Edith Obituary

Edith Helen Taylor Forkum Drinnen was born in Baxter, Tennessee, July 4, 1921, the fourth of seven children born to the late Joel Samuel Taylor and Mary Jane Maxwell Taylor. Edith was lifted peacefully from her earthly life on July 2, 2011, two days short of her 90th birthday.
She married the late Walter Marion Forkum on December 10, 1937. They moved from their home in the Homestead, Tennessee, to Oak Ridge, in 1942, when Walter accepted a job in transportation at K-25, and then he later worked for Rust Engineering. In those early years, they first lived in The Wheat Community; they later moved to the trailer hutments in Gamble Valley and then to a flat top on Alger Road.
Edith worked for the late Jim and Helen McMahon at Service Drug Store in Jackson Square and later for the late Joe Anderson and Lucian Green at Woodland Supermarket before accepting a position with Kroger when the company came to Oak Ridge in the old Downtown Shopping Center. She was head dairy clerk throughout her career with Kroger, prior to retirement in August 1980.
She and Roy Lee Drinnen, now deceased, were married at Trinity United Methodist Church in July 1963, where she was a member. Roy was a police officer with the Oak Ridge Police Department, Badge #7, having come to work in Oak Ridge in the very early years and remaining until his retirement. Edith lived in Oak Ridge for over thirty years before she and Roy moved to Mahoney Road in Oliver Springs, Edith having lived there for almost forty years.
In earlier years, Edith was a wonderful cook; her made-from-scratch decadent chocolate and melt-in-your- mouth coconut creme and lemon pies were a specialty. After retirement, Edith enjoyed quilting and embroidery until her husband became ill and needed constant care. Later, she enjoyed visiting and long phone conversations with friends, especially Betty Hubbard, with whom she talked every day. Their special friendship covered a span of well over fifty-five years.
In addition to her parents, Edith was preceded in death by two brothers, David Taylor and Edward Taylor; three sisters, Ella Taylor Atkinson, Anna Jerrean Taylor Dudney, and Wilma Taylor Atkinson; two daughters, Shelbie Jean Forkum and Betty Forkum Spencer Smart Shular; a son, Billie Ewin Forkum; a grandson, Nathan Spencer, and a granddaughter, Catherine Forkum Brown.
Edith is survived by a daughter, Marion Malone, a retired teacher with The Oak Ridge Schools (Linden), and her husband Boyd Browning Malone, Oak Ridge; a sister, Ilean Taylor Helton, Crossville, TN; six grandchildren, Michael Spencer, Boyd Bruce Malone, Melinda Malone Rachels, Karen Forkum Kirkland, Cindy Forkum Helton, and Maleaha Malone Elliott; eight great grandchildren, Brandon Spencer, Marlee Malone Burnsed, Brittany Bates, Matthew Malone, Mary Catherine Brown, Wesley Kirkland, Jaden Elliott, and Ava Elliott; one great-great grandson, Joel Burnsed; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Edith's daughter and son-in-law will receive friends at Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home, Oak Ridge, Thursday, July 7, 2011, from 6 to 8 P.M. with Glenn Ellis, pastor of Central Baptist Church, Oak Ridge, conducting the 8 P.M. funeral service. A private interment will be held Friday at Oak Ridge Memorial Park.
Memorial gifts may be made to Central Baptist Church, 130 Providence Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Martin's Funeral Home, Oak Ridge, is in charge of the arrangements.