Obit – Mrs. Wanda Payne
With her husband at her bedside, the family tearfully witnessed the passing of their loving Wanda Payne as she transitioned from here earthly journey to be with her heavenly father at 7:45 p.m. Friday evening July 17, 2026 at the Cookeville Regional Medical Center where she was admitted July 10th following many months of kidney dialysis. Mrs. Payne, a homemaker of the Sykes Community, was 78 years of age.
Her brother-in-law, Bro. Donny Payne, will officiate at the 3 p.m. Friday afternoon July 24th memorial service from the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home.
The Payne family will receive friends only on Friday afternoon from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. at Sanderson in Carthage.
She was born Wanda Jean Alcorn in Sparta in White County on February 19, 1948 and was one of two sons and two daughters of the late Albert Whitson Alcorn who died July 4, 1985 at the age of 66 and Pauline Jones Alcorn who died February 16, 1993 at the age of 73.
Mrs. Payne was a 1966 graduate of Westmoreland High School.
At the Defeated Creek Park on July 20, 1996, she was united in marriage to Brush Creek Community native Benjamen Cleveland (Benny) Payne. The ceremony was performed by Benny’s uncle, the late Pastor Jerry Smith.
Mrs. Payne suffered the loss of one of her two sons, Travis Shane Denton who died as the result of a stroke and kidney failure at the age of 40 on October 6, 2011.
Well known for her many years of service in Smith County government offices, she was first employed as a clerk in the Smith County Clerk’s office under longtime former clerk, Jimmy Norris.
In 2010 she retied from the Smith County Highway Department as a secretary to the late highway commissioner, Ralph Coble. She was employed with the highway department for eighteen years before her retirement.
Mrs. Payne was a member of the former Carthage Christian Church on Main Street in Carthage, which was destroyed in a fire in April of 2004.
Surviving in addition to her husband Benny of almost thirty years is her son, Lyle Denton of the Buffalo Community; sister, Carol Gann and husband Roger of the Cato Community; two brothers, Mike Alcorn of South Carthage and James Alcorn and wife Chris of Carthage, six grandchildren, Lucas, Tyler, Logan, and Natalie Denton all of Carthage, Ashley Webb and husband Jared of the Pleasant Shade Community, Olivia Denton and husband Brian Bogue of the Hogans Creek Community.
SANDERSON of CARTHAGE
