
Tommie Dale Parkhurst was born on Tuesday, January 1, 1929, the son of the late Fred and Edna Bean Parkhurst, natives of Red Boiling Spring. He was married in 1948 former Cathryn Joines, who preceded him in death on June 17, 2009. In addition to his wife and parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Lucille Morse. Brother Tommie worked at General Mills and Libbey-Owens Ford Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio. He also worked for Textile Leather Company and Bergen Pharmaceuticals in Nashville. He retired from the manufacturing industry and later drove a school bus for the Macon County School system and enjoyed interacting with the students, reminiscing often in his later years of the days spent on his route. Brother Tommie was saved in August 1964 at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio. Several years later, the Lord called him to preach the gospel and was ordained in November 1971. The Lord led Brother Tommie to pastor two churches in Ohio and in 1977, led him back to Tennessee to pastor Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Gallatin. He and his wife moved to Lafayette where Brother Tommie pastored Liberty Missionary Baptist Church and Haysville Missionary Baptist Church, both in Lafayette, and Fairview Missionary Baptist Church in Bowling Green, KY. He was still a member of the Lafayette Missionary Baptist Church and while in Ohio was a 3rd degree mason. He is survived by daughter and son-in-law, Jane and James Griffith, son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Paulette Parkhurst, 10 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.