2008 saw passing of notable citizens

The year 2008 saw the passing of some notable Bedford County residents, including elected officials, business and civic leaders, and a much-beloved pastor.

Commissioner dies

A man who represented the Third District of Bedford County for 30 years, Roger Brothers, died July 19 in Nashville following an extended illness.

Brothers was one of the longest-serving, and most powerful, members of Bedford County Board of Commissioners. He received much of the credit for securing funding for the county's current school building program, so much so that the gymnasium at the new Community High School was named after Brothers.

Brothers was a former member and chairman of Shelbyville & Bedford County Senior Citizens Center board, served several terms as president of the Community School PTO and was a charter member of the Unionville Volunteer Fire Department.

He was also a past president of the Junior Pro Association of Unionville. Brothers expanded and coached Little League and Babe Ruth baseball for several years. Brothers also was a retired chief warrant officer with the Tennessee National Guard, serving for 38 years before his retirement in 1998.

His wife Janice was appointed to fill his county commission seat on an interim basis and was elected to that seat in the November election.

Harrison dies

Fred Harrison, who served on both the Shelbyville City Council and the Bedford County Commission, died after an extended illness.

Harrison, 78, passed away Oct. 31 at Bedford County Nursing Home. Active until the end, Harrison was in his second term as a councilman and had previously served 12 years on the Bedford County Board of Commissioners, chairing the budget and finance committee for six years.

Harrison was also a member of the Bedford County Solid Waste Authority, had served on the city's bid committee, the Industrial Development Board, Senior Citizens Center board, Child Development Center board, and on the Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation and Guidance committee.

He was a native of Wheel, and for 40 years, he owned and operated Fred's Bookkeeping and Tax Service. Harrison had also been a school teacher and was known as a skilled furniture maker.

McGrew passes

Long-time banker and founder of First Community Bank of Bedford County Sydney C. "Bud" McGrew passed away March 23 at the age of 75.

Aside from being a leader in Bedford County's financial community, McGrew was also active in Bedford County Arts Council, the Fly Arts Center, and was involved with the continuing effort to bring a satellite campus of Middle Tennessee State University to Shelbyville.

He was also on the board of directors of Bethsalem Chapel and was a former elder of the Presbyterian Church.

McDonald mourned

Cancer took another civic and financial leader in 2008. Scott McDonald, 63, a former Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce executive and president of FirstBank's Shelbyville and Fayetteville operations, died June 26.

McDonald was a member of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration Association and was the brother of Celebration vice-chairman Charles McDonald. He was one of the driving forces in bringing the Nashville Symphony to Shelbyville for the annual "Symphony at the Celebration" concert.

McDonald also had served as president of Fly Manufacturing Co. in Shelbyville for several years and a short term as president of Fly's parent company, Bayly Corporation of Denver, Colo.

Welch family tragedy

The former pastor of First Christian Church and his family died in early February in an accident in Macon County, which had been ravaged by tornados that month.

The Rev. Michael Welch, 51, who had become a United Methodist pastor, his wife Juli, his 11-year-old daughter Hannah, and his 14-year-old son Jesse were killed on Feb. 7 while providing tornado relief in Lafayette. The family had moved to West Tennessee but their death shocked and saddened many who had been their friends and parishioners in Shelbyville.

The family members were killed after their van was rear-ended by a tractor trailer, which crumbled the vehicle into another truck in front of them.

Other notable passings in Bedford County were:

* John C. "Junior" Helton, 82, a former county commissioner and World War II P.O.W., died Feb. 20.

* Joan Ferguson. 77, of Wartrace, who was active with the Chamber of Commerce, passed on March 2.

* Community leader Mary Pepper Fort, 92, died July 3.

* Mildred William Locke, 89, who was active in the Bell Buckle craft community, passed away Nov. 1.

-- John I. Carney and David Melson assisted with this report.