James Oliver “Jim” Slemp

Published 4:27 pm Friday, July 19, 2019

James Oliver “Jim” Slemp, 78, of Elizabethton, went to be with his Lord, Friday, July 19, 2019, at Johnson City Medical Center.
A native of Carter County, he was a son of the late Oliver S. and Winnie Wilson Slemp.
Jim was a 1959 graduate of Happy Valley High School. He was retired from the Southern Railway Company after 25 years of service in the Richmond, Virginia Division. After retirement Jim and Ann returned to Elizabethton from Burkeville, Va., where they lived for 20 years. He was a member of the Burkeville Fire Department for 17 years and upon departure was awarded an Honorary Membership. He was also a member of the Town Council of Burkeville. After returning to Elizabethton he was employed as an Assistant Superintendent with the Carter County Highway Department. Jim loved his church, Oak Street Baptist Church. He was an avid golfer and hunter.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Hasferd Slemp, and his brothers and sisters-in-law, Lena Rowe, Joan Faulkner, Sue Hill, Homer Hyder and Richard Hyder.
Survivors include his wife of 55 years, Ann Hyder Slemp; his children, Francie (Scott) Elrod, Johnson City, James Oliver Slemp Jr. (Anita), Mercersburg, Pa., and Scotty Slemp, Elizabethton; six grandsons, Nathan, Nick, Connor Slemp, Tre Brown, Alex and Jacob Tolley; his sister, Marti Tuelle; his brothers, John L. (Betty) Slemp, Jerry (Janice) Slemp and Johnny Trivette; several nieces and nephews; his brothers and sisters-in-law, Jean Slemp, Virginia Coleman, Shirley Crigger, Diana Bowman, Doug Hyder and Robert “Bob” Hyder.
A service to celebrate the life of Jim Slemp will be conducted at noon Monday, July 22, at Memorial Funeral Chapel with Dr. Chris Shumate officiating. Music will be provided by Kevin Slemp. Interment will follow at Happy Valley Memorial Park. Active pallbearers will be James Oliver Slemp Jr., Scotty Slemp, Brandon Tuelle, Thomas Isaacs, Mike McKinney, Greg Hyder, Mark Mallasch, Tre Brown and Scott Elrod. Honorary pallbearers will be his church family, all his golfing buddies and his hunting buddies. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in memory of Jim to “We Love Our Church,” Oak Street Baptist Church, 804 Oak Street, Elizabethton, TN 37643. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until the service hour at noon Monday. Condolences may be sent to the family at our website at www.memorialfcelizabethton.com.
Memorial Funeral Chapel is serving the Slemp family.