Minnie & Tusco Carender

   Minnie Carender, 95, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 5. Tusco, 96, her husband of 74 years, joined her six days later on October 11.

   She was born Minnie Ruth Peacock in Lenoir City, Tennessee on March 27, 1927 to George Washington Monroe & Georgia Mae Presley Peacock.

   He was born Tusco Farmer Carender in Somerset, Kentucky on November 19, 1925 to Walter C. & Pearl Ann Hall Carender.  

   They were married on October 30, 1948.

   Minnie was a graduate of Lincoln High School in Cambridge City. She attended Olivet Nazarene University, IU Extension Center at Earlham College, IU East, Ball State College in Muncie and received her BS in Home Economics Education and a Masters in Secondary Education from the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ.

   She was employed by Crosley Division Avco for 15 years, YWCA in Tucson, Arizona State Vocational Dept., Arizona State Welfare Dept., District 1 Tucson Public Schools Adult Education Dept. and retired from Richmond Community Schools in 1988 after 20 years of teaching Home Economics. Minnie joined the Nazarene church at age 12 and both were faithful members of the Williamsburg Church of the Nazarene. She was a member of Pi Lambda Theta, Phi Kappa Phi, Delta Kappa Gamma, Gamma Sigma Delta and Omicron Nu.

    Tusco was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and participated in the campaign to Liberate the Philippine Islands near the end of the war. He later served in the Indiana national Guard.    He was employed as a millwright by Johns-Manville in Richmond for 20 years and enjoyed hunting.

   Minnie was an avid genealogist. She and Tusco traveled extensively researching several books she compiled for all of her family lines. Minnie also published several novels and enjoyed doing many kinds of crafts.

   Minnie & Tusco will be missed by their son, Alan Carender & wife, Melinda; daughter-in-law, Janice Carender; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; Tusco’s brother, James Emerson Carender, and nieces & nephews.

   Minnie & Tusco were preceded in death by their parents, sons, Ronald Dale Carender and Gary Gene Carender; Minnie’s siblings, Mary Pearl Peacock, Clara Mae Peacock Wines, Betty June Crosby and John L. Edgar Peacock; and Tusco’s siblings, Rosie Couch, Ida Peacock, Melvin Carender, Robert Carender, Dudley Carender, Arimetria King, Margaret Coomer and Joseph Carender.

   Visitation will be held from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 16 at the Smith-McQuiston & Webster Funeral Home, 321 US 27 South, Fountain City.

   Services will be conducted at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 17, at the funeral home. Interment will follow in Webster Cemetery.

   Memorial contributions are encouraged for the National Breast Cancer Foundation, PO Box 676910, Dallas, TX 75267-6910 or Foundation Fighting Blindness at donate.fightingblindness.org