Bess J. St. Clair

Bess Johnson St. Clair of Asbury Place, Maryville, died Saturday, October 10, 2009. She was born December 16, 1920, in Clarksville, VA, to Robert S. and Susie L. Johnson. Mrs. St. Clair was predeceased by her husband of fifty-six years, Ben B. St.Clair, minister in the Holston Conference of The United Methodist Church. She is survived by two daughters and two sons: Susan St.Clair Cox and her husband Steve of Lynchburg, Virginia; Robert B. St.Clair of Arden, NC; the Rev. Dr. David St. Clair and his wife Marcia of Emory, VA; and Anne St.Clair Travis and her husband Hal of Knoxville, TN. She is survived by nine grandchildren: Allyson Cox Newton, Virginia Cox Arrington, Geoffrey Cox, Charles St. Clair, Myra St. Clair, Bryan Ailey, Carrie St. Clair, Rev. Clair Travis, and Lindsay Travis Bedford, and by seven great-grandchildren. Additional survivors include two brothers: Robert L. Johnson and his wife Pauline of Henderson, NC, and James A. Johnson and his wife Janice of Raleigh, NC. She was predeceased by her sister Mary Ann Johnson Sutherland. She has six nieces and five nephews. Mrs. St. Clair was a graduate of Woman’s College of The University of North Carolina in Greensboro, and attended Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She was a member of First United Methodist Church, Maryville, TN, and a dedicated volunteer with many area organizations, including Asbury Place Maryville, where she lived for the past five years. She was a devoted Christian, wife, and mother who was a vital part of her husband’s ministry, a great blessing to all of her family, and an inspiration to all who knew her. A service of committal will be conducted at Lynnhurst Cemetery Knoxville on Saturday, October 17, at 10:30 a.m., with a service of celebration of her life Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Maryville with the Reverends Larry and Brenda Carroll officiating. The family will receive friends following the service. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home of Maryville is handling arrangements. Memorial contributions may be sent to the Holston Conference Foundation, PO Box 900, Alcoa, TN 37701, or to First United Methodist Church, 804 Montvale Station Road, Maryville, TN 37804. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville in charge 982-6812 www.mccammonammonsclick.com