What we often hear about from history textbooks includes large monuments and political changes. However, what makes history so interesting is the fact that ordinary people make up its essence. One of them is Minnie Alston who was a black woman born and brought up in Tipton County, Tennessee during the time when there were…
Tag: Brighton
McPeak, George Lee
The Life and Times of George Lee McPeak (1874–1950) George Lee McPeak is remembered as the man who married my great-aunt, Callie Elizabeth Dodson. But he was much more than that. He was a farmer, a devoted husband and father, a man his neighbors trusted with public responsibilities, and someone whose life was forever changed…
Fayne, Albert Lafayette
The Threads of a Tipton County Life: Remembering Albert Lafayette Fayne (1923–2011) One of the things I enjoy most about researching Tipton County history is discovering the lives hidden behind ordinary records. A census page, a draft card, an old newspaper clipping, or a faded obituary may seem insignificant at first glance, but together they…
Hathcock, John Thurman
Susan and John T. Hathcock: A Story of Faith, Family, and Endurance in Tipton County JOHN THURMAN HATHCOCK | The winter of 1917 arrived quietly across western Tipton County, Tennessee. Bare fields stretched across the countryside around Liberty and Indian Creek, and cold winds swept through the woods and farmland. For many families, December was…
Hayes, Charles
Charles Hayes: A Centenarian of Tipton County Remembered “Charles Hayes, of the 8th district, died at his home Sunday night. It is claimed that Hayes was 104 years old at the time of his death.”— The Covington Leader, January 6, 1916 The story of Charles Hayes is one largely preserved through a few surviving records…
Galilee Cemetery
Holy Temple Church & Cemetery
History of Holy Temple Church At Jefferson’s Mortuary chapel in Millington, TN, on the eve of May 22, 1985, Pastor H.D. Carmichael, Sr. called together a group of religious leaders from the Friendship District Association to help organize “Holy Temple Missionary Baptist Church.” Armed with the job of “gathering the scattered sheep.” The shepherd and his flock…
Kercher, Norman Lee Jr.
Finding Purpose in the Harvest: The Lasting Legacy of Norman Lee Kercher, Jr. Every town has its pillars—those individuals whose presence binds a community together through quiet faith, open hands, and an unshakeable sense of duty. In Brighton, Tipton County, Tennessee, Norman Lee Kercher, Jr. was exactly that kind of man. Though he passed away…