Funeral services for Thomas Owen Shelton, age 96 of Fayetteville, will be conducted Thursday November 19, 2015 at 1 PM at Higgins Funeral Home with Rev. Van Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in Riverview Memorial Gardens beside his wife Gracie Ennis Shelton who passed away in 2011. Mr. Shelton passed away Monday November 16, 2015 at the NHC Nursing Home in Tullahoma.
He was a native of Lincoln County and the son of the late Thomas Hamilton and Gertrude May Shelton. Mr. Shelton was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, retired employee of Redstone Arsenal and a member of the Fayetteville First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his granddaughter Randie Shelton of Murfreesboro, sister Jo Dean Steelman, brother Clyde Shelton and wife Sara of Fayetteville. Mr. Shelton was preceded in death by a son, Randall Shelton.
Visitation with the family will be Thursday November 19, 2015 from 11 AM-1 PM at Higgins Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to your local VFW, 10 Camper Creek Road, Fayetteville, TN 37334.
Nevada Shelton
on November 20, 2015 at 5:00 pm
UNCLE OBIE,
I WILL MISS YOU GREATLY.
I AM VERY SAD FOR BEING UNABLE TO ATTEND YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND.
YESTERDAY I FLEW A NAVY FLAG OVER PEARL HARBOR IN YOUR HONOR.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THE SPECIAL HERO IN MY LIFE.
I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THE INTERVIEWS YOU ALLOWED ME TO RECORD ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND FOR ATTENDING MY BASEBALL GAMES.
YOURS AND AUNT PAT’S LOVE WILL FOREVER REMAIN IN MY HEART
I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN OLD SAILOR, BUT UNTIL THAT TIME KNOW I’M TOASTING YOU THE GRAND MILITARY WAY
LOVE YOU ALWAYS
NEVADA
.
UNCLE OBIE,
I WILL MISS YOU GREATLY.
I AM VERY SAD FOR BEING UNABLE TO ATTEND YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND.
YESTERDAY I FLEW A NAVY FLAG OVER PEARL HARBOR IN YOUR HONOR.
THANK YOU FOR BEING THE SPECIAL HERO IN MY LIFE.
I WILL ALWAYS CHERISH THE INTERVIEWS YOU ALLOWED ME TO RECORD ABOUT YOUR LIFE AND FOR ATTENDING MY BASEBALL GAMES.
YOURS AND AUNT PAT’S LOVE WILL FOREVER REMAIN IN MY HEART
I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN OLD SAILOR, BUT UNTIL THAT TIME KNOW I’M TOASTING YOU THE GRAND MILITARY WAY
LOVE YOU ALWAYS
NEVADA
.
UNCLE OWEN,
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING KIND AND LOVING TO ME.
I STILL HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL CHERISH THE ZEEDONKS, HORSES AND COWBOYS YOU MADE FOR ME WHEN I WAS A YOUNG BOY.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS ENCOURAGING ME IN FOOTBALL.
WHO KNEW I WOULD NOW BE PLAYING IN COLLEGE.
PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR BEING UNABLE TO ATTEND YOUR FUNERAL.
I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU.
ALWAYS
COOPER
UNCLE OWEN WAS A TRUE PATRIOT.
A GREAT EXAMPLE AND WONDERFUL MENTOR TO ALL OF US WHO WERE FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF HIS FAMILY.
HE WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY AND HONOR.
HE WAS TOUGH, BUT CAPABLE OF TRUE CARING.
HE TAUGHT ME TO LOVE SPORTS, FISH, SHOOT AND CARE FOR ANIMALS.
HE NEVER MISSED A BALLGAME I PLAYED.
IT WAS ALWAYS COMFORTING, ESPECIALLY WHEN LOSING, TO SEE HIM IN THE STANDS.
ALWAYS SUPPORTIVE,
HE NEVER CRITICIZED ME AFTER OUR GAMES.
HE WAS ALWAYS MY WORLD WAR II NAVY HERO.
WE SHARED A LOVE OF HISTORY.
HE SHARED MANY STORIES OF HIS MILITARY DAYS THAT HE WOULD NOT TALK ABOUT TO OTHERS AND FOR THAT I AM FOREVER GREATFUL.
HE INSTILLED IN ME THE WORLDLY WONDERING LIFE I ENJOY SO MUCH.
HIS BY SEA, MINE BY AIR.
I SO ENJOYED SHARING WITH HIM HOW THE PACIFIC ISLANDS HE HELPED LIBERATE IN WAR HAD CHANGED SINCE HE LAST WAS THERE.
TO THIS DAY I GET A VERY SPECIAL FEELING EVERYTIME I LAND IN HAWAII, GUAM, SAIPAN, MANILLA AND ESPECIAL JAPAN, FOR I THINK OF UNCLE OWEN AND GO BACK IN TIME TO WHEN HE WAS ON DUTY FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I AM VERY THANKFUL TO HAVE HAVE GROWN UP WITH HIM, THANKFUL TO MY WIFE GWEN FOR TALKING ME IN TO MOVING BACK WHEN WE HAD OUR CHILDREN SO THAT THEY COULD GROW UP AND KNOW HIM.
YOU ARE GONE, BUT NEVER WILL BE FORGOTTEN.
YOU HAVE TAKEN YOUR LAST CRUISE OLE SAILOR. MAY YOU ALWAYS HAVE A RED SKY AT NIGHT,
FAIR WINDS AND A FOLLOWING SEA.
Mr. Shelton always had a big smile on his face and he was alway so kind and appreciated our care while at Southern Manor.He will be miss buy us all. RIP Mr.. Shelton. We love you.