Mable Key

Mable Collins Key, of the Ottway Community, born January 19, 1932 to the parents of the late Charlie and Mattie Bolin Collins of Hancock County, Tennessee, formally of Wise County, Virginia, passed away suddenly at Laughlin Memorial Hospital on Saturday, November 15, 2014.

She was the youngest of 10 siblings, all of which preceded her in death and include five brothers: Burkett, Lewis, Clay Willie, Walter, and Hughie Collins; and four sisters: Martha and Mae Collins, Minnie Johnson, and Arkie Jones.

As a teenager, the family lived briefly in the Morristown area before finally settling in Greene County, where at the age of 19 she married the now late Roy Luther “Dob” Key. Together, they had six children: Larry and spouse Pat Shaw Key of the Greystone Community, Teresa Key and devoted friend Tina Young of the Telford Community, and Darrell Key, Mitzi Gass, Amy Crum and fiancé John Sexton of the Ottway Community, and the late Deborah Collins Shepard.

During Mrs. Key’s early years, she worked in factory settings including the Southern Packing Company and the Greeneville Redryer before making a career as a nursing assistant, working for the Laughlin Clinic for several years and later for Village Greene and Life Care Center of Greeneville. In addition to her public jobs, she spent countless hours laboring in tobacco fields and tobacco warehouses, working just as hard as any to make ends meet. And, like her sisters, she loved to cook, and on Sunday the table was set and the invitation was open as so many have shared over the years. During the last few years, she had become very active with the Ottway Ruritan Club and made it a point to follow the WGRV bingo show. And, even though she never followed an organized church or a particular religion, by listening to her pray each night, she had inner peace with a higher being.

In addition to her children, she is survived by nine grandchildren: Victoria and Chad Collins, Adam Gass, Shasta Crum, Phoebe Shilling Michelle Payne, Angie Key, Eddie and Lee Key; eight great grandchildren including Phillip Dalton Collins, who is battling cancer at the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital of Memphis. Additional survivors include several nieces, nephews, special friends and neighbors including: James and Sunny Johnson, Mary Ellen Lutz, Ann Britton, Phyllis Britton Malone, Billy Jo and Jimmy Cox, Jackie and Jerry Jones, Jimmy Shepard, Randy Sensabaugh, Betty Kilday, Barbara Holmes, Jim Lesley, Debra Wink, Donald and Kellen Keller, Jimmy Dean, Lynn Collins, Vicky Carter, Kyle and Ethel Bracken, and Dan Walker; sisters-in-law: Kathleen Key and Gladys Adams; and brother-in-law: James “Dave” Key.

The family will receive friends form 2pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm Tuesday at Kiser-Rose Hill Funeral Home.

The funeral service will be held at 8pm Tuesday in the funeral home chapel with the Reverend Tommy Collins officiating.

A committal service will be held at 1pm Wednesday in the Cross Anchor Cemetery. Family and friends will meet at 12:15pm at the funeral home to go in procession to the cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Adam Gass, Chad Collins, Eddie Key, Jackie Jones, Dennis Key, John Sexton, Randy Sensabaugh, and Mike Malone.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Men and Women of the Ottway Ruritan Club, along with Dr. Charles Montgomery.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to either the Phillip Dalton Collins Fund, c/o Chuckey Elementary School, 1605 Chuckey Highway, Chuckey, TN 37641 or the Cross Anchor Cemetery Trust Fund, c/o Lynn Foshee,29 Lobo Loop, Greeneville, TN 37745.