I don’t believe Ole Bob ever lived in Brentwood, but his roots here ran deep.
Bob Battle, who had a 54-year career with the Nashville Banner, and for nine years wrote his Livin' Country column in The Tennessean’s Williamson A.M. section, belonged to Brentwood United Methodist Church for over 50 years.
His funeral was held there Tuesday.
I first met Bob through Mary Hance, a k a Ms. Cheap, and her annual Cheapest of the Cheap contest. As Mary’s editor for several years, I helped judge her famous contest. Bob – who took great pride in being thrifty – had been a finalist so many years that Mary finally created a “Hall of Fame” category just for him to give others a chance to win.
In the early 2000s, Bob and his bride of 61 years, Libby Ogilvie Battle, and I met up again as judges at the annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Barbeque competition in Lynchburg, Tenn. Bob loved to judge the barbecue competition almost as much as he loved to sample the entries.
The world-famous distillery lost one of its best supporters and promoters with Bob’s passing. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s not feasting on a few ribs in heaven right now.
Later, as an editor at Williamson A.M., I had the pleasure of editing Bob’s columns every week. After the Banner’s demise, Bob was lost. It had been his life and he wasn’t shy about sharing that. But the column gave him new purpose and gave local newspaper readers a reason to smile once a week.
Bishop Robert Spain gave the eulogy on Tuesday. He shared how Bob and Libby had met over 60 years ago when they each commuted daily from Williamson County to downtown Nashville on a commuter bus, and how they had hooked up over “the cheapest dowry” on record, strawberry ice cream cones purchased by Bob at one of the bus stops.
He shared that Bob had met and written about seven U.S. Presidents, had authored over 2000 articles for magazines and papers across the country, and how he had been one of the founders of Brentwood Methodist’s Robert I. Moore Sunday School class, which formed over 50 years ago and is still going strong.
And finally, the good bishop shared the last two sentences of Bob’s final column, published last Friday, the day he died:
“That’s my story! And it’s now approaching suppertime down South.”
Or in heaven as the case may be.
Belmont president starts recruiting early
Another Bob -- Dr. Robert Fisher, president of Belmont University – will be in Brentwood this Saturday. The author of Life is a Gift is giving the keynote address at Brentwood High School’s Parent Summit.
If you have an eighth grader planning to attend BHS next year, this event is planned just for you. It begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday – not 2:30 as we published earlier this month; ouch! – and runs until 3:30 p.m.
Breaking up’s so hard to do
Two celebrations of note are coming up…
Judy Dishman, whose official title has been administrative assistant to the Williamson County Schools superintendent for many years -- but who many are convinced actually ran the school system -- will be toasted at 3 p.m. Thursday at a retirement reception in the Carolyn Campbell Room at the WCS’ Central Office in Franklin. Everyone who’s ever worked for the school district’s invited, so spread the word!
And next Friday, Feb. 5, Brentwood Library Director Chuck Sherrill will be celebrated at a reception at the library between 3:30 and 5 p.m. before he takes on his new role as State Librarian and Archivist.
Everyone’s invited. And if you have any “Chuckism” quotes or photos to add to the reception presentation, please send them to
annclapp@gmail.com.
