Oscar Dowell Priest

Oscar Dowell Priest, 77, former Maury County Road Superintendent and longtime resident of Raleigh Beard Road in the Santa Fe Community, died Thursday, January 13, 2011 at Life Care Center of Columbia. Funeral services will be conducted at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Oakes & Nichols with Rev. James Lunsford officiating. Burial will follow in Santa Fe Cemetery with military honors provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Friday from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. Memorials may be sent to Fly Nazarene Rebuilding Fund, c/o Randy Walters, 4017 Knud Dr., Columbia, TN 38401 or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. The Maury County native was the son of the late Oscar Clinton Priest and Frances Wakefield Priest. He was a 1951 graduate of Santa Fe High School. On December 28, 1952, he married Rose Marie Harris Priest of Santa Fe who survives. Mr. Priest served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War era and was in the Marshall Islands when the first hydrogen bomb was tested. During his career he was a farmer and owned Columbia Truck and Tractor International Dealership and later Oscar Priest Bull Dozer Co. where he was contracted with T.V.A. Mr. Priest was a former member of the Columbia Lions Club and a forty-year member of Wagon Wheelers Square Dance Club. He was a member of Fly Church of the Nazarene. In addition to his wife, he is survived by one daughter, Amy (Denver) Robinson of Santa Fe; two sons, Mark (Mimi) Priest and Aaron Hight Priest, both of Santa Fe; one sister, Evelyn (J. P.) Due of Columbia; four grandchildren, Emily Priest, Rachel (Joseph) Carter, Matt Priest and Paige Priest; two nieces, Debra Due and Denise Due-Goodwin; and a brother-in-law Randal (Patsy) Harris. Pallbearers will be Jeff Harris, Randy Walters, Randy Stanfill, Randall Scott, Eddie Cook, Jeff McGee, Dean Sewell and Wayne Stanfill. Honorary pallbearers will be Elaine and Larry Rockovich, Jean Carlisle, Clayton Hutcherson, Wilburn and Janice Kelley, Gene Barker, Charles Frazier, Martha Bates, Norma Hutchinson, the staff of Life Care Center, former members of Columbia Wagon Wheelers and members of the congregation of FlyNazarene Church.