Oval C. Tanner

Oval C. Odie Tanner, age 80, of Pittsburg, died at 5:43 P.M. on Friday, June 29, 2001 at Marion Memorial Hospital. Visitation for Mr. Tanner was on Sunday, July 1st from 5:00-9:00 P.M. at Mitchell-Hughes and resumed on Monday, July 2nd at 9:00 A.M. at the Mt. Pleasant (Poordo) Freewill Baptist Church. Services were held there at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Don Eberhart & Rev. Gary Holmes officiating. Burial followed at the church cemetery. Mr. Tanner was born September 13, 1920 in Williamson County to Herman & Ethel (Dunaway) Tanner. He married Violet Bishop on January, 27, 1940 at Charleston, Missouri. Mr. Tanner was a member of the Mt. Pleasant (Poordo) Church. He had been a deacon for 50 years and song leader for 66 years at the church he loved. He was a retired coal miner and a member of the UMWA Local 1591. Mr; Tanner had many interests, including bird hunting, horseback riding, fishing, gardening, woodworking, and mowing his grass. In his younger days he and his brother-in-law, Bill Mocaby, played baseball together. He liked to keep up with current events. Most of all, Mr. Tanner loved spending time with his family. He is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Rose & Tom Fields of West Frankfort; two granddaughters and their husbands, Michelle & Shane Beal of Johnston City and Cheryl & Chris Cain of Crab Orchard; one grandson and his wife, Scott & Heather Mocaby of Crab Orchard, and seven great-grandchildren, Amanda Lynn Farmer, Austin Beal, Chelsea Beal, all of Johnston City; Christopher Cain and Cody Cain of Crab Orchard; Taylor Mocaby & Brandon Mocaby of Poordo. He is also survived by three sisters, Opal Turner of Carrier Mills, Clara Rogers (and her husband Carl) of Elgin, Helen Turner of Marion, and by several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother, J.B. Tanner, and one nephew, Herman Earl Turner. Memorials for Mr. Tanner may be given to the American Cancer Society or to the Arthritis Foundation.