MARION FRANCIS CANTREL

MARION FRANCIS WITT CANTREL, resident of the Gallaway Community, Town Recorder for Gallaway and wife of Dennis Cantrel, departed this life Sunday afternoon, May 16, 2010 at the St. Frances Hospital in Memphis where she had been a patient for two months. She was 65 years of age and died following an extended illness.

A Service of Remembrance for Mrs. Cantrel was conducted at 2 P.M. Wednesday, May 19th at the Peebles West Funeral Chapel at Oakland with Rev. Robert L. Williams of Moscow and Rev. Ronald Grunewald of Gallaway officiating. Interment followed in the Fayette County Memorial Park Cemetery on Highway 64. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes-West Chapel of Oakland.

A native of Memphis, Mrs. Cantrel was born April 16, 1945, the daughter of the late Jack Witt and the late Heber Grehan Witt. She was educated in the Shelby County Public School System and was a graduate of the Oakhaven High School in Memphis. She was married January 20, 1975 to Dennis Dean Cantrel of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, a retired Sgt. Major Career Person in the United States Marine Corps, who survives.

Mr. and Mrs. Cantrel lived in various locations of the United States during Mr. Cantrel's military career and had been residents of the Gallaway Community for the past 19 years. She was of the Christian Faith and for 12 years had served as City Recorder for the Town of Gallaway. She will be remembered for her devotion to her family and a special love for her grandchildren. Mrs. Cantrel received much pleasure in preparing for holidays with family members and was an avid reader who enjoyed animals and traveling.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Cantrel is survived by her daughter, Mischelle Preble (Jim) of Bartlett, TN: two sons: John Ferris (Jennifer) of Collierville, TN. and Jack Cantrel (Tanya) of Arlington, TN; her sister Jackie Fleeman, of Atlanta, GA.; two brothers: Steve Witt of Memphis, TN. and Sam Witt of Hernando, MS; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Those honored to serve as casketbearers were Jack Cantrel, John Ferris, Jim Preble, Micheal Salg, Sam Witt and Steve Witt.

Honorary casketbearers were all of City of Gallaway employees present at the Funeral Service.

The family requests that memorials be directed to the St. Jude Children Hospital Memorial and Honor Program, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place
Memphis, TN 38105.