Wiley Charlton Church

Wiley married Ellen Catharine Bunton on 24 Jul 1908 in Carter County, , , Tennessee. Ellen (daughter of Ulysses Grant (Doll) Bunton and Martha Caroline (Mattie) Hatley) was born about 1888 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died on 21 Aug 1966 in , Avery County, North Carolina, ; was buried in Happy Valley Memorial Park, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Gordie married Christine Mary Birchfield about 1946. Christine (daughter of William Grant Birchfield and Bertha Irick) was born on 24 Oct 1920 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died on 25 May 2004 in Unicoi County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Walnut Mountain Cemetery, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mr. Church was a native of Carter County and had lived in Unicoi County since 11936. He was a son of the late Iley C. "W.C." and Ellen Catharine Bunton Church.
He was a Clinchfield Railroad inspector before retiring in 1975 after 52 years of service.

He was a member of the Buffalo Valley Christian Church and a member of the Unicoi Masonic Lodge No. 681 F&AM.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, June Ellen Potter Church; two brothers, Luther Church and Gordie Church; and one sister, Della Church Arney.

Survivors include his wife, Addie McGuire Church; two sons, David D. and David H. Church; one daughter, Blanca Church Miller.
Source- The Erwin Record, January 14, 1998

Howard married June Ellen Potter on 31 Aug 1930 in Carter County, , , Tennessee. June (daughter of Peter Hamilton "Ham" Potter and Zady Ann Andrews) was born on 20 May 1909 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died in Jul 1984 in Washintgon County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Roselawn Memorial Park, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Howard married Addie Mae McGuire about 1985. Addie (daughter of Henry Jacob McGuire and Della Jane Walsh) was born on 21 Sep 1907 in , Watauga County, North Carolina, North Carolina; died on 12 Mar 1998 in , Avery County, North Carolina, ; was buried in Beech Mountain Baptist Church Cemetery, , Avery County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Luther married Myrtle Hardin about 1934 in , Avery County, North Carolina, . Myrtle was born on 28 Dec 1915 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died on 22 Jan 2006 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Hardin Cemetery, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Della married Earnest Earl Arney about 1934 in Johnson County, , , Tennessee. Earnest (son of James David Arney and Alice Dugger) was born on 26 Jan 1911 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died on 29 Jun 1994 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Happy Valley Memorial Park, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Nell (Net) Church, formerly of Treadway Street in Elizabethton, died at the John Reed Home in Limestone on February 19, 2007. Nell was the sixth child of Eldran Catherine Bunton Church and Wiley Charlton Church of the Poga Community in Carter County, Tennessee. Nell wanted it known that she was delivered by Aunt Ann Trivette, a midwife, for twenty-five cents on a cold day, December 10, 1920; but that she had tried to warm the hearts of all she knew, and that she tried to make her life count and be worth all she could. She worked at the local rayon plants for forty years and two of those years she kept her aged parents in the home, made a garden and mowed the yard, canned garden products and kept up the home on Treadway Street. Claiming kin to everyone she could brought great joy to Nell Church; in truth, she probably was blood kin to half of Carter County before the TVA brought new blood. She was descended from about fifty lines from NC and TN, among which were the Buntons, Duggers, Greenes, Hatleys, Harmons, McBrides, Trivettes and Church families. Though Nell never married, she leaves twenty-two nieces and nephews, many great-nieces and nephews and thousands of cousins. Nell was preceded in death by brothers and sisters: Howard, Stella, Luther, Della, Gordie, Doris and Ray. Only Chester Allen of the home place in Poga survives. Funeral service for Nell (Net) Church will be conducted from Hathaway-Percy Funeral Home on Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 11:00 A.M. with burial to follow in Happy Valley Memorial Park near her parents and sisters. Friends may call at the funeral home Wednesday, February 21, from 8:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. and on Thursday, February 22, from 8:00 A.M. until the service. Cousin Martha Query will give the family memorial, Rev. Jim Hawk, pastor of Doe River Baptist Church will conduct the funeral service and music will be provided by the Beech Mountain Baptist Church Singers. Organ music will be provided throughout the service. Honorary pallbearers will be the members of Doe River Baptist Church.

Notes:

MARYVILLE — Doris Church Campbell, 81, of Maryville,
passed away at Blount Memorial Hospital due to
complications of pneummonia. She was a beloved wife, mother sister and grandmother who went to be with the
Lord on Friday, March 4, 2005. Mrs. Campbell retired
from Levi Strauss in 1989, then volunteered as a Vitra
Tax Preparer and also tutored in an adult literarcy program.
Mrs. Campbell was preceded in death by her husband, Carroll R. Campbell; a son, Carroll Ray Campbell, her
father and mother, Wiley C and Ellen B Church; three
brothers, Howard, Gordie and Luther; two sisters, Stella
Church and Della Arney; and two cousins, Asa and Dwight
Bunton.
Survivors include a son and a daughter-in-law, Lynn and Vickie Campbell, Maryville; a daughter and son-in-law,
Sharon and Terry Patton, Knoxville; a daughter, Denise Valentine, Maryville; grandchildren and their spouses, Emily Valentine, Shawn Campbell, Nathan Patton, and his wife Kaylon, Daniel Patton, Kendra Patton, Dwight Campbell and his wife Wendy, Adam Campbell and Amanda Campbell, a
great-granddaughter, Maggie Leigh Campbell "bright-eyes"; a sister, Nell Church, Elizabethton; two brothers and
sisters-in-law, Ray and Mary Church, Maryville, Allen and Margery Church, Butler; a cousin, Martha B. Query, Unicoi; two sisters-in-laws, Myrtle Church, Erwin, and Norma Campbell, Cleveland, Ohio; three brothers and sister-in-law, Jack & Normal Campbell, Butler, Joe and Marge Campbell, Hampton, Jim and Mary Campbell, Butler and special friends, Donna Standridge and Lisa Reynolds "Floch".

Funeral services for Mrs. Campbell will be conducted at 4
p.m. Sunday, March 6, at Miller Funeral Home, Magnolia
Chapel, with Rev. Tommy Patterson officiating.

Dorris married Carroll Reese Campbell about 1945. Carroll (son of John Frank Campbell and Rosa Caroline Ward) was born on 28 Dec 1921 in Carter County Cemetery, , Carter County, Tennessee; died on 2 Jan 1983 in Blount County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Happy Valley Memorial Park, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

U. Raymond "Ray" Church, 81, 324 H. Heaton Road, Elizabethton, died
Thursday, October 12, 2006, in the Veterans Hospital, Asheville, North
Carolina, after an extended illness.

A native, of Avery County, N.C., he was a son of the late Wiley Charlton &
Ellen Kathrine Bunton Church. Mr. Church had lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for
42 years before returning to Elizabethton in 2002. He was a retired Salesman.
Mr. Church served in the United States Navy during World War II and the United
States Air Force during the Korean Conflict.

He was preceded in death by three sisters: Della Arney, Dorothy Campbell
and Stella Church; and by three brothers: Luther, Howard and Gordie Church.
His hobbies were playing the guitar and writing poetry. He was a member of the
Beech Mountain Baptist Church.

Survivors include Four Daughters & Two Sons-in-law, Janet and Paul Grewe,
Tavernier, Fla., Carolyn and Rick Koole, Hudsonville, Mich., Jennifer K.
Church and Courtney Church, both of Kalamazoo, Mich.; one brother and sister-
in-law, Allen and Margie Church, Butler; one sister, Nell Church,
Elizabethton; 10 grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be conducted at 4 p.m. Sunday in Memorial Funeral
Chapel, with Pastor Rick Koole and Pastor Dennis Church officiating. Graveside
service and interment will be at 11 a.m. Monday in the National Cemetery,
Mountain Home. Music will be provided by his niece, Denise Valentine, and
nephew, Dwight Campbell. Military honors and pallbearers will be provided by
the Tennessee National Guard. Honorary pallbearers will be his grandchildren.

Notes:

Allen Chester Church, 90, of the Poga Community in Butler, Tenn., went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center. Allen was born in Avery County, N.C., to the late Wiley and Ellen Bunton Church. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one son, Randy Church; one daughter, Carol Church; four brothers, Howard Church, Gordie Church, Luther Church and Ray Church; and four sisters, Nell Church, Della Church Arney, Dot Church Campbell and Stella Church.
Allen was a kind, humble and loving man, always ready with a friendly smile and a kind word for everyone he met Allen was many things to many people — a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. A gentleman whose presence will be missed tremendously by his community.
Allen retired as a Carter County school bus driver, where for many years he "adopted children and their families" throughout the Poga, Elk Mills and Little Milligan area. He, along with his beloved wife Margery, also worked and farmed the land where they lived. Allen was a devout member of Beech Mountain Baptist Church where he served as a Deacon and was the church clerk for many years. As most did in the community, Allen developed a love for fishing and hiking in his beautiful mountains and in later years, he enjoyed puzzle books.
Those left to cherish Allen's many wonderful memories include his devoted and loving wife, Margery Stout Church, of the home; his son, Michael Church of Johnson City, Tenn.; his daughter, Sherry Church Lewis of Wilmington, N.C.; four grandchildren, Stephanie Lewis, Miranda Lewis Wulf and husband Shawn, India Lewis and Chase Lewis, all of Wilmington, N.C.; two great-grandchildren; two brothers-in-law, William Stout Jr. of Butler, Tenn., and Don Stout of Florida; and one sister-in-law, Dorothy Stout of Florida. Several nieces, nephews and a multitude of friends and neighbors also survive.
A visitation to remember Allen will be conducted from 3 until 5 p.m. Sunday, August 18, in the Chapel of Tetrick Funeral Home, Elizabethton. A graveside service to honor the life of Allen Chester Church will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, August 19, in the Mountain Home National Cemetery with Pastor Dennis Church officiating. Active pallbearers will be members of the Honor Guard and family and friends. Honorary pallbearers will be Evan Plummer and Gary Guy.


A Life Lived: Allen Church was a favorite school bus driver of Little Milligan students

By Rozella Hardin
Published 8:26 am Wednesday, August 28, 2019

We all are blank slates when we arrive on this earth. It's what we do in our lifetime that counts.

Allen C. Church's roots were in the Poga Community, where he spent his entire life except for two years that he served in the U.S. Navy during the 1950s. Allen died August 14 at the age of 90.

He was a farmer and school bus driver. That's how he made his living, but there was much more to the man than his life's work. Almost everyone who came in contact with Allen Church came away with the same thoughts — humble, kind, gentle, and long-suffering. Yes, Allen Church possessed all these traits and much more.

For 30 years or more, Allen drove a school bus for the Carter County School System in the Poga, Elk Mills and Little Milligan Communities. He delivered school children to and from Little Milligan School and Hampton High School. His wife, Margery, worked as an aide for many years at Little Milligan School. "They were both salt-of-the-earth people, just good Godly people, who were good not only to the kids, but everyone they came in contact with," said J.R. Campbell, Principal at Little Milligan Elementary School.

"In all the years that I knew him, when I was a student and later as an educator, I never knew Mr. Church to raise his voice. He was very mild-mannered. The kids respected him, and he did a great service to our school and was a credit to our community," Campbell added.

Church lived on the Tennessee-North Carolina line in Poga at his family's homeplace. He was the youngest of nine children and the last surviving one. He and Margery had four children, two of whom died as infants. A son, Michael, lives in Johnson City, and a daughter, Sherry, in Wilmington, N.C.

At the time of his death, Allen and Margery had been married 66 years. She, too, is 90 years old. According to Michael, his father was taking care of his parents, both of whom had health problems, when he went to Margery's home to inquire if she would come and help with his mother, who had suffered a stroke. Margery agreed to do so, and after a two-year courtship, she agreed to become Allen's wife.

"My dad loved to farm. For many years he raised tobacco as well as beans for the bean market in Mountain City. He also grew a vegetable garden and enjoyed hunting ginseng. In his spare time he liked to hunt and fish and in later years went on hiking trips with Michael."

His pastor, Dennis Church at Beech Mountain Baptist Church, recalls Allen prided himself on growing vegetables, especially tomatoes. "He always grew some big tomatoes," said Pastor Church.

"Allen was an A-1 person. He was faithful to the church, and had served as both a deacon and church clerk. The church was an important part of Allen's life. As a Christian, deacon, school bus driver, Allen Church impacted a lot of lives. He was among the kindest and most giving people I've ever known and I was proud to have him as a friend and to have been his pastor," said the preacher.

Many residents of the Little Milligan Community, who rode Church's school bus, became life-long friends with him. "He was a mentor to many of the students," said the secretary at Little Milligan School.

In addition to farming and driving a school bus, Allen was also a good handyman. His son recalls that Allen was an apprentice electrician and helped wire many of the homes in the Poga area when electricity came to the area. "He could learn and do about anything," said Michael.

"He was a good daddy to me and my sister. What I remember about him was his patience, the hard worker that he was, and his kindness and love. He taught us what was right and encouraged us to work at what suited us. He was good to my mother and to everyone he came in contact with. I never ever seen him lose his temper," said Michael.

Allen Church lived right on the state line. "I'm just glad he wasn't born a few feet over in North Carolina. We could not have called him our own," said Campbell.

Allen Church's slate may have been empty when he came into this world, but he had packed a lot of living in his 90 years, and when he died, his slate was full of accounts of good deeds and kind words attributed to him by former students, neighbors, and friends.

"He showed us how to live," said Pastor Dennis Church.

Allen married Margery Gladys Stout on 25 Dec 1952 in , Carter County, Tennessee, . Margery (daughter of William Haskell Stout and Lona Marie Andes) was born about 1929 in , , Tennessee, ; died on 14 Feb 2023 in , Carter County, Tennessee, ; was buried in Mountain Home Veterans Hospital, Washington County, Tennessee, . [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

ELIZABETHTON - Don Steve Church, 72, of Elizabethton, TN passed away Saturday, July 2, 2022 in the Hillview Health Center. He was a son of Gordie and Christine Birchfield Church

In addition to his parents, he was proceeded in death by a sister, Patricia “Patye” Church Heaton in May, 2021.

Don was generous with wit and humor, spinning tales often shading the truth for the sake of sharing a good story. His laughter was always loud and hearty. He was kind and enjoyed his own company apart from the time spent with a very few dear friends and family. He was single and had no children. His dearest friends were his brother Chris Church and cousin Ronnie Heaton and friend Joey Jackson (deceased). He was a man who had talents he rarely made known in his later years such as his creativity in drawing, singing, and playing guitar. He was a shark at billiards. He was a carpenter, a trained welder and worked all over America as a millwright. Don was a shade tree mechanic who preferred older used vehicles to new ones. He enjoyed watching westerns and comedies. He took pride in the house and property he had owned on Sims Hill Road which had belonged to his beloved aunt and uncle, Lorna and Coy Heaton, and where he spent a great deal of his childhood. He lived a life of simplicity and loved it, though it was difficult at times. He suffered a stroke in July, 2021 that left him unable to speak but through hard work he regain his ability to walk and even lived on his own a short time. He fought valiantly. His strongest desire was to go home and now he is.

He leaves his brother, Chris Church, Elizabethton; a sister, Teresa Church West; brother in law, Greg Heaton, Elizabethton; special cousins, Ronnie Heaton (Lisa), Elizabethton, Wanda Heaton McCoury (Lee), Roan Mountain, and Randy Heaton (Gail), Missoula, MT.; nieces Jaime Heaton Norris, Janalan Heaton Setlock (Duane), Megan Heaton, and Kristen Heaton Johnson (Chris), all of Elizabethton; nephews Stephen Heaton and Gregory “Seth” Heaton, both of Elizabethton; and several grandnieces, grandnephews and greatgrands; two friends, Tony Greene and Don Powers, both of Elizabethton.

Graveside Service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 7, 2022 in the Walnut Mountain Cemetery. Pallbearers will be selected from family and friends.

Notes:

Buried:
ELIZABETHTON - Patye Church Heaton, age 64, of Elizabethton, Tennessee was called home on Tuesday, May 11, 2021 from the Johnson City Medical Center. Patye was born in Carter County to the late Gordie and Christine Birchfield Church.

Patye had a long career in nursing, first working in Sycamore Shoals Birthing Center for 10 years, then Johnson City OBGYN, Medial Care of Elizabethton and retired from the Carter County Health Department. She was a lifelong member of Valley Forge Christian Church. Patye enjoyed reading, family time, beach trips and woodworking.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 36 years, Greg Heaton, of the home; six children: Jaime Norris, Stephen Heaton (Christina), Jan Setlock (Duane), Kristen Heaton (Chris Johnson), Gregory Sethpatrick Heaton, all of Elizabethton and Megan Heaton, of Jonesborough; fourteen grandchildren: Noah Norris, Joel Doebbler, Toby Heaton, Julie West, Becky Heaton, Madison Setlock, Bella Setlock, Olivia Setlock, Grant Setlock, Rilye Johnson, Charlotte Johnson, Emma Johnson, Perseus York and Titus York; one great grandhchild, Liam West; one sister, Teresa West, of Elizabethton; and two brothers, Chris Church and Don Church, both of Elizabethton. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

A graveside service to celebrate the life of Patye Church Heaton will be conducted at 10:00 AM on Saturday, May 15, 2021 in the Walnut Mountain Cemetery, Roan Mountain. The family will provide the eulogy.

Patricia married Living [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

JONESBOROUGH — Buckley D. Church, age 80, 467 Highway 107, Jonesborough, passed away on Saturday, December 5, 2015, at his residence.

He was a Carter County native but lived most of his life in Jonesborough.

He was a son of the late Howard and June Potter Church. Mr. Church was a United States Army veteran.

He was co-owner of Jones and Church Farms. Mr. Church attended Seviers Methodist Church.

He was a member of the Unicoi Masonic Lodge #681 F&AM and Jericho Shrine Temple.

Other than his parents he was preceded in death by his brother, David Church.

He leaves behind to cherish his memories two sons, Michael Church and wife, Rosaelia, Gregory Church and wife, Amy all of Unicoi; one step- daughter, Candy Coffee, Jonesborough; one adopted daughter, Carmen Coffee, Jonesborough; one sister, Blanquita Miller, Unicoi; five grandchildren: Samuel Church, Carina Church, Joshua Church, Lacy Church and Caleb Church. Several nieces and nephews also survive.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, from 6:00 PM until the hour of service at the Unicoi Funeral Home Chapel. Reverend Rance Edwards will officiate at the 8:00 PM funeral service. Music will be provided by Inez Chandler.

Carl Jones, Roy Miller, Estil Ingram, Bryon Wiggand, Andres Carmona, Adeliado Ramirez, Jesus Saldana and Enrique Ponce will be serving as active pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Anderson, Gene Treadway, George Lowe, Ira Jones and Sherman Dulaney.

Committal service will be held on Wednesday, December 9, 2015, at 10:00 AM from the Roselawn Memory Gardens.

Those wishing to attend please assemble at the Unicoi Funeral Home by 9:30 AM on Wednesday to go in procession to the cemetery.

Norma married James Alvin Kyte about 1955. James was born on 21 May 1934 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; died on 7 Nov 2016 in Carter County, , , Tennessee; was buried in Happy Valley Memorial Park, , Carter County, Tennessee. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]