John Malachi "Mal" Estep

John married Zora Bell Church on 7 Jan 1913 in , Avery County, North Carolina, . Zora (daughter of John Russell Church and Martha Cook) was born on 18 Jun 1895 in , Watauga County, North Carolina, North Carolina; died on 25 Nov 1981 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Mottern Cemetery, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gurney married Ruby Harmon about 1934. Ruby (daughter of Virgil Kinzy Harmon and Minnie Isabell Stout) was born on 28 Apr 1919 in , Carter County, Tennessee, ; died on 14 Jun 1978 in Johnson County, , , Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Eula married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Mary married James H. Hickman on 4 Jun 1948 in , Washington County, Tennessee, . James was born on 25 Mar 1925 in , Hawkins County, Tennessee, ; died on 18 Jun 1922 in , Lenawee County, Michigan, . [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Len Rex Estep, 69, 1775 Highway 91, Elizabethton, died Tuesday, December 19, 2000, at Sycamore Shoals Hospital.
Mr. Estep was a native of Avery County, N.C., and a son of the late John Mal and Zora Church Estep. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Estep, and a daughter, Sue Solomon.
Mr. Estep was a former employee of Tri-State Container. He had lived in Detroit, Mich., for a number of years and retired from West-Vaco Container in Detroit. He returned to Elizabethton four months ago. He was of the Baptist faith.
Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Terry and Anna Estep, Elizabethton; two daughters, Sandra Bates and Peggy Comacho, both of Detroit, Mich.; two brothers, Raymond Estep, Elizabethton, and Gurney Estep, Tipton, Mich.; and two sisters, Pat Patterson and Betty Jo Ketchem, both of Elizabethton. Ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren also survive.
Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

ESTEP -- Funeral services for Len Rex Estep, 69, 1775 Highway 91, Elizabethton, who died Tuesday, December 19, 2000, will be conducted at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, December 21, at Memorial Funeral Chapel with the Rev. James Chapman officiating. Graveside services and interment will be at 11 a.m. Friday, December 22, in the Ensor Cemetery. Active pallbearers, who are requested to assemble at the funeral home at 10:15 a.m. Friday, will be Mike Johnson, Bill Tester, Basil Blackburn, Allen Blevins, William McHone and Chad Blackburn.

Family/Spouse: Ruth Oliver. Ruth was born about 1936 in , Carter County, Tennessee, ; died before 2000 in , Carter County, Tennessee, . [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

On October 23, 2022, Terry Len Estep, 69, walked into the arms of Jesus. He was the son of the late Rex and Ruth Oliver Estep and was born in Carter County on February 15, 1953. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant son, Jonathan Estep; a sister, Sue Soloman; his precious “Aunt Ruby” Oliver in 2021 and his beloved black lab “Sarah” who he lost in January 2022.

Terry was a 1971 graduate of Unaka High School and was the former owner and mechanic of Milligan Auto Care. He was a member of Dungan Chapel Baptist Church.

Terry enjoyed cooking and made a great meatloaf and the best mashed potatoes. He loved spending time with his family, listening to Elvis and watching the leaves turn in the fall. Christmas was his favorite time of year – the more lights the better! Even his deer heads has Christmas hats. He loved collecting santas.

Those left to cherish his many memories include his wife of forty-four years, Anna Tester Estep; his children, Lora Hensley (Keith) of Johnson City; Travis Estep (Teina) Jonesborough; and Timothy Estep of the home; his grandchildren, Nikki Hyatt, Mitchell Hyatt, Slagle Shell, Tyler Estep, Thaddeus Estep, Thatcher Estep, Trentin Estep, Chasity Davis and Alexis Davis; two great-grandson’s, Michael and Carson; two sisters, Peggy Estep and Sandra Estep, father-in-law Bill Tester; mother-in-law, Carolyn Tester; sister and brother-in-law, Lynn Tester and Don Miller; a brother-in-law, Tommy Tester, former sister-in-law, Robin Brunner; special uncle and aunt-in-law, Allen and Dianna Blevins; special “nieces”, Amy Oliver and Libby Oliver Johnson (Jimmy) and “Papaw Terry” to Eli Johnson and several nieces, nephews and cousins.

A graveside service to honor Terry’s life will be conducted at 1:00 PM Thursday, October 27, 2022 at Ensor Cemetery with Doug Rasnick officiating. Active pallbearers will be Nikki, Mitchell, Slagle, Tyler, Thaddeus, Don Miller and Tommy Tester. Honorary pallbearers are Thatcher, Trentin, Bill Tester, Allen Blevins, Mike Johnson, Michael and Lane Sparks and Jake Fagan.