Robert Bryant Wilson, Jr., 84, of Charleston, TN, died on Tuesday, December 30, 2014.
A graduate of Charleston High School, Bob participated in Future Farmers of America and 4-H Clubs winning numerous cattle shows with both his Jersey and Guernsey dairy cattle. He attended Tennessee Wesleyan College while helping to operate the family farm, Westbrook Farm, and build the dairy herd. Bob became a part of many advances in the dairy industry transitioning from milking by hand with 10 gallon milk cans cooled in a springhouse to electric milking machines and pipelines with sterile stainless steel refrigerated milk tanks. Bob was a perfectionist in whatever project he undertook with his dairy facility winning awards for the lowest bacteria count in the area. He also brought one of the first Brown Swiss dairy herds to Bradley County and took great pride in his profession.
Bob attended Bellefounte Baptist Church until declining health necessitated his move to Garden Plaza and he attended Sunday services there. One of his creative pastimes was woodcarving. He and family members shared many enjoyable hours together playing his favorite games of Parcheesi and scrabble. Upon hearing of his death, one of his many friends summed up Bob’s life with the following words – “Bob was a good man”.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Patsy Owen Wilson; parents, Robert Bryant Wilson, Sr. and Mary Moore Wilson; his grandparents, Noah R. Wilson and Sallie Bryant Wilson and William M. Moore and Mayme Gamble Moore; and a baby brother, Billy Moore Wilson.
Bob is survived by three children and spouses, Robert Bryant Wilson III and Sherry Smiley Wilson of Cleveland, Patti Wilson Kuhns and Ron Kuhns of Ooltewah and Sally Wilson O’Grady and Jack O’Grady of Cleveland; one sister, Mary Tim Wilson Burgin and Bob Burgin; seven grandchildren, Robert Bryant Wilson IV and Angela Saint Wilson of Cleveland, Timothy Wilson and Mari Beth Fortner Wilson of Chattanooga, David Kuhns and Dena Simons Kuhns of Kansas City, Missouri, Jenni Kuhns Evans and Brian Evans of Cabourg, France, Beth O’Grady Young and Derek Young of Soddy-Daisy, Ty O’Grady of Chattanooga and Sean O’Grady of Baltimore, MD; four great- grandchildren, Robert Bryant Wilson V and Carter Wilson of Cleveland, Evalyn Kuhns of Kansas City, MO and Chloe Young of Soddy-Daisy; and two nieces, Lynn Burgin Swany of Bloomington, IN and Lori Woods Marshall of Decatur.
Funeral services will be conducted at noon Saturday, January 3, in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Reverend Bill Bond officiating.
The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Friday, January 2, at the Ralph Buckner Funeral Home, who has charge of the arrangements.