Sara Sherrell Butler

Sara Ruth Sherrell Butler passed away July 1, 2016, at the Mountain City Care Center. She was predeceased by her parents; her brother, Harold Sherrell,; and her husband, Landon Gains Butler.

 Sara was born in Tullahoma, Tennessee on July 12, 1924, to Charles Turner and Clata Lewis Sherrell.  She grew up in Doyle, Tennessee in White County. As a girl, she loved roller-skating and playing basketball and tennis on the clay courts in Doyle. In high school, despite her small size and stature, she played the trombone in the band and was on the girl’s basketball team.

 After high school, Sara attended the University of Tennessee, graduating in 1947 with a degree in home economics and certification to teach home economics and chemistry. One of Sara’s proudest achievements was playing trombone in the UT marching band. Attending UT during World War II, Sara was among the first women admitted to the band.

 After graduating from UT, Sara came to Johnson County on a temporary assignment with the UT Extension Service. She loved Mountain City and enjoyed telling how she married the first man she met here so that she could stay.

 Sara became the UT Extension Home Demonstration Agent for Johnson County, a job she held until her daughter was born in 1956. After her children started school, she worked as the School Lunch Supervisor for Johnson County.  Sara especially loved visiting the schools and working with the school cooks. She retired in 1988.

 During retirement, Sara enjoyed travel, her flowerbed, and exercising with Denise Austin (on TV).  She was a loving mother and grandmother and made many trips to Northern Virginia to visit her daughter and grandchildren.

 Sara was a faithful member of the Church of Christ, where her beautiful soprano voice praised God every Sunday and Wednesday. Even when almost all other memories failed her in her last years with Alzheimer’s, Sara could still remember and sing the words to the old hymns she learned as a child.

 Survivors include her son, Landon Butler of St. Petersburg, FL; daughter Mona Alderson of Mountain City; grandchildren Julia Alderson of Weems, VA and Donald Alderson of Arlington, VA,; and several nieces and nephews, most especially Bob Lowe of Mountain City.

 There will be visitation will be from 1:30- 2:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3, 2016 from the East Side Chapel of the Hux-Lipford Funeral Home. Graveside service and interment will follow the visitation from Sunset Memorial Park with Mr. Buddy Morefield  officiating. Honorary pallbearers are Bob Lowe and Dr. John Whitlock.

The family is especially thankful for the many years of kind and knowledgeable care provided by Dr. John Whitlock and for the recent additional care of PA Daniel Jones at Mountain City Care Center.  The family also wants to extend special thanks to the wonderful ladies of Blue Ridge Senior Living and Mountain City Health and Rehabilitation Center for their kind and loving care over much of the past six years.

 Donations in memory of Sara Butler may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation or to the Johnson County United Way.

 Online condolences may be sent to the family through our website at www.huxlipfordfh.com

 Professional services for the Butler family are in the care of Hux-Lipford Funeral Home.