Jack Dillehay, 77

Lifelong Defeated Creek Community farmer, Jack Dillehay, age 77, passed away Fri., Dec. 26, 2008, he was pronounced dead at the Riverview Regional in Carthage. Funeral services were conducted Sun., Dec. 28 from the Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home with Bro. Jackie Dillehay and Eld. Floyd Ferguson officiating. Interment followed in the Defeated Creek Memorial Gardens.

He was the only son and one of two children of the late Arlis Jackson “Shoate” Dillehay who died May 16, 1965 and Amy Ruth Powell Dillehay who passed away Jan. 4, 2006 at the age of 97.  On Nov. 26, 1957, Mr. Dillehay was united in marriage to the former Kasel Woodard of Elmwood at the home of former Justice of Peace, Ottie Nixon and his wife Elizabeth Suttin Nixon. Mr. Dillehay was a 1949 graduate of Smith County High School where he was active in the Future Farmers of America program and received the prestigious American Farmer Degree in Kansas City, Missouri the same year of his graduation. He, Joe Rich of Pleasant Shade and the late Billy Joe Powell of Defeated Creek met in Mr. Dillehay’s office at the former P.C.A. office in South Carthage on Dec. 3, 1975 and organized the Cordell Hull Utility District which serves much of Northern Smith County. A charter board member, he served until shortly before his death. For fourteen years Mr. Dillehay served on the Board of Directors of the Production Credit Association of Smith County and also served as office manager and retied in 1981. He was instrumental in founding the Smith County branch of the National Farmers Organization in the early 1960’s. A Missionary Baptist in belief, he was a member of the former Sanderson Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Pleasant Shade. Surviving in addition to his wife of fifty one years are four children, Scotty Dillehay and wife Debra Grisham Dillehay, Debbie Dillehay Ellis and husband Stan, Bro. Jackie Dillehay and wife Christy Skelton Dillehay all of Defeated Creek, Arlisa Dillehay Bennett and husband Terry of Rickman; sister, Joy Dillehay Wright and husband Dewitt of Tuckers Cross Roads; ten grandchildren, Candice Fields, Jeremy Dillehay, Samantha and Dustin Dillehay, Greg Ellis, Brian, Seth and Elijah Dillehay, Lance Holland and Kassie Bennett; five great-grandchildren.