Edith Cavender Cantrell, age 100, of Nashville, Tennessee passed away on Thursday, March 17, 2022. She was born on May 9, 1921 in the small town of Williamsport, Tennessee. Several years later, she and her family moved to Texas for a very short time before returning to Tennessee and making their home in Nashville. She was a graduate of Central High School. She worked for several Nashville businesses including May Hosiery Mill and Kress Department Store before going to work at Avco during World War II. She married James Edward Cantrell on May 6, 1944 in Providence, Rhode Island while he was serving as a SeaBee in the U.S. Navy. They were married 52 years before his death in December 1996. They built their home in Donelson in 1950 and she resided there until her death. When their children were older, she decided to work part-time for Sears and later retired from there. Several years later, she decided to get into retailing again working part-time for Castner Knott, later Dillard’s. She attended Donelson Church of Christ since the early 1950s and cherished her church family. She took great pride in her independence. Prior to the pandemic, she attended church on Sundays and Wednesdays, walked at Opry Mills four to five times a week, worked at the Help Center at her church as well as weekly trips to have her hair done and bi-weekly to have her nails done. She studied the Bible daily and always strived to be an encouragement to others.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Emma Cavender; husband, Ed Cantrell; sisters, Elise Morrow, Frankie Binkley, Florene Williams, and Marjorie Martin. She is survived by sons, Mike Cantrell, Gary (Amy) Cantrell; daughters, Valeria (Steve) Smotherman and Gwen (Allen) Herald; grandchildren, Mike (Karina) Cantrell, Stefanie (Sam) Clowers, Jamie Cantrell, Brooke (Russell) Parrish, Tiffany (Dustin) Hoover, Brittany (J.R.) Carbonell, and Kristina (Dustin) Buttram; great grandchildren, Holland Johns, Courtney Johns, Autumn Parrish, Hudson Parrish, Emma Carbonell, N.J. Carbonell, Madeline Carbonell, Layla Buttram and Timber Buttram.
Visitation will be held Sunday, March 20th from 3 to 8 pm at Hibbett & Hailey Funeral Home. The service will be held Monday, March 21st at 1:30 pm at Donelson Church of Christ, 2706 Old Lebanon Road, with visitation one hour prior to the service. Interment following at Woodlawn Memorial Park, 660 Thompson Lane. Active pallbearers are Sam Clowers, Russell Parrish, Dustin Hoover, J.R. Carbonell, Dustin Buttram and Stan Romine.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Donelson Church of Christ Help Center, 2706 Old Lebanon Road, Nashville, TN 37214 or Alive Hospice, 1629 Williams Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HibbettHaileyFH.com for the Cantrell family.
