Lendon Daugherty

Lendon Daugherty, age 90, of Jacksboro, passed away Monday, Feb. 26. He was born into a family of 13 brothers and sisters, of which he was the oldest son. During his youth he raised vegetables and worked various farm jobs to help support his family. He then joined the military during WWII and served in the United States Army Air Corps in the Pacific Theater, and later the Air Force prior to the Korean War. Upon returning, he helped his father build a house for the family he had left and began working at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Facility until his retirement. During the war, he met Madge Dupuy of Demory and never left her side for 60 years. He built a home for her and their three daughters, Gale, Sandra, and Sheila, on a farm in Pinecrest, where he cleared the land by hand, built their house, and raised a large garden with special pride in his melons that he shared with his neighbors and those he felt deserved them. He worked the farm with care, believing the land was God's creation and should be treated with reverence, collecting leaves in the fall to till into the garden, clearing weeds in the evening and hand watering the plants in the morning. Upon his retirement, he planted fruit orchards and nut trees that still bear fruit to the delight of the farm's squirrels today. His work ethic and straightforward manner taught his children the benefits of hard work, honesty, and respect for family. Lendon was a strong willed man, with a distinctive voice, a wry sense of humor, and a warm smile. In the last years of his life, he was frequently seen having breakfast at McDonalds or Burger King and visiting the grave of his beloved Madge, who preceded him to Heaven this month two years ago.
He is survived by his daughters, Gale Stanley, Sandra Daugherty and Sheila Griffith; sons-in-laws, Bill Stanley and David Griffith, all of Jacksboro; grandsons, Anthony Douglas of Loxahatchee, Fla.; Devin Douglas of Utah; Jared and Preston Griffith of Jacksboro; granddaughters, Whitney Issacs, Victoria Griffith and Tara Griffith; great-grandchild, Asher Issacs; sister, Jolene Hill of Dayton, Ohio; brother, Curtis Daugherty of Norris; 20 nieces and nephews.
A private family service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 1 at Cross-Smith Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations are to be made to First Baptist Church Jacksboro, P.O. Box 220, Jacksboro, Tenn., 37757 or Shepherd's Home, 2221 Jacksboro Pike, Jacksboro, Tenn., 37757. Interment will be in Jacksboro Cemetery with military honors by the Campbell County Honor Guard.
Cross-Smith Funeral Home, of LaFollette, is in charge of arrangements.