Monthly “First Friday” Luncheon

All you “out of towners” remember we meet the First Friday of each month at 12:15 at various locations in Kingsport. If you are making the drive and want to check out details call Jane Harris at 423-239-9477, Ben Harris at 423-239-0526 or Sondra Dotson Bridwell at 423-914-1005.  All classmates are most welcome.

First First Friday of 2025

Submitted by Jane Harris

We had a great First Friday today! Some newlyweds and some classmates we don't regularly see!

Joining us today were classmates Carol and Doug Killian who live down the road towards Rogersville and make it up for First Friday when they can. We were delighted to see them today.

Also joining us were Pat Dunkin (class of 61 and wife of our deceased '60 classmate Mickey Dunkin) and her husband of two weeks John Wayman also of the class of 61. Congratulations to Pat and John!

Other news of note - Ben Hunter was back today after recovering from triple bypass surgery. Glad to see he had successful surgery!

First first Friday of 2025! Click on picture to see larger image.

The regulars not here today were missed. We had a bit of snow, cold and windy, and several folks a bit under the weather.

Let's see if I can get the names right - sorry for not doing closeups today - the waiter took the photo for me.

Starting left front - Diana Aggett, Doug Killian, Ben Harris (standing), Carol Killian, Kathy Parham, and Jane Harris

Starting right front - Ben Hunter, John Wayman, Pat Wayman, Carolyn Williams, Art Williams (class 61), Margaret Ketron

Best regards to all and Happy New Year!!!!

Joan Glass Martin

Barbara Coughenour, Kathy Morse Parham, Sally Tyler Lehr, Joan Glass Martin, seated Georgia Duncan Koogler, Katherine Looney Jorgenson. Thanks Phil Jorgenson for taking this photo ... very nice!  Taken at our 50th Reunion in 2010.

Submitted by Ann Regen Myhre and Jane Harris

Ann Regen Myhre notified us that Joan Glass Martin died in the Atlanta area right before Christmas.

The memory of Joan Glass Martin of Marietta, Georgia, who passed away on December 19, 2024 at the age of 81, will forever remain in the hearts of those touched by this precious presence in their lives.

She was predeceased by: her parents, Carl Kinley Glass and Laura Ann Power Glass. She is survived by: her husband Jack McConnell Martin; her sons, David (Frieda), Andrew (Evangelina) and Daniel (Joy); her grandchildren, Sarah, David Jr., Anna, Nicholas, Matthew, Caleb, Joshua and Madison; and her great grandchildren, Judah and Bregan.

A celebration of life was held on Saturday, December 21st 2024 at 11:00 AM at the Carmichael Funeral Home (1130 Whitlock Ave SW, Marietta, GA 30064).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Joan's honor to Gideons International at http://www.gideons.org.

More Information

More details on Joan's life since graduating from DB is available at the Dignity Memorial web site at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/marietta-ga/joan-martin-12146477

Rest in peace, Joan.  We miss you.

Best regards to all, and Happy New Year!!

November 2024 First Friday Gathering

Our First  Friday numbers were down last week but we enjoyed visiting and had a nice lunch on a rainy Friday.  Attendees included Barbara Williams Coughenour, Kathy Morse Parham, Carolyn and Art Williams (Class of ’59), Ben and Jane Beck Harris, Margaret Ketron Colley, Sondra Dotson Bridwell, and Diana Woodard Agett.

Mrs. Stewart’s John Sevier Jr. High Class in 1954

Sondra Dotson Bridwell brought this photo to our November First Friday.  It is one of our 7th Grade classes at John Sevier Jr. High in 1954.  We think this was Mrs. Stewart’s homeroom. We got almost all the names when identifying our classmates but we had a few mysteries.  Maybe our other classmates will enjoy the memory and help with identifying the few missing names.


John Cate, Husband of Ellie Whitlow Cate

We are sorry to let you know that John Cate, Ellie Whitlow Cate's husband, passed away on August 6th.

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I have good memories of John from our undergraduate days in Knoxville and fortunately had an opportunity to chat with him and Ellie at our 75th reunion.  At that time, they were doing well and enjoying their lives in Brentwood, TN.  John was an interesting and gracious person, easy to like and chat with in a party situation.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ellie and their family.

For more information about John, here is a link to his obituary in the Times News.

https://www.timesnews.net/obituary/john-columbus-cate-iv/article_5e97ab25-a469-58bd-87bf-5ad873f94f23.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share

Best regards to all.

Special June 2024 First Friday Gathering

Submitted by Jane Harris

Summer is always a time when our attendance varies as folks are out of town traveling. Zollie Harrison Miles came from Columbia SC to enjoy First Friday with the regular Kingsport crew. We enjoyed catching up with Zollie and appreciated her efforts to visit.

I have had a few complaints that folks could not see faces with the group photos – so I walked around the table today and got small groups so hopefully you can put faces with names.  [Click on the images below to see a larger version.  - Bill]  Sorry I forgot at the end to include myself, but I was there!

If you are planning a visit to Kingsport or the area – come on a First Friday for lunch at 11:45 at Riverfront Seafood with your classmates.  We will meet next month on July 5th. If you don’t care for seafood there are other good choices – Ben Hunter had the hamburger today and said it was great.

 

Zollie Miles, Jim Gee

Phyllis Fugate, Margaret Ketron

Margret Ketron, Sondra Bridwell, Bill McConnell

Linda and Ray Robinson

Freda and Mert Dibble

Ben Hunter, Barbara Coughenour, Ben Harris

Sharron Fraysier

Sharron Diane Fraysier

Sharron Diane Fraysier

Submitted by Jane Harris

Sharron Diane Fraysier, 81, passed from this life to her Heavenly home on Thursday, May 30, 2024, after a courageous battle with COPD.

Sharron was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

She is preceded in death by her first husband, Jay D. Burchette; second husband, Robert M. Fraysier; her parents, Harry E. and Thelma June Cannoy; and her grandson, Jamison Housewright.

Those left to cherish Sharron's memory are her daughters, Karen Cassell (Michael), and Lisa Beverly (Scott Beckerink) all of Kingsport, TN; stepsons, Michael Fraysier (Debbie) of Harker Heights, TX and Todd Fraysier (Delores) of Bailey, NC; grandchildren, Jeremy Cassell (Megan) of Sebastian, FL, Leslie Mullins (Hunter) of Kingsport, TN, Deena Cornbloom (Eddie), Brye Richie (Todd), and Zion Fraysier all of Harker Heights, TX; Brandie Dodd (Josh) of Wake Forest, NC; Ashlee Jackson (Jonathan) of Knoxville, TN; Justin Beverly of New Orleans, LA; and Ethan Beverly of Kingsport, TN; and many great-grandchildren who loved her dearly.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Colonial Heights Baptist Church Meals On Wheels, 108 Colonial Heights Rd., Kingsport, TN 37663 or Shades of Grace United Methodist Church, 313 E. Sullivan St., Kingsport, TN 37660.

An Entombment Service will be held at a later date.

To share memories and condolences with the family, please visit www.oakhillfh .com

The care of Sharron Diane Fraysier and her family has been entrusted to the staff of Oak Hill Funeral & Cremation Services.

Published by The Kingsport Times-News on Jun. 1, 2024.

Hugh Lewis


We are sorry to interrupt your holiday weekend to let you know that Hugh passed away on May 9th in New Orleans.  Hugh spent his working career in naval architecture in Louisiana last working for Offshore Logistics designing crew boats and ships that served in various capacities globally.

Hugh and his wife Patia split their time between Lafayette and New Orleans enjoying weekends fishing, crabbing, camping and gardening.

We send our best wishes to Hugh's family.

Thomas Dean Gates

Dean passed away on April 4th. Thanks to Kathy Parham and Jane Harris for providing Dean's obituary.

Jim Kilgore

Jim passed away on March 11th, 2024.

He is survived by his wife of almost 62 years, Charlotte Jones Kilgore, daughter Jamie Kilgore Sachs, son-in-law David Sachs, grandchildren Olivia, Naomi, and Leo Sachs, and brothers Gene and Tom Kilgore.

He was born in Nickelsville, VA and was a 1960 graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School.  He served 6 years in the Virginia National Guard.  He went on to a 33-year career at Eastman Chemical Company followed by 10 years at BJ Motors in Pennington Gap, VA.  Jim was a Master Mason and Shriner for most of his adult life.  He loved his time coaching girls softball and was an avid fan of Gate City High School sports.  He was active in Crossroads Methodist Church.  Jim was a devoted father and grandfather and he loved to brag about his grandkids to anyone who would listen.

Jim's family asks that donations be made to Wounded Warrior Project instead of flowers and other gifts.

Judith Trent Denton

 

Judith Trent Denton, 81 of Blountville TN, Passed away on Sunday, February 18th 2024. She was born in Kingsport, TN on November 7th 1942, and was the daughter of the late Marshall and Bertha Austin Trent. She was a member of Sunny Side Baptist Church in Kingsport TN.Judith was a graduate of Tennessee Tech and Vanderbilt/Peabody College where she received her Master’s Degree in Education. She taught in Kingsport City Schools for a number of years and retired from the Sullivan County Department of Education. Judith was a teacher for over 30 years at Indian Springs Elementary School. She was also a member of the Sullivan County Retired Teachers Association.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Gloria Trent Cureton; son, Hereward Trent Denton.

She is survived by a son, Alaric Campbell Denton and his wife, Lori Holland Denton; grandchildren, Kayla, Cade, Cole Denton, and Chris Lowery; two great-grandchildren Layken Lowrey and Case Lowrey; two nieces, Judi Cureton and Melinda Davis; nephews, James, Denton, and Jeremy Sisk.

A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that any memorials be sent to the Back Pack Ministry at Cassidy United Methodist Church (which serves the children of Indian Springs Elementary School, where she taught for 30 years) at 5801 Memorial Blvd. Kingsport, TN 37664.

Carter-Trent Funeral Home in Kingsport is serving the Denton family.