Obituary of Emily Greer Gatten EMILY GREER GATTEN Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - October 19, 2001 On Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2001, Emily Greer Gatten made her transition after a long and courageous fight against lymphoma. Born in Decatur, Ill., April 9, 1922, she grew up in a midwestern farming community. She graduated from University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in speech. During World War II she was a munitions expert and served the state of Illinois in a high-ranking civil service position which required extensive travel. After the war she moved to Chicago where she attended the University of Chicago and was a flight attendant for United Airlines. On Sept. 27, 1947, she married Ernest Burdette Gatten Jr. and moved to Franklin. She led an active life in Franklin, raising three children, holding various offices, including president of the Franklin Women's Club, the Franklin Garden Club and her book club. She also served as a leader in the Girl and Cub scouts. A member for more than 50 years of the Franklin Congregational Christian Church, she served unselfishly in various offices of church organizations, including the Women's Fellowship and the Ethel Norfleet Circle. She was also a longtime choir member. As a highly active person, over the years she studied and engaged in the Early American Art style of painting furniture, excelled in hand-built pottery and enjoyed the finer skills of photography. A student of the Ikebona method of flower arranging, she completed in and won a number of flower arranging competitions. As a frequent traveler, she enjoyed exploring new cultures both here and abroad. Mrs. Gatten pioneered and developed the first kindergarten program at the Franklin Baptist Church. For many years she worked at the Franklin Public Library, specializing in children's literature. In more recent years she was active in the Relay For Life campaign in Franklin. She was a friend to all and an inspiration to many. She will be sorely missed by her family and this community. Locally she is survived by her husband of 54 years, Dr. E.B. Gatten Jr.; her three children, Caroline J. Gatten, Dr. E. Burdette Gatten III and Charles G. Gatten; her beloved daughter-in-law and niece, Joanne Raiford Gatten and Rebecca Gatten Jester, respectively; her two granddaughters, Gabrielle and Barclay Gatten; and her great-niece and -nephew, Meredith and William DeLuca. Surviving out-of-town relatives include two nieces, Melissa Bailey Leonard and husband Edward and son Bruce and Catherine Gatten Anderson and husband Roger and sons Jordan and Joshua; her nephew, Gregory Alan Bailey and daughters, Diane, Laura and Elizabeth; and many great-nieces, -nephews, and across the country ranging from California to New Jersey. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday in the chapel of Wright Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Ira D. Hudgins and the Rev. Fr. Carl DeSouza officiating. Burial will be in Poplar Spring Cemetery . The family will receive friends Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home and suggests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society through the Relay For Life, c/o Mrs. Ruth Petty, 116 Southampton Road, Franklin, VA 23851. Caption: Photo Edition: FINAL Section: LOCAL Page: B8 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Emily Greer Gatten, after a long fight with lymphoma, died on 17 Oct 2001. She was active in Franklin, VA, contributing to community, church, and local organizations, and raising three children. A funeral was held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Wright Funeral Home chapel, officiated by Rev. Dr. Ira D. Hudgins and Rev. Fr. Carl DeSouza. Burial followed at Poplar Spring Cemetery. ––– Transcript ––– EMILY GREER GATTEN Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - 19 Oct 2001 On Wednesday, 17 Oct 2001, Emily Greer Gatten made her transition after a long and courageous fight against lymphoma. Born in Decatur, Ill., 9 Apr 1922, she grew up in a midwestern farming community. She graduated from University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in speech. During World War II she was a munitions expert and served the state of Illinois in a high-ranking civil service position which required extensive travel. After the war she moved to Chicago where she attended the University of Chicago and was a flight attendant for United Airlines. On 27 Sept 1947, she married Ernest Burdette Gatten Jr. and moved to Franklin. She led an active life in Franklin, raising three children, holding various offices, including president of the Franklin Women's Club, the Franklin Garden Club and her book club. She also served as a leader in the Girl and Cub scouts. A member for more than 50 years of the Franklin Congregational Christian Church, she served unselfishly in various offices of church organizations, including the Women's Fellowship and the Ethel Norfleet Circle. She was also a longtime choir member. As a highly active person, over the years she studied and engaged in the Early American Art style of painting furniture, excelled in hand-built pottery and enjoyed the finer skills of photography. A student of the Ikebona method of flower arranging, she completed in and won a number of flower arranging competitions. As a frequent traveler, she enjoyed exploring new cultures both here and abroad. Mrs. Gatten pioneered and developed the first kindergarten program at the Franklin Baptist Church. For many years she worked at the Franklin Public Library, specializing in children's literature. In more recent years she was active in the Relay For Life campaign in Franklin. She was a friend to all and an inspiration to many. She will be sorely missed by her family and this community. Locally she is survived by her husband of 54 years, Dr. E.B. Gatten Jr.; her three children, Caroline J. Gatten, Dr. E. Burdette Gatten III and Charles G. Gatten; her beloved daughter-in-law and niece, Joanne Raiford Gatten and Rebecca Gatten Jester, respectively; her two granddaughters, Gabrielle and Barclay Gatten; and her great-niece and -nephew, Meredith and William DeLuca. Surviving out-of-town relatives include two nieces, Melissa Bailey Leonard and husband Edward and son Bruce and Catherine Gatten Anderson and husband Roger and sons Jordan and Joshua; her nephew, Gregory Alan Bailey and daughters, Diane, Laura and Elizabeth; and many great-nieces, -nephews, and across the country ranging from California to New Jersey. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Sunday in the chapel of Wright Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Ira D. Hudgins and the Rev. Fr. Carl DeSouza officiating. Burial will be in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The family will receive friends Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home and suggests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society through the Relay For Life, c/o Mrs. Ruth Petty, 116 Southampton Road, Franklin, VA 23851. Caption: Photo Edition: FINAL Section: LOCAL Page: B8 ––– Vital Statistics Summary ––– |-----------------------------------------| | Name | Emily Greer Gatten | | Age | 79 | | Birth | 9 Apr 1922; Decatur, Illinois | | Death | 17 Oct 2001; Franklin, Virginia | |-----------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |---------------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | |----------------------------|-------------------|--------------------| | Emily Greer Gatten | Decedent | Franklin, Virginia | | Dr. E.B. Gatten Jr. | Husband | Franklin, Virginia | | Caroline J. Gatten | Daughter | Franklin, Virginia | | Dr. E. Burdette Gatten III | Son | Franklin, Virginia | | Charles G. Gatten | Son | Franklin, Virginia | | Joanne Raiford Gatten | Daughter-in-law | Franklin, Virginia | | Rebecca Gatten Jester | Niece | Franklin, Virginia | | Gabrielle Gatten | Granddaughter | Franklin, Virginia | | Barclay Gatten | Granddaughter | Franklin, Virginia | | Meredith DeLuca | Great-niece | Franklin, Virginia | | William DeLuca | Great-nephew | Franklin, Virginia | | Melissa Bailey Leonard | Niece | Out-of-town | | Edward Leonard | Niece's Husband | Out-of-town | | Bruce Leonard | Niece's Son | Out-of-town | | Catherine Gatten Anderson | Niece | Out-of-town | | Roger Anderson | Niece's Husband | Out-of-town | | Jordan Anderson | Niece's Son | Out-of-town | | Joshua Anderson | Niece's Son | Out-of-town | | Gregory Alan Bailey | Nephew | Out-of-town | | Diane Bailey | Nephew's Daughter | Out-of-town | | Laura Bailey | Nephew's Daughter | Out-of-town | | Elizabeth Bailey | Nephew's Daughter | Out-of-town | |---------------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |---------------------------------| | Field | Value | |----------|----------------------| | Location | Norfolk, Virginia | | Name | Virginian-Pilot, The | | Date | 19 Oct 2001 | | Edition | FINAL | | Section | LOCAL | | Page | B8 | |---------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Born in Decatur, Illinois • Graduated from University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in speech • Served as a munitions expert during World War II • Held a high-ranking civil service position for the state of Illinois • Attended the University of Chicago • Worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines • President of Franklin Women's Club • President of Franklin Garden Club • President of her book club • Leader in Girl and Cub Scouts • Member of Franklin Congregational Christian Church for over 50 years • Served in Women's Fellowship and Ethel Norfleet Circle • Longtime choir member • Studied Early American Art furniture painting • Engaged in hand-built pottery • Practiced photography • Student of Ikebana flower arranging • Developed the first kindergarten program at Franklin Baptist Church • Worked at Franklin Public Library, specializing in children's literature • Active in Relay For Life campaign in Franklin • Birth name was Emily Greer [Contributed by Bruce Saunders, bs4403@verizon.net] --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may have contributed to the creation of this text. 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