Kenneth Brackman Turner

Kenneth Brackman Turner, 85, of Granville, Tennessee, passed away August 10, 2022 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. Kenneth was born on August 7, 1937, in Smithville, Tennessee, one of 10 children born to Will and Ella Patterson Turner. He was preceded in death by his parents, as well as his older brothers: Aubrey, Morris, Johnny, Riley Wilson, and Donald Turner. He was raised on the family farm in Shiney Rock, near Smithville, and grew up in the Jacobs Pillar United Methodist Church. He graduated from Oak Grove Elementary and Dekalb County High School, then attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (now TTU) for less than a weekdeciding that he couldnt stand being in a classroom. He became a successful door-to-door insurance salesman, with his main tactic being to sell to a prominent citizen of the community, hoping that others would follow their lead. Fate and good luck led him to Ann Douglas Holleman of Granville, and they married on August 17, 1960, she being the love of his life for 62 years. As proof of his love and dedication, he always gave her a Snickers Bar as a Valentines gift, believing that roses and jewels were just too common. He settled down in Granville to work with the Hollemans, and as a farmer he raised soybeans, corn, tobacco, and Angus cattle. He served in the Army National Guard, as a Justice of the Peace on the Jackson County Quarterly Court, and as President of the Granville Community Club. As a JP he secured the first fire truck for Granville. He was instrumental in establishing the Flynns Lick & Granville Utility District, and as a board member he took the lead in getting city water to the community. Primarily through his efforts, Martins Creek Road became a state road. He loved sports, especially baseball, and traveled to watch games in person for several teams, including the Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, NY Mets, NY Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, and Milwaukee Brewers. He especially liked the Braves and Dodgers, and spent many nights watching college and pro games, cheering on any team that wasnt from Texas. Kenneth was appointed a Tennessee Colonel in 1975 by Governor Ray Blanton, and he was one of the last Yellow Dog Democrats in Tennessee, playing a behind-the-scenes role in many political campaigns. He supported a Republican once, and regretted it later. He was a Life Member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, and traveled to battlefields in the U.S., Canada, and across Europe. He played his first and only soccer game in Mexico City, among a crowd of young, cheering natives. As a young man he rode Harley-Davidson motorcycles and fixed up old cars to race, but gave that up after marriage and children. Machines and mechanisms always intrigued him, and he could fix just about anything, from an old Farmall tractor or F-150, to a hay baler or a septic system. If he couldnt fix it, then it wasnt worth fixing. He loved reading the local and state newspapers and Progressive Farmer, and spent hours reading through old family letters from the 1800s. He had a quick wit, and loved a good joke. Dominoes was a favorite game with friends, and he was a good Rook player, preferring the Red One version. He liked dogs and the occasional outdoor cat. He worked hard and he played hard, and when facing an obstacle he wasnt sure about, his favorite quote was, “Lets do something, even if its wrong.” He was a standard in Granville, and loved our little town, and all the local folks who welcomed him here as a young man. They became his close friends for the next sixty years. New arrivals to Granville usually befriended him pretty quickly, and as his memory loss became worse these past few years, they indulged him in conversation on the side of the road in Hollemans Bend, at Suttons, or at Wildwood. They sometimes helped him with stray cattle. He may not have remembered your name, but he remembered how you treated him. The family is forever indebted to all those who showed that kindness. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Ann, and three children: James Kenneth Turner (Moira), Barry Kevin Turner (Gail), Sherri Ann Sollmann (Chris), and five grandchildren: Rebecca Ann Turner, Ella Turner, Caldwell Turner, Michael Sollmann, and Mitchell Sollmann. He is also survived by two brothers: Sam and David Turner, and two sisters: Nina Ruth Puckett, and Sue McGuire: and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Visitation will be at the Historic Granville Presbyterian Church on Saturday, August 13, 2022 from 11 am to 2 pm with the funeral service starting at 2 pm with Rev. Michael McLaughlin officiating. Burial will be immediately following in the Holleman Family Plot at Granville Cemetery. Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. 931-268-1550. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Granville Community Center or Granville Cemetery fund. Cemetery Granville Cemetery Holleman Bend Ln Granville TN Visitation Saturday, August 13, 2022 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM Historic Granville Presbyterian Church 164 Clover St Granville TN Funeral Service Saturday, August 13, 2022 2:00 PM - Historic Granville Presbyterian Church 164 Clover St Granville TN Funeral Home Anderson Upper Cumberland Funeral Home, Inc. 2131 S. Grundy Quarles Hwy. P.O. Box 398 Gainesboro TN - 38562 US 931-268-1550 931-268-1552