Louise Tankersley Rimel

She was born on February 11, 1918 in Cullman County, Alabama to the late Robert Edward Tankersley and Ollie Mae Bradford Tankersley. Louise grew up in Cullman County and attended West Point High School where she received Miss West Point and played on the Basketball team as a guard. During World War II she went to Hume-Fogg Aircraft Technical School in Nashville and went to work for Tennessee Aircraft where she worked on the P-47 Thunderbolt until World War II was over.

After the war she married the love of her life John Robert Rimel and moved to Chattanooga in 1953. She was employed and retired from Miller Brothers and was an active member for over 50 years at Red Bank Baptist Church, the Lorene Tilford Sunday School Class and Senior Adults until she was unable to attend.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and four brothers, Comer, Eddie, Dean and Lewis Tankersley and two sisters, Ethel Tankersley Greene and Marjorie Tankersley Hammett.

Louise is survived by her three children, John Robert (Debra) Rimel of Roswell, Georgia, Jan Rimel (Karl) Bolus of Chattanooga and Judy Rimel (Ted) Hope of Rock Spring, Georgia; three grandsons, John Robert Rimel, III, Thomas Jeremiah Rimel and Ted Jonas Hope, III and one granddaughter, Stephanie Rimel and several nephews and nieces.

The family wishes to thank all of her doctors, the staff, Tyra Bell and Hospice of Chattanooga for their care and compassion given to Mrs. Rimel during her illness.

The family will receive friends from 4 to 7 pm on Wednesday and 11 am to 1 pm on Thursday at the North Chapel.

Services for Louise will be held at 1 pm on Thursday at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home with Dr. Fred Steelman, Rev. Bert Jones and Rev. Bill Harvey officiating. Burial will follow in Hamilton Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Louise’s name to Hospice of Chattanooga, P. O. Box 19269, Chattanooga, TN 37416 or Red Bank Baptist Church, 4000 Dayton Blvd., Red Bank, TN 37415.

Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist.