Obit – Mr. Jerry Nixon

Mr. Jerry Nixon age 86, a tobacco and cattle farmer of the Defeated Creek Community, died peacefully at 12:05 a.m. Monday morning May 12, 2025 at his Nixon Hollow Lane home with his son at his bedside. He was pronounced deceased at 12:58 a.m. by Gentiva Hospice of Livingston who had been lovingly assisting the family with his care.

Mr. Nixon was at the Carthage Chapel of Sanderson Funeral Home where his services were conducted on Thursday morning May 15, 2025 at 11 a.m. with Rickey West officiating. Burial followed beside his wife in the Nixon Family Cemetery in the Nixon Hollow in the Defeated Creek Community.

He was born Jerry Albert Nixon on April 15, 1939 at the homeplace in the Nixon hollow and was the oldest of two sons and a daughter of the late Ottie Albert Nixon who died November 10, 1988 at the age of 78 and Sallie Elizabeth Nixon who died April 26, 1999 at the age of 84.

Mr. Nixon was a 1958 graduate of Smith County High School where he majored in agriculture, was an outstanding football player at the left end position, and basketball player all four years and was a member of the “C” club. His junior and senior year he made all conference in football. Hiss freshman year he was class president and sophomore year was class reporter. 

He was in the chorus his junior and senior year and the senior was voted Mr. Chorus. The last three years he attended the State Future Farmers of America Convention, was chapter president his senior year, a member of the F.F.A. Parliamentarian team the junior and senior year, his senior year was a sub-district F.F.A. officer, and participated in the skills contest both his junior and senior year. His junior and senior years he was also a member of the science club and was an usher in the junior play.

The statement made of him in the “58 “Owl” annual was; I am fearfully and wonderfully made”.

Mr. Nixon’s wife of forty years, Bettye West Nixon, preceded him in death on January 20, 2024 at the age of 75. They were wed in Gallatin in September of 1983.

Mr. Nixon was a member of the Cornwells Chapel Missionary Baptist Church where he was saved at the age of 15 and was baptized into the full fellowship of the church by then pastor, Eld. Albert Crouch.

He retired in the 1980’s from the Opryland Hotel and Park complex where he was employed in security.

He loved all kind of sports, was an avid fan of the Tennessee Volunteers football program and supported the Smith County High School Owls football team, because of his love and involvement in the game.

He is survived by a daughter, Rhonda Nixon Chandler and husband Kevin of Pleasant View, TN; son, David Nixon and wife Jennifer Bush Nixon of the Defeated Creek Community; step-daughter, Tonya Craighead and husband Jeff of the Kempville Community; seven grandchildren, Lashae Johnson and husband James, Chris Nixon and wife Megan, Kristen Boyett all of the Defeated Creek Community, Tia McKinney of Cookeville, Kevin Craighead and fiancée  Kayla Stinson of Cookeville, Rianna Leishman and husband Jake of Beallsville, Ohio, Tanner Decker of Alledonia, Ohio; sister, Sally Marie Nixon Woodard of the Defeated Creek Community; brother, Tommy Nixon of Shelbyville.

The Nixon Family requests memorials to the Joey Kemp Scholarship Fund.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE