Brown Spurgeon

Brown Spurgeon, 90, Tennessee Ridge, died Thursday, December 27, 2007, at his residence. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Nave Funeral Home with Brother Robert Spurgeon officiating. Sisters Beverly Dycus, Denise Settles, and Dr. Daniel Martin will assist. officiating. Burial will be in Lockhart Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12 noon till 8 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. till the time of service Sunday at the funeral home. Nave Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Mr. Spurgeon is survived by three sons, Blanton (Tony) Spurgeon of Denver, Colorado, Robert (and wife, Jeannette) Spurgeon of Cumberland City, TN and Rick (and wife, Deneice) Spurgeon of Nashville, TN. Grandchildren include Ashley Lynch, Angie Logsdon, Michelle Vance, Kelly DePalo, Greg Spurgeon, Nicole Spurgeon, Scarlett Spurgeon, and Jonathan Spurgeon.In addition he leaves behind seven great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. He is also survived by two brothers, Martin Spurgeon of Erin, TN and James Spurgeon of Tennessee Ridge, TN. He was preceded in death by his wife Jean Spurgeon in October of this year and his father, Finis Ewing Spurgeon, mother Minnie Buckingham Spurgeon, brothers Turney and Lester Spurgeon and sister Marguerite Spurgeon Dillon. Mr. Spurgeon was born February 5, 1917 in the Stewart community of Houston County. He worked as a teenager plowing behind mules for Mr. Ed Largent and also cut crossties with a crosscut saw and using a broad axe to hue them out. He and his brother James owned a grocery store in Tennessee Ridge for a time. Mr. Spurgeon worked for and retired from General Motors after serving there for 25 years. Mr. Spurgeon was an active member of the Tenneessee Ridge United Methodist Church. He and his wife were known for their phone calls to each member of the church on their respective birthdays as they sang their rendition of "Happy Birthday, God Bless You" to each member. Mr. Spurgeon was a staunch supporter of his church and it's ministry for nearly 30 years and continued to be involved with his church up to the time of his death. Mr. Spurgeon was also known throughout Trinity Hospital and Hilcrest Clinic as the "Candy Man", having handed out hundreds of pounds of peppermints to the workers and patients at each location over the years. Mr. Spurgeon enjoyed hunting of every kind. He was a constant companion of Eddie Shelton and Dr. Daniel Martin on rabbit hunting forays throughout middle Tenneessee for nearly 20 years. He also enjoyed the bear hunts that he and his son Robert took to Canada every few years. On one trip he harvested a black bear that weighed 650 pounds. But his favorite hunting was for wild turkey. He harvested his limit of four birds this past spring at the age of 90. Not many hunters can claim that achievment. Pallbearers will be Jonathan Spurgeon, Eddie Shelton, Luke McClain, Beverly Nolan, Joel Nolan, Cecil Baggett, and Randy Baggett. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Tennessee Ridge Baptist Church or the Gideons.