Irene Pierce

Irene Beverly Pierce, 66, returned to her Heavenly Home on January 26, 2022, surrounded by her children.

She is the daughter of the late Shelvin and Zola Couch Beverly and the granddaughter of the late Bazil and Rachel Combs Beverly and the late Crit and Lorraine Jones Couch.

In addition to her parents and grandparents, Irene was preceded in death by a husband, Michael Pierce; a son, David Pierce; brothers, Crit Beverly, Ronnie Beverly, and Everett Beverly; sisters, Fern Messer and Juanita Everidge.

She is survived by a son, Shane Pierce (Teri), son and best bud, Christopher Pierce, daughter, Rachel Morton (Bryce), all of Jonesborough; grandchildren, Kaitlin Ford (Jackson), Sarah Pierce, Caleb Morton, and Joshua Morton: great grandson, Grayden Ford; sisters, Brenda Couch, Linda Cress, Bonnie Lou Sumner; brother, Alex Beverly; many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Irene was born in Perry County, Kentucky, eventually moving with her husband to Tennessee. There she would raise her children and help her husband build his business.

There isn’t adequate room in an entire newspaper to express what this lady meant to anyone that knew her. She doesn’t just tell people about the glory of God, she showed them every day. Her words, her prayers, her actions, the never ending support and love she showed her family spoke the heart of who she was.

When Irene passed, her son told the chaplain, “We're dealing with a saint here.” If you asked Irene what she was like as a child, growing up in the branches of Eastern Kentucky, with nine siblings, she would laughingly admit that she was a “wildcat.”

But her adult life was spent in service to others. That was especially evident in the caregiving she administered to her husband in his last years. She supplied that caregiving with a joyful heart and LOTS of laughter.

There are some people that radiate warmth and goodness like a flame. You could see it in the twinkle in her eye when she talked about her kids and grandkids (ESPECIALLY her grandkids). You could hear it in her laughter (or “cackling” as we called it) when she was huddled up with her sisters and up to no good whatsoever. But mostly you could feel it. When she said she would pray for you, those weren't just words. She not only prayed, she added you to a powerful prayer chain. She put fierce circles of protection around so many people through her prayer. And that is her legacy.

The family would like to thank the friends that have kept them in prayers, the Brothers and Sisters at The Sheepfold, Happy Valley Church of Jesus Christ and The Lighthouse for Jesus.

The Pierce family will gather to greet friends and share memories on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 in the Parlor of East Lawn Funeral Home from 1 pm - 3 pm. . Graveside services will be the same day, at Sulphur Springs Cemetery, officiated by Brother John Hornyak beginning at 4 pm.