Church and was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Leola Hill Palmer. Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Palmer Pace; sons and daughters-in-law, Judson E. and Betty Palmer, Bob and Mary Ann Palmer, all of Halls; grandchildren and spouses, Warren and Edwena Palmer, Wesley and Kelly Palmer, Melissa Palmer Trent and Tom Trent, Tony Palmer, Scot Palmer; great-grandchildren, Jordan Trent, Logan Trent, Andrew Palmer, Paul Palmer and Sydney Palmer.– Stan Mitchell
Sallie O. "Lee" Boling, 80, of Knoxville, died Jan. 10 at Sunbridge Nursing Home. Survivors: son, Walter Russell and wife, Janie, T.C. Russell and wife, Diane; daughter, Earlene Hines and husband, Bill, Shirley Keck and husband, Carl; grandchildren. Mynatt’s.
Billy Cordy, 36, of Knoxville, died Jan. 2. Survivors: wife, Tina Cordy; daughters, Heather Cordy, Lauren Howard; son, Eric Cordy; grandson, Matthew Thurman; mother, Mildred Cordy; sisters, Patricia Dinwiddie, Beverly Payne; brother, Vernon Cordy, all of Knoxville. Mynatt’s.
Dorothy Hutchison Gose, 82, of Knoxville, died Jan. 2 at her home. She was a member of Lincoln Park Baptist Church for more than 50 years. Survivors: husband of 63 years, Jesse Gose; son, Gene Gose; daughter and son-in-law, Janet and Stan Reynolds; brother, Cam Hutchison; sister-in-law, Bessie Doyle; grandchildren. Stevens Mortuary.
Leroy "Roy" Hart, 83, of Dandridge, died Jan. 3 at the Life Care Center of Jefferson City. He was a lifelong member of Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Dandridge where he served as deacon and elder. He was a 50-year member of Brazelton Lodge No. 190 F&AM and the Martha Dandridge Chapter No. 432 Order of the Eastern Star, and was a retired skilled carpenter. Survivors: wife of 62 years, Maye Wilson Hart; daughter, Carolyn Hart; son and daughter-in-law, Dwight and Linda Lakin Hart of Halls. Farrar Funeral Home.
Hazel A. Hickey, 82, of Knoxville, died Jan. 9 at Fort Sanders. She was preceded in death by her husband, Ben Hickey. Survivors: daughter, Wilma Cogdill and husband, Ray; son, Benny Hickey and wife, Pat; grandchildren. Mynatt’s.
Winnie R. Hill, 91, of Powell, died Jan. 2 at her home. Member of Dante Church of God. preceded in death by husband, Albert "Buck" Hill. Survivors: sister, Mary Jane Webb; brother, John Ed Robinette; nephews and nieces. Mynatt’s.
Sue G. Hollingsworth, 88, of Knoxville, died Jan. 4 at her home. She was a member of the Arlington Baptist Church and was a retired postal clerk. preceded in death by her husband, A.V. Hollingsworth. Survivors: niece, Katherine Abelson of Chattanooga; devoted friend and caregiver, Johnnie Vickers of Knoxville. Rose Mortuary.
James Harold Householder, 82, of Maryville, died Jan. 4 at Blount Memorial Hospital. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in World War II and was the owner and operator of Foy’s Roofing Company for many years. He was a member of Knob Creek Baptist Church. Survivors: wife of 61 years, Mildred Householder; sisters, Marjorie Brewer and Lois Hickman; sisters-in-law, Helen, Neva and Dottie Householder; nieces and nephews. Smith Mortuary.
Flossie Evans Hurst, 92, of Tazewell, died Jan. 4 at Laurel Manor Nursing Home. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clay Hurst. Survivors: daughters and sons-in-law, Jackie and Steve Beeler of Knoxville, Ruby and Tom Dalton of Tazewell, Wanda and Doyle Inkebarger of Corryton; grandchildren. Coffey Funeral Home.
Mable Brown Matson, 80, of Albuquerque, N.M., formerly of Knoxville, died Jan. 8. She is survived by her husband, Ellis Matson; son, Keith Matson; daughter, Kathleen Matson; sisters, Mary Brown, Clover Wood, Kathleen Davis; brother, Jim Brown, all of Knoxville. Mynatt’s.
Frances Buckner Savage, 74, of Dayton, Ohio, died Jan. 9 at her home. She was born in Luttrell. Survivors: daughters, Christine Barnette, Marcella Shartie; grandchildren; brother, Junior Buckner; sister, Minnie Savage, both of Luttrell. Cooke Mortuary.
Marie Hollingsworth Stork, 88, of Fountain City died Jan. 8 at Hillcrest North. She was a member of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City, Fountain City Art Guild and East Tennessee Miniature Society. She is survived by a daughter, Charlotte Stork West; and grandchildren. Gentry-Griffey Chapel.
Helen Gray Troutt, 83, of Knoxville, died Jan. 9. She was a lifelong member of Central Baptist Church of Fountain City and the Grace Sunday School class. She was retired from Standard Knitting Mills. preceded in death by husband, Len B. Troutt. Survivors: daughter, Barbara Cook; son, Robert Gray; grandchildren; sisters, Mary Davis, Pauline Webb; brother, Hubert Percival. Gentry-Griffey Chapel.
Jerry Ronald Tudor, 56, of Clinton, died Jan. 4 at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge. He was a Baptist and was retired from Lockheed Martin at the Y-12 plant. He was an advocate for Energy Employee Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act, and was a member of the Tennessee National Guard. Survivors: wife, Ruby Holder Tudor; son, David Allen Tudor and wife, Teresa; grandchildren. Holley-Gamble Funeral Home.
