Lillie Louise Tankersley

02/21/2003

Lillie Louise Tankersley, 90, formerly of 550 River Road, died Friday at Williamstown Commons, where she had resided since May 30, 2000. Born in Jasper, Tenn., on June 17, 1912, daughter of Jeff and Sarah Quarrels Lewis, she attended schools there. She moved to eastern Massachusetts in 1960 and to Clarksburg in 1968. Mrs. Tankersley was employed by the former Hunter Outdoor Products in North Adams, retiring in 1977. She also had worked for the former Wall-Streeter Shoe Co. and the former Sprague Electric Co., both in North Adams. She was first employed by the May Hosiery Mills in Nashville, Tenn., and later by United Shoe Co. in Hudson. She was a member of the First Bible Baptist Church of North Adams. Her husband, Clarence Etheridge Tankersley, whom she married on April 28, 1934, in Jasper, died Sept. 10, 1993, in Williamstown. She leaves a daughter, Martha Ruth Benoit of Adams; five grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. A son, Joe Donald Tankersley, died at birth. FUNERAL NOTICE -- The funeral for Lillie L. Tankersley will be Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 1 at FLYNN & DAGNOLI-MONTAGNA HOME FOR FUNERALS, West Chapels, 521 West Main St., North Adams, MA 01247, with the Rev. Eric Malachuk, pastor of First Bible Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in the spring in Clarksburg Cemetery. Calling hours at the funeral home will be Wednesday from 11 until the time of the funeral. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations are suggested for First Bible Baptist Church through the funeral home. Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Martha Ruth Benoit and Leo Benoit Jr. of Adams; grandchildren Leo "Bunny" Benoit III of North Adams, Randall Benoit and Kenneth Benoit, both of Clarksburg, Connie Reynolds of the town of Florida and Christel Massaconi of Cheshire; 13 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Predeceased by a son, Joe Donald Tankersley, in infancy; two sisters, Myrtle King and Lorraine Lewis, and four brothers, Jack Lewis, Goob Lewis, Claude Lewis and Lawrence Lewis.

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Lillie Louise Tankersley

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