Edythe Margaret (Harvey) Wolfe

Edythe Margaret Harvey Wolfe, age 97, of Morristown, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at her home. She was a faithful member of Chinquapin and Rock Bridge Baptist Churches in Hancock County before moving her membership to Alpha Baptist Church. Edythe graduated from Hancock County High School, class of 1946, where she was selected Queen, an honor she cherished. She loved Hancock County – the people, the land, the solid Christian upbringing she received there, and the memories and friendships formed in her twenty nine years of living there. After graduating High School, Edythe prepared for a career in teaching, attending ETSU, LMU, and U.T. Knoxville where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education. She also did further course work in educational studies at Carson-Newman and the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Edythe completed her student teaching requirements at University High in Johnson City before accepting a position in 1949 at Fairmont Elementary School in Hancock County as a teacher of grades 1 – 4 and principal of the two-room and fifty student school. Three years later, she accepted an identical position at Clinchdale Elementary School in Hancock County. In 1955, Edythe married Clifton Wolfe, also a native of Hancock County, and moved to Morristown where she taught third and fourth grade at Fairview Marguerite Elementary School for eight years and thirty years at Alpha Elementary. She retired from teaching in 1993 and taught over 1200 students and clocked over 55,000 hours in the classroom. Her classes were learning intensive, particularly the subject of reading, strict, engaging, but always fair. During her thirty eight year tenure in Hamblen County Schools, she worked for five School Superintendents: George Jaynes, J.B. Shockley, J.T. Wolfenbarger, Herbert Harville, and Dr. Earnest Walker. Retirement presented her with many opportunities to pursue an active and fulfilling life. She continued her responsibilities as wife and mother and enjoyed working on the family farms at Alpha and Witt. She loved gardening and canning tomatoes, her famous white half runner beans, and eight day sweet and nine day dill pickles. Edythe also assisted in the planting of several tobacco crops and grading the crop for presentation and sale at the market. Attending cattle sales at markets in Morristown, Rogersville, and Greeneville and special cattle shows at U.T. Agricultural Campus with her husband and son brought her joy. Music and reading were also important in her life. She loved chocolate, cornbread, sausage and gravy, fried corn, the colors yellow and purple, U.T. football, Kentucky basketball, and cats and dogs. Edythe was the exemplar of the Proverbs 31 woman: noble character, strong work ethic, kind and trustworthy, patient and generous, and loved Jesus with all her heart. She was an impactful and good life well-lived – a member of the greatest generation. Edythe was preceded in death by her parents, Robert Harvey, Sr. and Anne Jackson Harvey; father-in-law and mother-in-law, Bud and Blanche Wolfe; husband of sixty one years, Clifton Wolfe; twin sister, Ella Umberger; sister, Helen Chambers; brother, Robert Harvey, Jr.; brothers-in-law, Raymond Wolfe, Duane Umberger, and Lon Wolfe, Jr.; sisters-in-law, Willie Joe Wolfe and Anna Lee Wolfe; and nephew, Danny Wolfe. She is survived by her son, Dennis Wolfe of Morristown; sisters-in-law, Sophia Wolfe of St. Simons, Georgia and Marie Russell Harvey of Asheville, NC; and a host of nieces and nephews. Special thanks to good friend and caregiver, Carol Ramsey, who provided Mom with professional, excellent, kind, empathetic, and loving care. Also, thank you to good friend and neighbor Ginger Tyler for her kindness and unwavering support during this difficult time. Thank you also to Amedisys Home Health and Amedisys Hospice. The family will receive friends from 4 – 6 p.m. Thursday, July 18th at Westside Chapel Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 6 p.m. with Rev. Tim Jones officiating. Family and friends will meet at 11 a.m. Friday, July 19th at Hamblen Memory Gardens for graveside services. Arrangements by Westside Chapel Funeral Home in Morristown.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Edythe Margaret (Harvey) Wolfe, please visit our floral store.