Carless Joel Owens ~ Obituary

Carless Joel Owens

Carless Joel Owens, 69, of Oak Grove Road South near Springville died Tuesday, March 13, 2001 at his residence.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at McEvoy Funeral Home.
Randy Stephens of Sulphur Well Church of Christ, where he was a member, will officiate. Burial
will be in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Chosen as pallbearers are Jackie and Jeff Alien, Harold Sykes, Tommy Scarbrough, John M.
Russell, Glenn Wimberley, Kent Gamlin and Robert Milam.
Honorary pallbearers will be J.W. Adams, Eddie Reese, Larry Wimberley and Warren Brown.

Visitation is scheduled 4-8 p.m. today and after 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

Born in Henry County on May 12, 1931, he was the son of Carl D. Owens, who died Aug. 27,
1999, and Sara Elizabeth Hopkins Owens, who died June 2, 1998.

He was married Oct. 1, 1950, to the former Carole Mann, who survives.
He also leaves two daughters, Donna Milam and husband Bobby of Springville and Debbie Morris of Kennesaw, Ga.; One sister, Cornelia Connie Maxwell and husband Elwood of Springville; and two grandchildren, Russell and Sarah Marie Milam.

Mr. Owens was retired from the U.S. Air Force, a retired school teacher, farmer and former co-owner of Campbell-Rhea Manufacturing (now Mohon,) he served in various positions with Henry County's Democratic Party, was past exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge, a member of the American Legion and VFW, and was a graduate of Murray State University.

Reprinted from THE PARIS POST-INTELLIGENCER
Paris, Tennessee
Edition ~ Used by Permission

Tribute by Freddie Webb

JOEL OWENS

I FIRST KNEW JOEL FROM THE NINTH GRADE BIOLOGY CLASS THAT WAS IN THE OLD JUNIOR HIGH BLDG. I ALWAYS CONSIDERED HIM TO BE A FAIRLY FIRM BUT FAIR
TEACHER AND HE WOULD TRY TO GET THE SCHOOL WORK ACROSS AND WORK WITH YOU , BUT IF YOU CHOSE TO BE UNRULY IN CLASS HE COULD DEAL WITH THAT TOO. I REMEMBER A COUPLE OF SUMMERS I AND SOME OTHER GUYS HELPED JOEL AND HIS DAD ON THE FARM.
HAULING HAY AND STUFF BUT HE NEVER SEEMED TO CHANGE FROM THE CLASSROOM.
THROUGH THE YEARS AFTER GRADUATING AND AFTER MILITARY SERVICE WE WOULD PASS BY HIS HOUSE AND EVER SO OFTEN SEE HIM ON THE FARM WITH HIS COWBOY HAT, BOOTS AND BLUE JEANS ON THE TRACTOR AND GIVE A WAVE. HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE A SMILE AND A HANDSHAKE AND ALWAYS SPOKE.

WERE WE CLOSE PERSONAL FRIENDS , NO, BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW A PERSON COULD NOT HAVE A BETTER ONE.IN HIS LIFE AS WITH SO MANY OF US THERE WERE A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT THINGS WEREN'T THE WAY HE WANTED THEM TO BE BUT I AM A FIRM BELIEVER IN THE
SAYING THAT SOMETIMES BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE.
I HAD HEART SURGERY IN 2000 IN OCTOBER AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE CASES WHERE A PERSON THINKS THEY ARE FINE AND THE NEXT INSTANT THERE IS A VOICE IN YOUR
EAR SAYING I AM TRYING TO GET YOU TO MEMPHIS FOR EMERGENCY SURGERY NOW.
I REMEMBER ON THE RIDE DOWN I WAS AWAKE AND ALSO IN THE DAYS WHILE ALONE IN THE HOSPITAL I DECIDED I WOULD TRACE BACK THROUGH THE YEARS AND TRY TO CONTACT THE PEOPLE , FRIENDS, TEACHERS, ETC., THAT HAD HELPED MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE

UNFORTUNATELY I COULD NOT GET TO SEE JOEL HE DIED IN MARCH OF 2001. BUT I SUPPOSE EVEN NOW I STILL PASS BY HIS HOME AND ALMOST CAN SEE HIM ON THE TRACTOR OR MAYBE WITH HIS BIRD DOGS . AN OLD COUNTRY BOY, TEACHER, BUSINESS MAN WHOM I BELIEVE LIVED HIS LIFE THE WAY HE WANTED, LIVING AND LOVING LIFE AS WELL AS PROVIDING FOR HIS FAMILY AND TOOK TIME TO HELP HIS COMMUNITY BY TEACHING A NUMBER OF US ALONG THE WAY.