Obituaries

July 17, 2021

Johnny Ray Smith, age 72, passed away on Saturday, July 17, 2021 at NHC of Murfreesboro. He was a carpenter. He enjoyed watching Nascar races and was the biggest fan of Dale Earnhardt. He was a member of Lighthouse Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam and Johnnie Smith; wife, Linda Smith; brothers,...

July 17, 2021

Gloria Beasley O'Brien, age 95 of Murfreesboro, TN passed away on July 17, 2021. She was born in Murfreesboro, TN to the late Alton and Maibelle Beasley. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by the father of her children, John T. O'Brien.

Mrs. O'Brien is survived by her sons, Larry, Danny, and Tommy...

July 16, 2021

Vernon "Keith" Back (Pappaw), age 68 of Murfreesboro, TN passed away in his sleep on July 16, 2021. He was born in Ashland, KY in 1952 to the late Vernon R. Back and surviving mother, Florence Back. He is also survived by his wife of almost 50 years, Pam Henry Back, and their daughter Ashley Moses (Kenneth) of Christiana,...

July 16, 2021

Mrs. Joyce McCracken Denson Eisenmann, age 92, of Murfreesboro, TN died Friday, July 16, 2021 in Spring Hill, TN. A native of Giles County, TN, she was the daughter of the late Luther Harris and Bernadine Thesing McCracken. Mrs. Eisenmann was a member of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church and retired from Middle Tennessee State University as a...

July 14, 2021

Trisha Marie Frank, age 35, passed away Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at her home in Madison, Tennessee. She was the daughter of the late Donna Marie Glover.

She is survived by her husband, Scott Frank; children, Alexis Johnston, Mya Frank, Scott Frank, Jr.; father, Tom Glover; brothers, Trever Glover and his wife Michelle, Troy Glover; sister, Rachel...

July 13, 2021

Dr. Norris Lynn Newton, Sr., age 90 of Murfreesboro, TN passed away on July 13, 2021. He was born in Ada, OK to the late William "Dick" Newton and Laura Cozort Newton. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his wife, Rosa Mae Ihle Newton; and son, Norris Lynn Newton, Jr., M.D. He is survived...

July 12, 2021

Mrs. Mildred Martin Hazlewood, age 93, of Murfreesboro, TN went to be with the Lord Monday, July 12, 2021. She was born in Nashville, TN to the late Charles T. and Nelle Dowell Martin. Mrs. Hazlewood was a 1946 graduate of East High School in Nashville and attended the University of Tennessee. She was an accountant and bookkeeper until...

July 11, 2021

Kellena Alley "Doros" Mosley, born February 6, 1931, and past from this life July 11, 2021. She was preceded in death by parents, Horace K. Alley and Lena Mae Hammers Alley, by her husband of 62 Years Robert R. Mosley, Sr; children, Andrew Lloyd, Arthur Michael, and Judith Anita.

Mrs. Mosley is survived by three sons, Ray...

July 11, 2021

Jane Faye Johnson Hill , of Murfreesboro, TN, passed away Sunday, July 11, 2021. A native of Rutherford County, she was the daughter of the Woodrow Jasper Johnson and Mary Estelle Adcock Johnson Delbridge. Mrs. Hill was also preceded in death by a son, Kimmy Lynn Carpenter and a grandson, Michael Shane Carpenter.

Mrs. Hill...

July 8, 2021

Jack C. Crumpton Sr. age 89, of Smyrna, Tennessee, passed peacefully on Thursday, July 8, 2021.

A Memorial Mass will be Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Luke Catholic Church. Rev. Phillip A. Halladay will officiate. Entombment will be at 1:00 p.m. in Calvary Cemetery with military honors.

He is survived by...

July 8, 2021

Murfreesboro native and resident Mike Lorance, age 89, passed away Thursday, July 8 at Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital.

Lorance was a heralded newspaper and television outdoors reporter, columnist and personality, including 35 years as outdoors columnist for The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, retiring from that position in 2015. Upon his retirement, he was honored by...

July 8, 2021

Juan Antonio Rosales-Del Pilar, age 48 of Murfreesboro, TN passed away on Thursday, July 8, 2021.

A memorial gathering for friends and family will be held on Tuesday, July 13, 2021 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Woodfin Memorial Chapel.

July 8, 2021

Martha "Jean" Gooch Spann was born in 1944 in Tiptonville, TN to Thelma Ruth and Alvin Gooch.  She was raised in a large Reelfoot Lake family and, although she moved to Nashville in 1962 after graduating high school, the Lake and her family remained part of her heart and soul.

Shortly after her move, Jean met and...

July 6, 2021

With his beloved family by his side, James (Jim) Kenneth Wilson, age 74 of Smyrna, TN, passed from their loving care into the arms of Jesus on July 6, 2021.  He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather.  He is the son of the late Kenneth and Mary Bryant Wilson of Collinwood, TN.

Jim is...

July 6, 2021

Mary Frances Merritt, age 83, passed away Tuesday, July 6, 2021. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jesse James Merritt, II; and daughter, Delores Cubbage.

She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Bajcar and her husband Wayne; son, Jesse James Merritt, III and his wife Alice; grandchildren, Matthew Bajcar, April Bajcar-Coursey, Jason Merritt, Jeremy...

July 6, 2021

Liz Luciano Robinson, age 59 of Beechgrove, Tennessee, died Tuesday, July 6, 2021 following a lengthy illness. She was a native of Quantico, Virginia, raised in Miami, and was the daughter of the late Francisco and Orfa Luciano, Sr. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her mother-in-law, Brenda Kaye Robinson.

Survivors include...

July 4, 2021

Michael "Mike" Gasser, age 67, of Murfreesboro, TN, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 4, 2021.  Mike was a native of Nashville, TN.  He was preceded in death by his parents, George Louie Gasser Jr. and Virginia Constance Miller Gasser, and his sister, Gail Kleiger.

A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, July 10,...

July 4, 2021

Mr. Willis S. "Pete" White, Jr., age 94, of Columbus, OH passed away Sunday, July 4, 2021 in Murfreesboro, TN. He was born in Chesapeake, VA to the late Willis S. White, Sr. and Carrie Culpepper White. Mr. White proudly served his country in the United States Navy during World War II. He then graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute...

July 3, 2021

John Franklin Brown of Murfreesboro, TN passed away July 3, 2021, after a valiant battle with cancer. He was 71 years old. "Papa JB," as he was known to many, was a loving and devoted husband, father, brother, and friend.

Born November 3, 1949, in Independence, MO, John graduated from Truman High School in 1968 and began...

July 3, 2021

Evelyn Knight Martin, age 79 of Lascassas, died Saturday July 3, 2021, at her home.

She was born April 27, 1942, in Nashville, TN and was the daughter of the late Elzie Clifford Knight and Marie Cothron Knight.

She was a member of Lascassas Baptist Church and a 50-year member of the Eastern Star. She...