Mary Elizabeth Torbett

Mary Elizabeth Torbett, 95, 832 Pickens Bridge Road, Piney Flats, died Monday, October 22, 2007 at NHC Healthcare. Mrs. Torbett was born January 12, 1912 in Mulberry, FL, the daughter of the late John and Azile Bragdon Peoples. She grew up on the Peoples/Melvin farm on Knob Creek Road, now the site of K-Mart. The Peoples Family was one of the early settlers in East Tennessee. In 1930, she married E. Clare Torbett and moved to the Piney Flats area where she lived for over 75 years. For the past four years she had resided at Broadmore Assisted Living in Johnson City. She was an active member of the Edgefield Methodist Church and was instrumental in the organization of the United Methodist Women in the church. She held various leadership offices in the local church as well as the Johnson City District. She loved telling stories about the early meetings of the Womens Society and how they were held in the day because many women did not drive especially at night. Mary loved to travel and enjoyed going on tours, seeing new places and having new experiences. She was a loving Mother, Grandmother, and Great Grandmother and will be missed by her family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, one brother, James R. Peoples and her son-in-law, Harry Whaley. Survivors include three daughters, Betty Roberts and her husband, Jay, Fall Brook, CA; Sarah Whaley, Piney Flats and Pat Powell and her husband, Bill, Piney Flats; seven grandchildren, Travis Powell and his wife, Melinda, LeAnn Roberts and her husband, DJ, Michael Whaley and his wife, Diane, Richard Whaley and his wife, Vicki, Cynthia Roberts, Dwayne Roberts and Vicki Andreassen and her husband, Ron. A funeral service for Mrs. Torbett will be conducted at 8 PM Thursday, October 25, 2007 from the Morris-Baker Funeral Home South Chapel. Reverend Estel Williams will officiate. Graveside services will be held at 11 AM Friday at Edgefield Cemetery, Piney Flats. Family and friends are asked to assemble at the funeral home at 10:30 AM and travel in procession to the cemetery. Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Michael Whaley, Richard Whaley, Travis Powell and Dwayne Roberts, other family members, DJ Roberts and Warren Torbett and friends, Cecil McGlamery and Pete Carrier. The family will receive friends from 6-8 PM Thursday at the funeral home and at other times at the residence of her daughter, Pat, 761 Pickens Bridge Road, Piney Flats. In lieu of flowers, for those who wish, memorial contributions may be made to The Christian Life Center of Edgefield United Methodist Church or Edgefield Cemetery, C/O Edgefield United Methodist Church, 745 Pickens Bridge Road, Piney Flats, TN 37686. The family wishes to express a special thanks to NHC and JCMC ICU and the 5400 Wing for their care. We also thank Broadmore Assisted Living for their love and support and to all the residents for their friendship.