Margaret Naomi Rhyne

Margaret Naomi Whitehead Rhyne passed away April 14, 2011 and joined her husband of 54 years, Fred L. Rhyne, in heaven. There to greet her were her parents, Burl and Melvina Lucinda (Mellie) Tipton Whitehead and her paternal grandparents James Alford and Lucinda Hall Whitehead along with her maternal grandparents Noah Harrison and Nancy Susannah LeQuire Tipton. Margaret was born at Chilhowee, Tennessee on December 13, 1914. Shortly after her birth the family moved to Alcoa (now known as Calderwood). Her father snaked logs for the building of the company dams in the area. The family made several moves after work ran out at Alcoa. They moved to Prospect and Hubbard where Mr. Whitehead was a furrier and blacksmith. The final move was to Union Community when Margaret and her siblings attended Everett High School. She graduated from Everett and then from Maryville College in 1936 where her major subjects were English and French. Walking to school each day, she worked in the college Maid Shop to help pay expenses. Teaching was a pleasure to her and she taught at Walland, Chilhowee View, and Bungalow. Her husband Fred L. Rhyne co-owned Rhyne Bros. Supermarket on Morganton road with his brother Joe. After retirement, she and Fred loved to jump in their motor home and travel, visiting all fifty states, some Canadian Provinces, Mexico, Guatemala, and England. A local genealogist, she wrote two books; Rhyne Families of East Tennessee and Whitehead and Related Families. She is the last surviving member of her family of six children who were: Earl, Georgia, Evelyn (married George Rutherford), Clyde (married Carleen Whitehead), and Don Whitehead. She has four children: Reba Carolyn Rhyne Meiller; Fred David Rhyne and spouse Vicki Breneman Rhyne; Clyde Thomas Rhyne and spouse Elizabeth Geren Rhyne, and Burl Timothy Rhyne and spouse Marsha Smith Rhyne. Four grandchildren survive her: Melissa Meiller Belandres and husband, Dennis; Anna Rhyne; Samuel Rhyne, and Margaret (Meg) Rhyne along with one great-grandson, Benjamin Belandres. Family will receive friends from 2:30 until 3:30 pm, Saturday, April 16, 2011 at Smith Trinity Chapel. Funeral service will be at 3:30 pm with Dr. C. Thomas Rhyne officiating. Interment will follow the funeral service at Grandview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Luke's Community Clinic, 316 N. Royal Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630. Or to the mission fund at East Maryville Baptist Church, 1150 Brown School Road, Maryville, TN 37804 where she was a member. Smith Funeral & Cremation Service, Maryville, 865-983-1000. To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Margaret Naomi Rhyne please visit our Sympathy Store.