| Sources |
- [S104] Cocke County, Tennessee, and its People, Cocke County Heritage Book Committee, (Walsworth Publishing, 1992), 129, 163, 177, 230, 233, 265.
- [S24] The Newport Plain Talk, (http://www.newportplaintalk.com), 23 Nov 2013.
50 Years - Billy and Leoma Daniels Shelton
By Janice Casey
Billy Shelton was raised in Gregg’s Chapel, the son of the late J.D. and Frances Taylor Shelton. Leoma was born in Cocke County and spent her early years in Morristown. She is the daughter of the late Ben Hooper and Janette Daniels. Her grandmother, who was a major factor in raising her, lived in Newport.
J.D. Shelton ran a small store in Gregg’s Chapel. Friends of Leoma advised her to visit the store and meet Billy, whom they all thought would be a fitting beau for her. They told her he was a nice guy and would be a good boyfriend; so Leoma and her mother patronized the store. They never actually met him there. Billy worked on Stokely’s farm weighing green beans. Charlotte Lewis took Leoma to the farm to meet him. While she was there, he actually picked her some beans to take home, and that is when the courtship began. Ernest Lewis gave Leoma a job at the farm answering the phone and other clerical duties, so she got to see Billy frequently.
While they were dating, because she lived in Morristown, he visited her 2 -3 times a week. They also exchanged letters via the mail service. She came to Newport on weekends, and they attended Gregg’s Chapel First Free Will Baptist Church together. After four years of dating, they got married on June 30, 1963 at the church they attended together. They were married by the pastor, Harley Brown. Their wedding day was on a Sunday, so Pastor Brown announced during the service that there would be a wedding following church. The entire congregation plus other family and friends attended the ceremony. The newlyweds honeymooned in Gatlinburg at the Cloverleaf Motel.
Before they got married, Billy worked at Wall Tube for 6 1/2 years. He then went to Chemtron to work and stayed during the sales of the plant. It finally became Great Lakes, and he stayed there until he retired in 2003 (37 years). Leoma was a homemaker and stay at home mother to their two sons until they were in school. She then went to work for American Greetings for 12 1/2 years.
The Sheltons were blessed with two sons: Todd and his wife, Pamela live in Alabama, and Tyler lives in Newport. Two grandchildren and 4 step-grandchildren complete this family. The Sheltons state that they have “six teenage grandchildren!”
During the family’s early years, they were heavily involved in their sons’ activities, mainly sports and church. This was enough to keep them busy most of the time. Their church won the national youth choir competition in Anaheim, CA, which was a highlight in the family’s lives.
Billy and Leoma now are members of First Free Will Baptist Church, where he serves as a deacon and Sunday School Superintendant. As well, he sings in the choir. She taught Sunday School for 29 years.
They now enjoy taking road trips. She likes to read, particularly biographies. He does handiwork at home and church.
Most of the advice they would give young couples is firmly based in church. Find a church you like and attend regularly and put your children there at an early age. Leoma adds, “Respect each other and have a sense of humor. Billy says, “Learn to work together and work through adversity at each other’s side.” They both state they have always gotten along. They emphasize that there should never be battles or fusses in front of children.
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