Obit – Mrs. Gertrude “Granny” Burnett

Mrs. Gertrude, more lovingly known as Granny, Burnett of the Tanglewood Community, died peacefully at the age of 92 at 9:45 p.m. Thursday evening October 23, 2025 at the Pavilion Assisted Living in Lebanon where she was admitted August 4th. Granny suffered from congestive heart failure.

Mrs. Burnett was at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home. Her funeral services were conducted on Tuesday afternoon October 28th at 1 p.m. from the Anderson & Garrett Funeral Home in Joelton. Burial followed beside her husband in the Oakwood United Methodist Church Cemetery in Cheatham County.

Granny was born June 19, 1933 in Joelton and was one of five children, four sons and a daughter of the late Albert Franklin Merritt who died November 15, 1964 at the age of 56 and Emma Lou Simpkins Merritt who died June 21, 1995 at the age of 85.

Granny was grieved at the loss of her only grandchild, Rhonda Michelle Brown Gregory who died at the age of 50 on May 14, 2024 following a long battle with Gram Negative Sepsis, a health condition she had battled for several years.

Three brothers preceded her in death, Thomas Merritt and Alfred Merritt and an infant brother, Clyde Edward Merritt who died at the age of 3 in September of 1939.

Before her retirement she worked in cabinet making.

She was a non-denominational Christian.

Surviving is her daughter, Brenda Brown (longtime owner of Brenda’s Restaurant in Carthage) and friend Tip Reid of the Tanglewood Community; son Roy Hall and wife Debbie of Ashland City; two great-grandchildren, Bren Denney and husband Austin of the Rome Community, Bryce Gregory of Hartsville; brother, James Merritt and wife Gayle of Mount Juliet; three great-great-grandchildren, Winston, Wylie, and Wrett Denney all of the Rome Community.

After moving to Carthage to be near her family, she was a fixture at her daughter’s restaurant drinking coffee and lovingly trying to start a fuss with Brenda’s customers who were special to her.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE