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- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 25 Feb 2005.
Billy Joe Rolen obituary
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 29 Mar 2013.
Just Plain Talk: The strongest of bodies fade in the face of relentless time
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Do you know Rolen family?
I got to learn a little more about Angie whose mother, Lois Rolen owned the half-dozen gold and diamond rings found at The Closet and on her death Lois left these to Angie. Lois is of the Sevierville McFalls family. You may have known her husband, Bill Rolen, a hard-working block and brick mason who died in 2005. He is related to the local Rolen family and has sisters living in Newport. I asked if he were kin to Otha Rolen, retired from Newport Utilities, but Angie was not sure. Lois worked at Arnold Engineering in Sevier and also Food City for many years. She died in 2009.
Angie and her brother, the late Joe Rolen, grew up in Sevier County. He also was a mason and learned the building trade skills from his father. But tragically, Joe was just 36 years old when killed on Highway 411 about 2005 in a vehicle accident. This happened just three weeks after the father died. "It was a very difficult time," said Angie, who in a few years was to lose the remainder of her close family. She now lives in Newport, having moved here early this year, and is here because of her lifelong friendship with Rhonda Evans. The two girls went through schools together and graduated from Sevier County High School about 25 years ago. Angie is able to stay close to Rhonda because Angie helps out at the Jewelry Connection store. Many of you may know Lois's brother, James McFalls, who preached at the Edgemont Church of God through the 1990s and into 2000. He is retired and living in Knoxville.
Angie explained that when she was preparing to move to Newport her mother's small porcelain jewelry box was packed among other items and many of these were taken to The Closet for consignment sale. So she was more than elated to get the phone call from the girls who found and were returning her rings. "I posted this on Facebook,' said Angie.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 22 Mar 2013.
Just Plain Talk: The Closet folks rescue mother's diamond rings for daughter
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Happy to have rings returned
Last week I mentioned coming across a story about lost diamond rings but reflecting on those words decided it should be, found diamond rings because the person who accidentally lost track of them never knew what she had done.
Mary Pitner of the Jewelry Connection called to tell me of this story. You recall we visited with her last year on stories, one being the found baby book that made its way back to the now-grown mother who was glad to get her baby book back. Mary and her daughter, Ronda Evans, are from Sevier County. It was their friend of many years and from Sevier who told me the rest of the story.
My first stop in learning the story was a visit to The Closet off Morristown Highway just across from the gas utility. The owners of the business did not want their names mentioned because they didn't want the spotlight on them but the woman who got the rings back. But Angie Rolen agrees they are Good Samaritans in doing what was right to return rings valued at thousands of dollars.
Angie had gone to the The Closet as many folks do to place items for sale on consignment. The items included clothing, knick knacks, housewaress and a particularly interesting jewelry box. However Angie did not open the box then. "I'm so thankful for honest people," Angie told the two women at The Closet after they found the rings in the jewelry box and called Angie to pick the rings up. She promptly took these to her lifelong friend, Rhonda at the Jewelry Connection where they are in the safe.
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