Katherine Evelyn Gabell Derryberry

Mrs. Katherine Evelyn Gabell Derryberry, 86, former resident of Columbia, died Tuesday, June 3, 2003 at her daughter's residence in Huntsville, Alabama. Graveside services will be conducted at 1:00 P.M. Thursday at Polk Memorial Gardens with Ted Burleson officiating. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 5:30 P.M. until 8:30 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com <http://www.oakesandnichols.com>. Memorials may be made to Columbia Academy, 1101 West Seventh St., Columbia, Tennessee, 38401, or Hospice Family Care, 2225 Drake Ave., Suite #8, Huntsville, Alabama 35805. The Centerville native was the only child of the late John Thomas "Tom" Gabell and Evie Thompson Gabell, both natives of Hickman County and residents of Columbia for many years. Her father was a pioneer automobile mechanic. He died in 1966, her mother in 1998, both in Columbia. Her husband, Joseph Rodgers "Pete" Derryberry, who preceded her in death in 1993, was an employee of Tennessee Knitting Mills for twenty-five years and retired from the Tennessee State Department of Highways in 1976. He was a noted trainer, racer and hunter of coon dogs, known throughout the Southeast and Midwest. Mrs. Derryberry graduated with honors from Columbia Central High School in 1934. She was a bookkeeper for Brown and Ellis Motor Companies and retired in 1981 from twenty-two years of service as Business Secretary for Columbia Military Academy and later Columbia Academy. She also served as assistant teacher with Mrs. Virginia Parks in the early days of West Seventh Street Church of Christ Kindergarten. She and her husband were longtime members of West Seventh Street Church of Christ. Mrs. Derryberry lived at her home in Columbia until late 1998 when she moved to Huntsville to make her home with her daughter. Suvivors include her daughter, Audrey (Howard) Massey of Huntsville, Alabama; four grandchildren, Melanie (Robert) Sherrow of Athens, Alabama, Mikala "Mikki" (Steve) Howard of Columbia, Michael (Antoinette) Massey of Healdton, Oklahoma, and Merri Beth Massey of Huntsville, Alabama; and nine great-grandchildren, Bobby Sherrow and Bonnie Sherrow both of Athens, Alabama, Jay Howard and Will Howard of both Columbia, Kala Massey of Huntsville, Alabama, Bryan Gregory of Huntsville, Alabama, and Caitlin Massey, Michael Massey and Matthew Massey of Healdton, Oklahoma. Pallbearers will be Michael Massey, Robert Sherrow, Steve Howard, Jay Howard, Scott Bartow and Keith Romine. Honorary pallbearers will be elders, deacons and members of the adult Sunday School classes at West Seventh Church of Christ, past and present staff and faculty of Columbia Military Academy/Columbia Academy, Dr. Maria Falcon and staff, Hospice Family Care, and nephews, nieces and cousins.