Joe L Horner

Mr. Joe Lawrence Horner, 79, retired electrical supervisor with Tennessee Valley Authority and resident of Cord Drive, died Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at NHC Columbia. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday at St. Luke United Methodist Church with Rev. Steve Kelley officiating. Burial will be in Horner Cemetery in Pleasantville with military services provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Thursday from 4 - 8 p.m. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home and Friday from 12 noon until time of service at the church. Memorials may be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church, 606 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN 38401; Volunteers In Mission, c/o St. Luke Methodist Church, 606 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN 38401; American Heart Association, 1818 Patterson St., Nashville, TN 37203; Lovett-Horner Scholarship Fund, CSCC Foundation, 1665 Hampshire Pike, Columbia, TN 38401; or the charity of your choice. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Hickman County native was the son of the late William Arthur Horner and Nettie Leona Moore Horner. He was a graduate of Lewis County High School and Coyne Electrical School in Chicago. A proud American, he was a Corporal, Supply Sergeant and small arms weapon mechanic in the United States Army from 1946-1947 in Germany where his duties also included delivering mail on skis in the Alps. Following his military service he was employed by T.V.A. for thirty years. He coached Little League baseball in the early 1960's at the old TKM Park and was proud of helping to install the lights at Eva Gilbert Park. During twenty years as a Boy Scout Leader, he earned the Lone Rifle Award, took multiple hikes with his Scouts on the Appalachian Trail through the Great Smoky Mountains and took his Scouts on high adventure trips to the Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Many of his Scouts stayed in touch with him until his death. He was a member of St. Luke United Methodist Church and served on several Volunteers in Mission Teams to Panama and the Philippines. He also served on Disaster Relief Teams in Baldwin, Louisiana after Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and in Hannibal, Missouri in 1994 after the Midwest floods. He filled his life with service to his country, family, church, and fellow humans. He was a devoted husband, father and proud grandfather of nine grandchildren who called him "Joe Joe". He loved camping and hiking trips with his wife and family. He also loved music and playing his guitar and harmonica. Survivors include his wife of fifty-eight years, Gladys Elaine Park Horner of Columbia; one daughter, Elaine Newcomb of Columbia; three sons, Lawrence (Mary Ann) Horner, Kenneth (Beverly) Horner both of Columbia, Roger (Cheryl) Horner of Nashville; two sisters, Elsie Bates of Centerville, Geneva (Ezra) King of Nashville; nine grandchildren, Stacy (LaVar) Jernigan, Emily Horner, Emily (James) Bowden, Alice Newcomb, Caroline Horner, John Park Horner, Mary Miller Horner, Andrew Newcomb and Sam Horner. He was preceded in death by four brothers, Arthur Horner, Osa Horner, Charles "Junior" Horner and Ralph Horner. Pallbearers will be nephews. Honorary pallbearers will be former Boy Scouts and Scoutmasters, St. Luke United Methodist Adult 1 Sunday School Class and Tuesday Bible Study Group and former T.V.A. employees.