Bernice Steely Norton

Mrs. Bernice Steely Norton, 86, loving wife, mother, and grandmother and former long-time resident of Hardin Drive, died Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at NHC Hillview. Graveside services will be conducted Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at Rose Hill Cemetery with Rev. Mike Dawson officiating. The family will visit with friends at the graveside following the service. Grandsons and grandsons-in-law will serve as pallbearers. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. A native of Lebanon, Tennessee, she was the daughter of the late James William Steely and Octave Gambell Steely. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Burton Norton, owner of Norton & Steely Wholesale Grocery Company, May 22, 1999. Mrs. Norton was a long-time member of First Baptist Church. Survivors include a daughter, Janet (George) Nunn of Perry, Georgia; sons, Ronald Burton (Linda) Norton and Robert Gary (Marilyn) Norton of Columbia; grandchildren, Krista (David) Brewster of Knoxville, Mary Kimberly (Andy) Moore of Columbia, Christopher (Nancy) Nunn of Atlanta, Georgia, Jennifer (Benjie) Tarbutton of Sandersvile, Georgia;, Tiffany Norton of Brentwood, and Rob (Becca) Norton of Columbia; great-grandchildren, Jonathan Brewster, Lydia Brewster, Robert Andrew Brewster, all of Knoxville, Lillian Moore, Burton Moore, Maddie Norton, Mary Beth Norton, Grace Handschug, and Emily Handschug, all of Columbia. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.