Bethel Niena Crownover, 86, of Chattanooga, died on Friday, Jan. 12, 2007, in a local hospital with her family at her side.
She was born Nov. 12, 1920, in Jackson County, Al., the oldest daughter of Walter and Mae Shirley.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 65 years, Howard C. Crownover; an infant son, Howard Jr.; her parents, Walter and Mae Shirley; two sisters, Polly Grider and Doris Neighbors.
She was a devoted mother and homemaker. She loved her family, she loved to teach children’s Bible classes, she loved to quilt and she loved the color purple.
She was a longtime member of the Ridgedale Church of Christ, where she taught Bible classes for over 50 years. She was also very involved with teaching in Inner City Ministries.
She is survived by her daughter, Iris Shirley Crownover; son, Jim L. Crownover and daughter-in-law Rosalind Crownover; daughter, Linda Cooper and son-in-law, James Hunt Cooper, all of Chattanooga; four grandchildren, Rebekah Allison, of Oldsmar, Fl., Rachel Norris, Jonathan Cooper and Katharine Cooper, all of Chattanooga; six great-grandchildren, Cullen Harris, Elizabeth Harris, Marc Allison, Cali Jean Allison, Lily Cooper and Layla Rogers.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Ridgedale Church of Christ with Todd Crayton and John Taylor officiating. Congregational singing will be led by Bruce Keown with a solo by Sara Haynes.
The interment will be at 3 p.m. CST at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Bridgeport, Al., with Larry Grider, John Wilson Crownover, Ronald Turner, Jonathan Cooper, Cullen Harris and Todd Norris serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. Saturday and on Sunday from noon until the hour of service at the funeral home.
Arrangements are by Turner Funeral Home, Dodds Avenue Chapel, 622-3171.