Jimmy Joe Stephens

View Funeral WebcastJimmy Joe Stephens, 58, retired from Kroger Company in Campbell Plaza and resident of Mockingbird Drive, died Monday, August 3, 2009 at Maury Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 12:00 noon at Oakes & Nichols with Pastor Steve Swango officiating. Burial will follow at Polk Memorial Gardens with military honors at graveside provided by the Tennessee Army National Guard Honors Unit. The family will visit with friends Wednesday from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the funeral home. Notes of sympathy may be sent to www.oakesandnichols.com. The Maury County native was the son of the late James Clyde Stephens and Janie E. Norman Stephens. In 1966, he began working for the Kroger Company while attending high school. After graduation from Columbia Central High School in 1968 he entered the U. S. Army and served a tour of duty in Viet Nam. Following discharge, he returned to the Kroger Company and worked there as a produce clerk until his retirement after 40 years employment. He was a member of Columbia Elks Lodge 686 and the Fruit of the Vine. Mr. Stephens was an avid fan of UT football, Atlanta Braves baseball and enjoyed watching his grandchildren participating in sports. Survivors include four sons, Josh (Raven) Stephens, twins, Jake Stephens and Jon Stephens, all of Columbia, and Brent (Stephanie) Watts of Lynnville; step-daughter, Stacey (Ed) Willoughby of Athens, Alabama; 7 grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; sisters, Betty Bradley of Columbia, Brenda (Ben) Uselton of Ashland, Ohio, and Nancy (Tim) Creel of Columbia; brothers, Bobby (Judy) Stephens of Leesburg, Georgia and David (Su) Stephens of Culleoka; several nephews and great-nieces; and mother of his children and caregiver during his illness, Pam Stephens of Columbia. Active pallbearers are Jerry Putnam, Donnie Putnam, Charlie Lee, David Nichols, David Fly, Pee Wee Posey, and Ronnie Ray. Honorary pallbearers are former and current employees of Kroger #507 and members of Fruit of the Vine.