Westport
John Ervin “Tennessee” Lee, 80, of Westport, died at 12:57 p.m. December 22, 2016, at Our Hospice of South Central Indiana Inpatient Facility.
John was born September 27, 1936, in Byrdstown, Tennessee, one of 14 children born to John Leslie and Sarah Ada Holt Lee. He married Stella Darlene Grapevine March 1, 1975.
He had worked at the Boot Factory and Holt Brothers Saw Mill, both in Tennessee, along with taking over his dad’s farm. John was previously employed at Anchor Hocking in Winchester and Frank’s Foundry in Muncie. He retired in 2000 from Golden Foundry in Columbus after 37 years of service.
He was a member of Alert United Methodist Church and was part of a singing ministry.
The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, December 27, 2016, at Alert United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Connie Barr officiating. Visitation will be from noon until service time Tuesday at the church. John will then be transported to Brown Funeral Chapel in Byrdstown, Tennessee, where visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service at noon Thursday, December 29. Burial will be at Amonett Cemetery, Pickett County, Tennessee.
Memorial donations can be made through Jewell-Rittman Family Funeral Home to a music scholarship in John’s name at South Decatur High School or to Our Hospice of South Central Indiana.
Survivors include his wife, Stella Darlene; sons, Wayne (Patty) Lee of Columbus, Robert Lynn Lee of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Kenneth (Maru) Lee of San Antonio, Texas, John Leslie (Stephanie) Lee of Westport and Jerry Dean (Serena) Lee of Greensburg; daughters, Anita Rose (Paul) West and Sheila Diane (Steve) Perkins, both of Grammer; sisters, Bertha Cross of Clark Range, Tennessee, Lena Mae Cross of Cookeville, Tennessee, and Ruby Grace (Dennis) McCammack of Camby, Indiana; 14 grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Harlan, Herschel, Howard, Herb and Gene Lee; and sisters, Kathleen Jennings, Nannie Flowers, Nellie Morrow, Mary Lammott and Ruth Thrasher.
You are invited to view his video tribute, light a virtual candle and send a message to the family via the internet.
