Obituaries
Martha Nell Ruehling
Mar 2, 2026
Martha Nell Ruehling, age 80 of Dayton, passed away at her home early on Monday, March 2, 2026. She was born in Cagle, Tennessee, on February 24, 1946, the daughter of the late Claymon and Olavene (Minton) McGinnis.
Martha has called Dayton home since 1978. A proud graduate of Red Bank High School's Class of 1964, she went on to excel...
Barbara Renee Griffin
Feb 26, 2026
Barbara Renee (Thorpe) Griffin, age 60 of Hixson, passed away on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at CHI Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. She was born in Lorain, Ohio on July 18, 1965, the daughter of the late Edgar J. Thorpe and Rose Marie (Sneed) Nelson.
Barbara has called Hixson home since 1974, dedicating her career to the healthcare industry as a nurse,...
Jo Deane Downing
Feb 25, 2026
Jo Deane Downing, age 81 of Dayton Mountain, passed away at Parkridge Medical Center on Wednesday, February 25, 2026. She was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, on June 10, 1944, the daughter of the late William Howard Thompson and Henrietta (Mitchell) Thompson.
Jo called Colorado home before relocating to Dayton in 2018. A devoted homemaker and high school graduate, she had...
Janice Kay Morgan
Feb 22, 2026
Janice Kay Morgan, age 78 of Murfreesboro and previously of Dayton, passed away on Sunday, February 22, 2026, at Franklin Wellness and Rehabilitation in Franklin, Tennessee. She was born in Dayton on July 11, 1947, the daughter of the late Warren Gardner Stuart and Edith Carolyn (Calbaugh) Matthew. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Michael Wayne Stuart.
Janice...
Pat Millard
Feb 20, 2026
Pat Millard, age 91 of Dayton, passed away at Hospice Care Center in Chattanooga on Friday, February 20, 2026. He was born on August 6, 1934, in Pikeville, the son of the late Laurence and Addie (Dotson) Millard. He was also preceded death by his wife of 59 years, Julie Millard.
Pat lived in Dayton all of his life, proudly served...
Carlene Leona Rathert
Feb 14, 2026
Carlene Leona Rathert, age 86 of Dayton, passed away at home on Saturday, February 15, 2026. She was born in Oklahoma on August 31, 1939, the daughter of the late Joseph and Leona (Rhodes) Haskins. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Richard Lee Rathert.
Carlene was a high school graduate and was formerly the owner and operator of...
Thomas Eugene "Tom" Way
Feb 13, 2026
Thomas Eugene “Tom” Way, age 78 of Dayton, passed away at his home on Friday, February 13, 2026. He was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, on April 18, 1947, the son of the late Harold and Muriel (Mitchell) Way. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Grace Way, and his daughter, Alicia Way.
A Dayton resident since 1980, Tom...
Shirley Ann Arnold
Feb 13, 2026
Shirley Ann Arnold, age 77 of Dayton, passed away at Small Town Senior Living at Deer Ridge on Friday, February 13, 2026. She was born in Rockwood on May 4, 1948, the daughter of the late T.A. and Lozenia (Tollett) Swafford. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Gus Kennedy; her second husband, Rev. Donald Ray Arnold;...
Helen Maxine Hicks
Feb 12, 2026
Helen Maxine Hicks, age 86 of Dayton Mountain, passed away at her home on Thursday, February 12, 2026. She was born in Dayton on March 20, 1939, the daughter of the late Willis and Nora (Williams) Montgomery. She was also preceded in death by her sisters, Almeda “Mickey” Davis and Mattie Jane Montgomery and her brothers, James Farris Montgomery, Murl...
Gwyn Guinn Jacobsen Housley
Feb 11, 2026
Gwendolyn “Gwyn” Guinn Jacobsen Housley, age 71 of Dayton, passed away at her home on Tuesday, February 11, 2026. She was born in Ocala, Florida, on December 9, 1954, the daughter of the late Roy and Thelma (Godwin) Guinn. She was also preceded in death by her husband, Pete Housley and her brother, Roy “Trent” Guinn, Jr.
Gwyn made Dayton her...
Jean Elizabeth Booth
Feb 10, 2026
Jean Elizabeth Booth, age 88 of Dayton, passed away on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, in Dayton. She was born on August 24, 1937, in Rockwood, the daughter of the late Thomas and Mary (Revis) Booth. She was also preceded by her brother, Bo Booth; her sisters, Brenda Gates and Bessie Cunningham; and her infant daughter, Ginger Benson.
An accomplished pianist and...
Connie Jean Thompson
Feb 10, 2026
Connie Jean Thompson, age 71 of Spring City, went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at her residence after a brief illness. She was born in Rockwood on March 29, 1954, the daughter of the late Charles Gordon Smith and Minnie (Pendergrass) Smith. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Jerry Gill;...
Sherry Marie Ewton
Feb 3, 2026
Sherry Marie Ewton, age 44 of Sale Creek, passed away on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at NHC Healthcare in Dunlap. She was born in Chattanooga on June 17, 1981, the daughter of James and Hazel (Williams) Ewton of Sale Creek.
A graduate of Sale Creek High School, Sherry spent most of her life in Sale Creek. She was employed at both...
Joe Frank Olds
Feb 2, 2026
Joe Frank Olds, age 83 of Dayton, passed away at Deer Ridge in Dayton on Monday, February 2, 2026. He was born in Bessimer, Alabama on July 31, 1942.
Joe spent three years at Tennessee State University before completing two years of nursing school. From 1961 to 1966, he served in the US Air Force as a cook. Following his parents'...
Frank Lee Hall
Jan 30, 2026
Frank “Lee” Hall, age 75 of Milledgeville, GA, passed away on Friday, January 30, 2026, at Bostic Nursing Home in Milledgeville, GA. He was born on August 14, 1950, in Rhea County, the son of the late Jake and Dorothy (Allen) Hall. He is also preceded in death by his sisters, Nola Williams and Evelyn Reese, and his brother, David...
Wilburn "Mack" Smith
Jan 25, 2026
Wilburn “Mack” Smith, age 61 of Dayton, passed away at his home on Sunday, January 25, 2026. He was born in Dayton on August 5, 1964, the son of the late Clyde Smith and Patsy (Price) Gossett. He was also preceded in death by his brothers, Clarence Smith, Billy Smith, and Jerry Smith, and his sister, Pearl Smith.
Mack was a...
Glenn Thomas Linebaugh
Jan 23, 2026
Glenn Thomas Linebaugh, age 80 of Dayton, passed away on Friday, January 23, 2026, at Life Care of Rhea County in Dayton. He was born in Youngstown, Ohio, on December 8, 1945, the son of the late Ralph and Lucy (Haines) Linebaugh. He was also preceded in death by his daughter, Alona Linebaugh; his brothers, Rev. Dale Linebaugh, Gary Linebaugh,...
Karen Beene
Jan 23, 2026
Karen Elaine Beene, age 60 of Graysville, passed away on Friday, January 23, 2026, at Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. She was born in Chattanooga on June 28, 1965, the daughter of the late Marvin “Bo” Sims and Sherron (Knox) Sims. She was also preceded in death by her brothers, Marvin Sims, Jr., Curtis Sims, and Michael “Andy” Sims.
Karen was a...
Richie Messer, Jr.
Jan 20, 2026
Richie Messer, Jr., age 80 of Dayton, passed away on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga. He was born in East Liverpool, Ohio, on October 10, 1945, the son of the late Richie Messer, Sr. and Frances (Smallwood) Messer. He was also preceded in death by his brother, Leon Messer; and his sister, Janet Marple.
A Dayton...
James Garrett Work-Grierson
Jan 16, 2026
James Garrett “Scooby” Work-Grierson, age 27 of Dayton, passed away on Friday, January 16, 2026, at Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga. He was born in Pensacola, Florida, on June 22, 1998, the son of the late Gary Grierson and Joanna Work of Pensacola, Florida, who survives him.
He made Dayton his home in 2019. At Walmart, he worked as a stocking...
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