February 2026

Janet C. Cluck, UTIA Retirees President, Central/Western Areas

“What good is the warmth of summer without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?” —John Steinbeck

Greetings fellow retirees from the frozen tundra that is currently Dickson, Tennessee! I’m writing this message eight days after Winter Storm Fern dumped snow and ice on much of West and Middle Tennessee. After the precipitation stopped, we’ve endured sub-zero temperatures, ensuring that all the white stuff packed down solid on every surface! I’ve lived in the same house in a hilly neighborhood for thirty-two years, and yesterday the city scraped and plowed parts of my street for the first time in history! While hundreds of thousands have been without power (some are still at this writing), I’ve been so blessed to have only been out for a few hours over these days. As a trained home economist, I prepared for the storm as best I could. I did my grocery shopping and filled the car with gas ahead of time. Cabinet doors are open, and faucets throughout the house have been dripping for nine days straight!

I’m mindful of those who continue to suffer from this storm. Utility workers, first responders, health care workers, farmers, and many others have had no choice but to travel and work in brutal, unsafe conditions. And I can’t imagine how scary and uncomfortable it has been for those who’ve been in the cold and dark without electricity, especially our most vulnerable populations (those with medical conditions, babies and young children, and the elderly)! I haven’t left my house and, even though the street looks better, I won’t be going anywhere until my driveway (which is currently a skating rink!) is clear. I’ve been perfectly content staying inside!

I’ve always loved the still and quiet during and after a snowstorm. The world immediately slows down and, in the case of a storm like this one, eventually comes to a complete stop. All the surrounding imperfections are covered by a smooth white blanket. However, during my work life, after a day or two, I started thinking about how and when I would ever be able to reschedule all the educational events and meetings that had been set for those snowy days!

Winter is an introspective season, providing time for rest, self-discovery, and planning (perhaps a garden or a great trip!). Parallels can be drawn with nature’s dormancy, as my friends in agriculture can explain so very well. It’s a time to focus inward, review the past, set intentions, and prepare energy for growth in the spring. It’s a good time to slow down to really appreciate small joys (my electricity and not worrying about rescheduling are the best examples for me this week). It’s also a shift from outward productivity to inner replenishment, focusing on what needs nurturing before the rush of getting back to the normal routine.

I recently read a piece on ways to practice winter reflection. There are many, and a few of them caught my eye that might be appropriate for those of us enjoying retirement.

If more winter weather comes your way (and it probably will if the woolly worms were right!), I encourage you to engage in some healthy reflection!

Since our last newsletter, I’m happy to report that much progress has been made toward the goals I outlined for this year. Our area leaders have organized fun gatherings in all parts of the state that have been well attended. Our website has been updated. Our constitution/by-laws revision committee will bring recommendations to our annual meeting. We have excellent support from the UTIA administration. I hope you will continue to invite new retirees to join us in maintaining friendships and supporting all units within the institute.

Mark your calendar for our official annual association meeting on May 22. Invite your friends (encourage them to join if they aren’t already members!), and let’s have the largest attendance ever. I hope to see you there!

As always, please feel free to contact me with suggestions or questions.

Janet C. Cluck, President, and Paul Denton, Vice President, Eastern Area

Mark your calendar for the UTIA Retirees Association 2026 annual meeting, to be held in conjunction with the Eastern Area annual meeting, on May 22, 2026, at the UT Extension Eastern Region office, 1801 Downtown West Blvd., Knoxville, TN, 37919. It will begin with coffee and registration at 9:00 a.m. (EDT), with the program beginning at 9:30 a.m. and ending at noon with lunch. Lunch will be delicious BBQ chicken provided by Knox County 4-H. Further information about registration and cost will be provided in an email to the membership in advance of the meeting. Looking forward to seeing many of you there!

Steve Harris, Vice President, Central Area

Central Area retirees visited historic Granville for our fall luncheon. Approximately forty-five retirees and friends enjoyed an awesome meatloaf lunch at the T.B. Sutton General Store. Following lunch, Randall Clemmons, Granville Museum president, gave a presentation about the history of Granville and the museum. Participants then had the opportunity to tour the town of Granville. A big thanks to Janie Pedigo Phillips, retired FCS agent in Smith County and board member for the city of Granville, for serving as our host!

Central Area retirees visited Lynchburg for our winter luncheon. Approximately twenty-five retirees enjoyed a great fried chicken lunch at Miss Mary Bobo’s Restaurant. Retirees filled two rooms with Larry Moorehead, retired county director in Moore County, serving as the host in one room, and Todd Jennings, UT graduate and former UT Agriculture Advisory Committee member, serving as host in the second room. Hopefully, nobody ate too much of the apples flavored with Jack Daniels! A big thanks to Larry Moorehead for making the reservations and hosting!

Deborah Seward, Secretary, Western Area

The Western Region Retiree Association met on  Tuesday, December 9, 2025, for the winter meeting at Mulligan’s Bar and Grill for lunch. Agents donated socks for the homeless shelter.

The Western Region spring meeting will be Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, located at 605 Airways Blvd. in Jackson. While there, retirees will attend the unveiling of the plaque being hung in recognition of UT Extension agents, specialists, administrative associates, program assistants, and regional staff who have worked in the Western Region for twenty-five years or more. Thanks to Jerry Lamb, the Western Region director of UT Extension, and Thomas Broyles, TSU 4-H Youth Development program leader, for their financial contribution and help in making this happen. Great thanks go out to Deborah Seward and Sharon Tubbs for their hard work in getting all the names for the plaque.

Deborah Seward, retired Extension agent in Gibson County, is still living up to her nickname "Granny on the Go." In September 2025, she traveled to Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Utah and visited national monuments and national parks, including Arches, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, and Zion, before heading to Las Vegas.

Sheila Settles, retired UT Extension director in Houston County and her husband, Tim, celebrated their fortieth anniversary in 2025. Tim retired in February, and they will spend time at their lake house on the Tennessee River. He especially likes to go, as he built it himself!

Christene Anderson, retired UT Extension agent in Lauderdale County, says, “Hey, fellow co-workers. I am looking forward to our Western Region UTIA gathering. Spring will be coming soon. I am always excited about what's new in colors and styles for home, clothing, gardening, and wellness. Larry and I celebrated our forty-seventh anniversary on December 23. AIXL also is of interest on my list to try to educate myself on. Will probably be contacting my county office for help. Extension is the real-life solution to world demands. I am thankful to have been a fellow member of the Extension team for thirty years strong, teaching a wealth of research-based information to serve all people!”

Beth Bell, retired UT Extension director in Dyer County, reported an exciting new development. According to Beth, her hometown high school, located in Chester, Illinois, has no art instructor or art program. They do facilitate an art club. Through a local teacher’s sorority, she worked with the school to write a grant for a rolling art cart. The cart is filled with standard art supplies. The Mississippi Valley Art Guild in Chester will provide a series of after school art lessons on drawing, watercolor, acrylic painting, scale, collage, and sculpture.

Chuck Danehower, retired area specialist in farm management, reported that since retiring in 2019, “I filled in for nine months (2021-22) on a part-time assignment for the area specialist position I retired from. I was a volunteer coach for Halls High School softball for three years and am currently in my second year as head coach for Halls Junior High softball.”

Amy Elizer, retired Western Region specialist, shared with the Western Region agents that her mother, Joyce Hastings, retired UT Extension agent in Henry County, celebrated her eighty-ninth birthday. Agents in the Western Region showered her with birthday cards to help make her day one for the birthday record books by sending almost enough cards to represent her eighty-nine years. 

Booker T. Leigh, retired UT Extension agent in Shelby County, was recognized for starting the Master Gardener program in Shelby County in 1995. He also was recognized for his service and contribution to his alma mater, Alcorn State University, located in Lorman, Mississippi. Alcorn is the oldest public historically Black land-grant institution in the United States.   

Steve Glass, retired UT Extension director in Decatur County, recently returned home from a cruise to the Bahamas to a cold house and snow after fun in the sun.

Hugh McCampbell, retired head Extension veterinarian

Hugh McCampbell, former head UT Extension veterinarian, will be presenting his eighteenth annual Benefit Veterinary Piano Concert at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 21, 2026, in the auditorium of the Sweetwater Elementary School at 301 Broad Street. He is presenting a MATINEE ONLY this year since so many folks his age tell him that they would like to come to his concert but can’t drive at night anymore.

He plays songs ranging from movie themes and popular music to hymns, Rachmaninoff, rock ‘n’ roll, and no telling what else. He also plays the banjo and tells lots of tales. It’s called a benefit because, as a prostate cancer survivor, he donates proceeds to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. The other beneficiaries are local Boy Scout troops and the Sweetwater Valley Citizens for the Arts. He enjoys practicing the piano and getting ready and appreciates folks helping him raise funds for those worthwhile causes.

Tickets are available at the door and are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Pre-schoolers are free. Sweetwater has several nice restaurants where folks can eat lunch and/or dinner, before and/or after the concert, and it’s really a nice little town to visit and to explore. Hope several of y’all can come. Thanks.

Paul Denton, Vice President, Eastern Area

As in past years, the UTIA Retirees Association did its part in celebrating Ag Day 2025 with an attractive and well-attended booth. The theme of Ag Day 2025 was “Farming for the Future.” In accordance with this theme, our booth featured posters highlighting UTIA research and Extension efforts in two major areas related to sustainability of farming. These were the long running and highly successful efforts to protect farmland from soil erosion through development and adoption of no-till crop production and ongoing efforts with landowners and partner organizations to preserve farmland.

They say in the real estate business that everything comes down to location. I would say that is also largely true in the success of an attractive and well-designed Ag Day booth. The exhibits were in the auditorium of the new Agriculture and Natural Resources Building, and our booth was located just inside one of the main outside entrances. We were the first stop for many visitors. In addition to the posters, we were well staffed with a crew of friendly greeters and well stocked with small treats and handouts. The booth was busy the whole three hours, and many people who were attending the UT football game and just passing through learned a great deal about UTIA and the retirees association.

Many people were involved in this effort, but special thanks go to Fred Allen and Ken Goddard for developing the concepts and handling most logistics, to David Yates at the Eastern Region Extension office for invaluable assistance in designing and printing posters, and the Brad Black family of Blount County for allowing us to use their farm as an example of farmland preservation. Looking forward to Ag Day 2026! 

Paul Denton, Vice President, Eastern Area

As I write this, it’s the end of January, and snow is drifting down outside, adding to the six inches on the ground. It brings back memories of Januarys past, when I was a member of the plant and soil science Extension section. January through March meant district agent in-service, county grower meetings, and association meetings all over the state and multiple times per week (and sometimes per day). And that meant many miles on the road in all sorts of weather.

I am particularly thinking of a week in the early 1990s, before the days of smartphones, texting, and email. I was the soil management specialist at the time, and UT Extension was making a major effort to increase the use of no-till on West Tennessee crop land. So, I was involved in many winter meetings in the western district counties. In this particular week, I was attending the Tennessee Agricultural Chemicals Association annual meeting, a multi-day event at the Maxwell House Hotel in Nashville. The meeting ended at lunch on a Thursday, and I had a grower meeting that night in Lake County, as far from Knoxville as I could go in Tennessee. This was a typical schedule and no big concern, except that just as the meeting was winding up, snow started moving into Nashville from the west. Now this was before we had smartphones with weather apps to check forecasts or to easily call the local agent directly. I called the county office to check the status of the meeting, was told it was still on, and got in my car and headed west.

As I got to the west side of Nashville, snow was beginning to cover the roads. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck on the interstate. I got off and started on back roads toward Dickson, then headed back to I-40 once I was clear of the Nashville area. The snow was coming down steadily, but the roads weren’t bad, and I kept going. Now in those days, calling to check on things didn’t mean grabbing your cell phone. It meant finding a pay phone that actually worked, dialing using a calling card, and losing a good bit of time in the process. I stopped only once and called the county office and got no answer. I then called my office for messages, and there were none. Back in the car and on through the snow, still coming down, but the roads were in pretty good shape. As I was approaching Tiptonville, the snow diminished, and I felt better. But then I got to the restaurant on Reelfoot Lake where the meeting was to be held just before the meeting time, only to find that it had been canceled. Right after I had called my office, the agent had called there and left a message, but I had not checked back. And, of course, there was no way to reach me while driving. Three-plus hours through the snow for a canceled meeting, and three hundred miles back to Knoxville the next day! 

Looking back on this now, it seems a little foolish to keep pushing on through the snow like that. Today, of course, I would have looked at the radar and the forecast on my smartphone, stayed in close contact with the agent by text, and probably would not have headed west from Nashville. But times were different then. Farmers in rural areas were accustomed to traveling in less-than-ideal conditions; it was harder to communicate with participants about a cancellation, and we didn’t cancel meetings very readily. And it was a point of pride in the old PSS section that no meeting had ever been canceled because a plant and soil science specialist had failed to get there. A somewhat macho attitude I guess, but we were all a lot younger then. 

Anyway, it wasn’t a total loss for me. I had a very good catfish and country ham dinner and then headed toward Jackson, where I spent the night as planned. As I was driving toward Dyersburg through the Mississippi River bottoms, the storm had passed and the sky had cleared. A full moon rose over the bluffs to the east and illuminated the snow-covered fields in silvery moonlight. It was a beautiful sight that I will never forget. And no regrets in my memory for lost time. And as soon as they became widely available, I bought my first cell phone!

Ruth Henderson McQueen, Past President, Eastern Area

The UTIA retirees state/Eastern Region annual meeting is coming up in May. For many years, Knox County 4-H has catered their famous BBQ chicken for lunch. It is a delicious addition to the day and is always greatly anticipated. The profit from the lunch is used to provide 4-H camp scholarships. Last year, retiree members also had an opportunity to make an additional contribution if they so desired. Retirees are encouraged to provide support again this year. Thank you notes have been received from two Knox County 4-H’ers, who received assistance last year:  

“Dear UT Retirees Association, 
Thank you for sending me to camp.
I learned how to swim.
Love, Kaden” 

“Dear UT Retirees Association,
Thank you for sending me to camp.
I learned how to canoe. I have made a lot of friends and just wanted to say thanks.
Love, Sofia” 

Majorie W. Phillips, Retired Extension Director, Anderson County, Eastern Region

Reflecting on my decision to apply to be a 4-H Extension agent in Anderson County, I am so grateful to Ben Powell and Sue Hamilton Brinkley.

During May 1970, I was about to graduate from UT Knoxville. As a recent newlywed, I was living in married student housing on campus with my husband, Ronnie. One of Ronnie’s childhood and college friends, Kenneth Brinkley, and his wife, Sue Hamilton Brinkley, were visiting us from Columbia. Sue asked us if we would like to go with them to see her cousin, Charlene Hamilton Powell, and her husband, Ben. She thought we would enjoy meeting them and visiting their sheep farm. Thankfully, we accepted the invitation to visit them.

While we were talking with Ben, he asked about my major and what I planned to do when I graduated. I replied that I was a home economics major. He mentioned that Glenda Sue Jellicorse, the 4-H agent in Anderson County, had been promoted to the state 4-H office. Thus, there would soon be a vacancy in Anderson County. Since Ronnie was already working as an engineer with Union Carbide in Oak Ridge, I became interested in the position due to the location. I started asking questions about the qualifications and how to apply. Ben suggested that I contact Betty Sewell, UT Extension personnel director.

My specific major was textiles and clothing merchandising. After completing an internship with Miller’s department store in Knoxville, I applied for an assistant buyer position. I had an interview with Miller’s during the morning and Extension in the afternoon on the same day. Prior to the interviews, I could have been satisfied with either career path.

After my interviews, I could readily determine that the Miller’s position would have been strictly focused on the business world. Miss Sewell helped me realize that the Extension profession prioritized helping people through education. Suddenly, the “light bulb” lit up. I decided that Extension would be the most fulfilling and enjoyable job for me. Thankfully, I was hired and began working on July 1, 1970.

Indeed, I am thankful to Sue Hamilton Brinkley for inviting me to meet Ben Powell and to him for sharing the upcoming Extension vacancy. This chance encounter led to a very satisfying and rewarding career of thirty-four years.

Denise J. Brandon, State Secretary-Treasurer

In August 2025, my husband and I had the opportunity to host Emi Kimura, a chaperone for Labo students who were participating in a Japanese exchange program with Tennessee 4-H families. She was with us for nearly two weeks. When Steve Sutton approached me about hosting, I was a little hesitant, wondering what on Earth we would do with her for two weeks. After I thought about it, I realized that there was more to do than we would have time or energy for. We agreed to host, and I sure am glad we did, for several reasons.

Emi was a delightful guest. She joined right in with our activities, though she had her own responsibilities as chaperone that took quite a bit of her free time. We enjoyed several activities in our local area and region. We toured UT, including the trial gardens, went to a local farmers’ market, went to the visitor’s center and shopped at local stores, enjoyed food from locally-owned restaurants, went to a Knoxville Smokies game, went to a mountain music venue to expose her to Tennessee music, and went to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cumberland Mountain State Park, and the Cumberland County Playhouse.

One of the highlights of hosting for me was a delicious meal of sushi that Emi prepared for our dinner one evening. Emi’s English is very good, so I enjoyed talking with her and learning about Japanese culture and her previous experiences chaperoning groups of students and teaching English to her Labo students in Japan.

Emi went with me twice to the Center for English, where I teach English to adult international students. She assisted me with the lessons, and the students loved her. Emi attended church with us and went to the grocery store and on other errands we needed to run, making hosting a non-stressful experience.

The time together was too short, but we try to stay in touch, and she hopes to return for a visit in the future. If you get a call from Steve, asking you to host, I recommend that you agree, if at all possible. It is a wonderful experience, and it helps you to appreciate all of the wonderful things there are to see and do in our great state as well as learning about another culture and making a friend for life.  

Ken Goddard, Past Vice President, Eastern Area

My first basketball game at UT was so exciting. It was during the 1966-67 season at Stokely Athletic Center.

Bill Justus, Bill Hann, Tom Boerwinkle, Ron Widby, and Tom Hendrix were the starters. They were thrilling to watch. Coach Ray Mears led a controlled offense and primarily a zone defense.

We were playing the University of Houston. Bill Hann and Bill Justus were being guarded man to man and were pressed full court by the Cougars as they advanced the ball to our end of the gym. Widby, Boerwinkle, and Hendrix positioned themselves at our backcourt as UT fans cheered at the ball handling ability of UT’s two guards. Hann and Justus hit most every shot, it seemed. They set screens for each other to obtain an open shot. They led the scoring for the Vols that evening. What a game!

During the halftime break, we were asked to direct our attention to center court. UT President Andy Holt was accompanied by a younger man dressed in a dark suit and tie. A microphone attached to a long cord was given to Dr. Holt. Stokely Center became very quiet, as Andy Holt was respected and admired by everyone.

“Help me welcome Tom Black Jr. to our UT basketball game,” he said. “Tom’s father provided funding for our new Tom Black Track located just across the street. Tom Jr. now tells me he’d like to give a new twin engine airplane to the University of Tennessee.”

“I told him, “We’d take it.’”

The two then walked off the court as the crowd stood with deafening cheers from the packed venue.

I felt so proud of being a student at the University of Tennessee. That pride continues to this day as a UTIA retiree. Each time successes, support, and accomplishments are acknowledged at my land-grant university, I smile. “It’s great to be a Tennessee Vol!” continues to hold true. 

Warren Gill, Past President

Growing up, I was a day dreamer. In Sunday school, when I should have been learning about Moses and Peter, I was thinking about which of my superpowers I would use if bad soldiers from Russia attacked the church. Or how I would invent a use for hackberries that would make me rich. Or how impressed cousin Peggy would be if I saved her from a runaway bull.

I mostly dreamed about how I would grow up to be the greatest horse trainer of all time. My horse and I always won our races or were invincible in battle or became World’s Grand Champion at the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

None of my daydreams came true, but they inspired my book, Solomon. The first chapter described the horse herd, their farm home, and the social interactions that provided the structure for their lives. The chapter ends with: “…like the calm in the eye of the storm, there was a moment without pain. Snip got to her feet, whinnied aloud, and the struggle began again, with redoubled vigor. But now it was different. There was progress. Something was happening. Snip pushed harder and harder. Then, with swift finality, the slippery package was delivered to the forest floor, a brown present wrapped in grey membrane and struggling for life. Solomon was born.”

My academic career informed much of the story. The lead character, Barbara Dickerson, was a graduate student specializing in animal genetics. This paragraph describes her attitude: “I was in the grad student office on a dreary January afternoon, coming off a four-hour coffee buzz and on the edge of a serious attack of boredom. I'd been fighting the computer wars and mostly winning. I was trying to figure out the best way to turn a mass of data into enough of a statistically valid story that I could put it into tables and a few figures, wrap it in scientific word play, slap an index in front of it, struggle through writing a bibliography (already almost done), add a few more bells and whistles, and turn it over to my major professor. Then, if I could last through a couple of rewrites and defend my efforts to a graduate committee, I'd get a degree that certifies that I am a Master of Science.”

Barbara’s grad school experience took a significant shift when she met the reclusive Dr. Theodore Grand. She soon learned: “… how brilliant he is, and how far he’s come in his work on animal intelligence. Or rather, how far his intelligent animals have come.”

When she meets Solomon, she exclaims, “‘He's beautiful!’ The horse was a big, bay stallion with intelligent brown eyes. He turned toward us and I could swear he laughed.”

Bred by Doc Grand and trained to think for himself, Solomon is a Tennessee Walking Horse with a difference. Due to a combination of molecular genetics, AI, and the development of a biological transmitter, this horse can tell you exactly how he’s different. For Barb and Solomon, it’s love at first sight. But just as Barb is settling into life on the farm, she learns that Doc is sick—very sick.

Grand’s research is remarkable but is far from finished. Doc reveals to Barb that he has neither the time nor money to finish his work. Desperate to help Doc, Barb and Solomon hatch a crazy plan: if they can enlist the help of a local riding legend and convince him to show Solomon in the World’s Grand Championship, they may just be able to save the farm and continue Doc’s research. But what Barb and Solomon have yet to learn is that nothing ever goes according to plan, especially when a horse is holding the reins

Solomon, along with Warren’s other books, can be ordered on Amazon and other online book websites and is available at Book Inn in Favetteville as well as Paislee’s Restaurant, Red Heels-Wright Doors General Store, and The Thread in Petersburg.

We are saddened to report the death of these UTIA Retirees

Deepest Sympathy is extended for the death of these UTIA Retirees’ family members: