Millard "Bud" Mitchum Jr

View Video Tribute View Funeral Webcast Millard Franklin "Bud" Mitchum, Jr., 79, died peacefully at Williamson Medical Center surrounded by family and friends after a brief illness. Visitation will be held at Oakes and Nichols on Sunday, November 4th from noon to 2:00 p.m. The service will be at 2:00 p.m. with The Rev. Rob Courtney officiating. A private burial and a small gathering of friends and family at the home of Alice Ann Mitchum Fitts in Spring Hill will follow. For those who desire, the family suggests memorials to Brightstone, 140 Southeast Parkway Court, Franklin, TN 37064 or to support scholarships through either the Tennessee 4-H Foundation, % Steve Sutton, 205 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle, Knoxville, TN. 37996-4510 or Tennessee FFA Foundation, 4th Floor Andrew Johnson Tower, 710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN. 37243-0383. Notes of condolence may be extended at oakesandnichols.com. Born on September 9, 1933 in Nashville, Bud was a life-long resident of "Longview Farm" in Spring Hill and long-time farmer in Williamson, Maury, Marshall, and Cheatham counties. Bud graduated from Spring Hill High School where he was the captain of the football team. He attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, deciding to return home to Spring Hill to farm after two years. Bud served in the U. S. Army, 30TH Battalion, 5th Infantry at Fort Carson, Colorado and then in Germany prior to returning home again to continue farming. He operated a dairy for many years in the Rally Hill community before focusing primarily on cattle and diversified farm operations. He was proud of being able to farm and expand both old farms that had been in the family for close to 100 years and new acquisitions. He relished sharing his passion for farming with young farmers in the area. For a number of years he enjoyed his membership, service, and friends in the Tennessee Farm Bureau, Maury County Co-Op, Tennessee Cattlemen's Association and other agricultural, civic, and community associations and groups. He was an avid outdoorsman and took great pride in having started hunting at a very early age following in the footsteps of his Dad and "best friend." Bud was a consummate story teller and could find a tale to fit any circumstances. He could always find a use for anything and was a frequent visitor to the Gary Auction Barn for many years on Monday and Friday nights, always coming home with something. He also found a way to turn things to his advantage on most occasions. While hosting a recent Mule Day wagon train, he reveled in the "free fertilizer" the mules provided and the music and food that he was able to enjoy as host. When a traditional van with a chairlift would not take him where he wanted to go after he began using a wheelchair, he purchased a surplus Maury County school bus, at auction of course, equipped it for his special needs, revamped the interior to handle cattle feed, and could often been seen about town in "Bud's yellow bus". He was a life-long communicant of Grace Episcopal Church. Bud was predeceased by his parents, Millard F. Mitchum, Sr. and Mary Polk Mitchum; nephew, Robert Fitts; and by numerous beloved aunts, uncles and cousins. He is survived by his sister, Alice Ann Mitchum Fitts (William E. Fitts) of Spring Hill; niece, Alicia Annette Fitts; nephew, Stephen Mitchum Fitts, both of Spring Hill; and great-nephews, Andrew Powell Fitts and Brooks Mitchum Fitts, both of Raleigh, North Carolina; first cousins, Jere Mitchum, Robert Mitchum Jr., William Mitchum, Betsy Bourner Butler, and Jeanne Acton; and many life-long friends, neighbors, and special care-givers. Pallbearers will be Pat Campbell, James Paul Gary, Randy Lochridge, Jimmy Martin, Sam Turner, and Stacey Turner. Honorary pallbearers are James Barbe, Ben Gary, Elvis Caldwell, James Lochridge, Jere Mitchum, Robert Mitchum Jr, William Mitchum, and Elton Wentzel.