Linda Rankhorn Byars

Linda Rankhorn Byars, age 84, resident of Somerville, Tennessee and wife of the late Charles Morris Byars, Sr., jumped into the arms of Jesus on Friday afternoon, August 9, 2024 at Baptist Reynolds Hospice House in Collierville, Tennessee.

Linda was born September 27, 1939 in Moscow, Tennessee, the daughter of the late Robert Lee Rankhorn and Eugenia Winborn Simmons Rankhorn. She graduated from Fayette County High School in 1957 and was married December 20, 1958 to Charles Morris Byars, Sr. who preceded her in death on January 7, 2016. 

Mrs. Byars was employed as a pharmacy technician at Wal-Mart in Collierville for many years before her retirement. She was a house mother at Baptist Children’s Home and previously worked at GE in the production line. Linda was the co-owner of Williston Auction Barn. She was a previous member of Morris Memorial Baptist Church in Moscow and most recently a member of Oakland First Baptist Church. She enjoyed making greeting cards, working crossword puzzles, baking cakes and sewing with her specialty was making clothes.

Mrs. Byars is survived by her daughter, Tammye Byars (Tom Ellis); two sons, Charles Byars (Dianne) and Andy Byars (Connie); two grandsons, Charles S. Byars and David Byars; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her sister, Mary Booth and her brother, Forrest Rankhorn.

Funeral Services for Mrs. Byars were held at 2 P.M. Thursday, August 15, 2024 at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Bro. Bryan Morris, former pastor of Morris Memorial Baptist Church in Moscow, officiating. Interment followed in the Fayette County Memorial Park Cemetery on Highway 64.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Darryl Bonner, Charles S. Byars, David Byars, Jared Baker, John Wesley Day and Ken Reeves. Honorary pallbearers were Royce Reeves, Jimmy Joyner, John Day, Gary Joyner, Rick Booth and Steve Reeves.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Baptist Reynolds Hospice House, 1520 W. Poplar Avenue, Collierville, TN 38017.