Vincent M. Farmer

Vincent M. Farmer, age 92, passed away Sunday, February 8, 2004, at Asbury Acres where he had been a resident for the past 6 years. He was a member of Everett Hills Baptist Church, a graduate of Crossnore High School in North Carolina where he played football, basketball, boxing, and was an avid tennis player. Mr. Farmer and his wife, Mary, were well known for owning and operating several restaurants in Blount County, College Hill Grill, Almar Grill, Smoky Mountain Dairy Bar, and Circle Drive-In Restaurant. He was training table manager at the University of Tennessee for 21 years where he fed and cared for many now famous football and basketball players. He was named to Outstanding Personalities of the South. He and his wife played Mr. and Mrs. Santa at several area businesses and churches and was the Foothills Mall Santa for many years. He loved God, family, and fishing and will be sadly missed by family and friends and the nursing staff at Asbury Acres Nursing Home who treated him with gentle kindness and love. He was preceded in death by his parents, James Bedford and Nora Hipps Farmer; stepmother, Martha Manilla Farmer; wife, Mary Farmer; brothers, Vernon, Venoy, Vester; sisters, Roberta Nelson, Zetta Green, Hannah Lee Farmer, and Lorena Taylor; grandchildren, Kim Dunlap, William Vincent “Buddy” Steadman; and great grandson, Christopher Helton. He is survived by children and their spouses, Nora Ann and Cal Merriman of Winthrop, WA, Phyllis and Jerry Moore of Midwest City, OK, Martha Meinkey and Jerry Dunlap of Christiana, TN, Eugene and Christine Byrd Farmer of Maryville, TN; grandchildren, Dave and Sharon Paxton of Pensacola, FL, Melody and Nick Lucas and Belinda and Jim Lynch of Winthrop, WA, Debbie Ridenour and Tom Moore of Midwest City, OK, Marcus and Teresa Cooper Farmer and Kristin Farmer of Maryville, TN; 10 great grandchildren; 5 great great grandchildren. He is further survived by brother, Zeb Farmer; half-brothers and spouses, Burt and Mildred, Harry Joe and Barbara, Pat and Shirley; and half-sister, Annie-Ruth Ashe all of North Carolina; several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be held at 8:00 p.m. Thursday in McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Dave Paxton and Dr. Allen Raines officiating. The interment will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday in Grandview Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 p.m. Thursday at McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, c/o Jill B. Rollins, 2330 Chesterfield Drive, Maryville, TN 37803. McCammon-Ammons-Click Funeral Home, Maryville 982-6812 www.mccammonammonsclick.com