Guietta Rose (Toothman) Owenby

Guietta is preceded in death by her only child, her precious daughter and angel in Heaven, Terri Jo Owenby; parents, Harold and Rose Toothman; brothers, Carl and Dean Toothman; sister, Viola Roberts. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 67 years, Burble Owenby; her sister, Judy Peters, of Kansas.

Guietta was born and raised in Kansas, where she met Burble, who was stationed there while serving our country. The couple married on May 24, 1957, at the Solomon Methodist Church in Kansas. They moved back to Knoxville, Tennessee, where Guietta was welcomed as a special, loving member of the Owenby family. She was an exceptional and devoted wife and mother to Burble and Terri Jo, to whom she showed unconditional love. She gained many new brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews when she came to Knoxville, and she showered them with her endless love and generosity. Her strength of spirit and compassionate heart was made obvious by the way she cared for those close to her.

To capture all the unique and wonderful qualities of Guietta on paper would be nearly impossible. To list just a few, she was a wonderful cook, creative artist, quilter, seamstress, hairdresser, bowler, and last but not least, a stock car race car driver! Guietta combined her cooking skills with her creative abilities when she made beautiful food displays for weddings. Not only could she create these impressive displays, but her food was always described as “delicious.” Those who were lucky enough to eat her homemade chicken tenders described them as “amazing,” and those tenders were frequently requested! If she had ever sold them, she would have been stiff competition for Chick-fil-A!

Out of all her amazing talents, Guietta was most proud of her egg art. Over the years, she created many beautiful carved eggs, using ostrich and emu eggs. Once the eggs were prepped and ready, she would painstakingly carve intricate designs into their fragile shells and decorate them in unique, one-of-a-kind pieces of art. This art style is tedious, and it requires patience and creativity, both of which Guietta had plenty! She enjoyed designing eggs so much, she wanted others to be able to enjoy it, too. Therefore, she shared her knowledge and techniques to anyone who wanted to learn how to make them. Guietta would occasionally give one of her special eggs away, and for those who have them, they keep them proudly displayed in their homes. These eggs are truly works of art.

Later in life, Guietta became a long-term cancer survivor, but unfortunately, she developed Alzheimer’s. She lived with this devastating illness for roughly 13 years, but Burble stayed by her side, giving her his fierce love, constant devotion, and tender, loving care. Even though this disease stole Guietta’s memories, everyone who knew her vividly remembers the kind of person that she was. She had a servant’s heart, did countless acts of kindness for others over the years and was a loving wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend to all.

Rest in the loving arms of God, Guietta. Your life on earth is over, but your memory lives on in everyone whose lives you touched. You ran the good race, and now you are earning your Heavenly rewards. “Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means we’ll miss you until we meet again.”

Graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery on Sutherland Avenue. Pastor Steve Owenby is officiating. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to your church or favorite charity in honor of Guietta.