Rudolph Vinson, 72
Rudolph Vinson, of the Union Camp Community in Macon County, passed away Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, at the age of 71. Funeral services for Rudolph Vinson were conducted from the Chapel of the Anderson & Son Funeral Home in Lafayette at 2:00 PM on Saturday with E.C. Meadows officiating. Honorary pallbearers were Tri-County EMC Employees and Macon County EMS. Robert Craig, Bill Stroop, Kenny Kemp, Shane Newberry, Terry Cook, David Vinson, “Punkin” Vinson and Derek Herrington served as pallbearers. Interment with military honors followed in the Anderson and Son Memorial Park. Rudolph was born on December 3, 1940, one of eleven children born to the late Clyde E. and Ruby Mae Etheridge Vinson. He married the former Miss Lona Coleman on April 15, 1959. To this union was born two sons, Steven and Robert. As a young man of 22 years old, Rudolph joined the United States Army, where he served a nine-year enlistment, which included a two-year tour in Vietnam. He completed several educational and training courses and was the recipient of numerous badges and commendations during his military career. Rudolph worked for Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation as a sub-station supervisor. He retired with 30 years of service. Rudolph was in the first EMT class to be held outside Nashville at Tennessee Tech in 1973. He attended this with some fellow Macon Countians, including Homer Lee, Jerry Qualls and Maburn Dyer. He was of the Church of Christ belief. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Lona Vinson; sons and daughters-in-law, Steven and Joanie Vinson of Calico Rock, AR and Robert and Timberly Vinson of Lafayette, TN; brothers and sisters-in-law, Bill and Donna Vinson, and Gary and Nancy Vinson, all of Red Boiling Springs, TN; sisters and brothers-in-law, Barbara Burton of Rockwood, TN, Sarah Jean and Carlos Newberry of Red Boiling Springs, TN, Edyth Burton of McMinnville, TN, Anna Perdue of Lafayette, TN, Patsy and David Burton, and Abby and Gary Crowe, all of Red Boiling Springs, TN; Grandchildren, Sarah Vinson of Honolulu, HI, Tamra and Derek Herrington, and Randall Vinson, all of Lafayette, TN.
