She was born in Brunswick, Tenn., and moved with her family to East Tennessee as a young girl where she later attended Charleston High School and played basketball for C.A. Kyle.
She became a licensed practical nurse in the late 1950s working at Bradley Memorial Hospital before becoming one of the original employees at Bradley County Nursing Home. She later was employed by Garden Terrace Nursing Home, which later became Life Care where she retired in 1988.
She spent many years working alongside her husband, Jim, in the Bradley County Sports for Youth Program.
She was a member of East Cleveland Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Clark; father, Oscar Milner; mother and stepfather, Irene and G.W. Barber; brothers: Bill Milner, Acie D. Milner, Thomas Barber, Jewel Barber, and Riley Barber; and sister, Virginia Barber Tollison.
Survivors include three sons: Jimmy (Mollie) Clark of Cleveland, Hugh Clark of Chattanooga and Terry Clark of New York City; daughters: Faye (Bob) Nolen and Debbie Clark, both of Cleveland, and Linda (James) Swann of Delta, Ala.; granddaughters: Shannon (Mike) Ward and Susan (Shane) Johnson, both of Cleveland, Melissa (Russ) Swann-Belflower of Dahlonega, Ga., and Ami (Doyle) Tallent of Madisonville; grandsons: Craig Swann of Cleveland, Rob Nolen of Atlanta; and Tyler Swann of Alexandria, Ala.; great-grandchildren: Ashley Lowery, Lily Johnson, Ian Ward, Jacob Ward, Zack Swann, Hailey Swann, Devyn Tallent, and Chloe Tallent; great-great-granddaughter, Alizay Lowery; brothers: Roy (Evelyn) Barber of Cleveland and Reed Barber of Eads; brother-in-law, Bob Tollison of Texas; sisters-in-law: Leona Milner of Kentucky, Sadie Orum of Texas, Anne Barber of Illinois, Shirley Randolph, Jean Smith and Katie Thomas, all of Cleveland, Marge Diorio of Athens, Peggy McClain, Wilma Hines and Jane Kozinski, all of Illinois; and several nieces and nephews.
The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 4, 2011, at Grissom Funeral Home with Pastor Joe Lockman and Reed Barber officiating.
Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens with Craig Swann, Tyler Swann, Shane Johnson, Mike Ward, Ian Ward, and Bobby Greene serving as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 9 this evening and Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home prior to the service.
To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.grissomfh.net.
