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Christopher, Betty Jean (Pennie)
Return to Williamson County Authors
Ambrose “Red” Caldwell was born in Shelbyville. He attended grammar school in Franklin but never finished. At the age of 18, he managed the Brothers Grocery in Franklin and two years later quit to join the Marine Corps along with his brother, Charles, and two other friends, Brice Hughes and Charles Warf. In February of 1943, he was appointed to the Diplomatic Service. He worked under three secretaries of state and visited more than seventy-four countries, including the major nations involved in World War II.
–Secrets of a Diplomatic Courier: World War II, 1992
After the Civil War, James E. Caldwell, as a small boy, moved to Franklin from Mississippi with his family and lived north of town near Roper’s Knob. He became known throughout the South as a financier and banker, and he was one of the wealthiest men in Tennessee. His memoirs, Recollections of a Lifetime, detail his youth in Williamson County and his subsequent business career. One of his sons, Rogers Caldwell, founded the securities house Caldwell & Company and later returned to Franklin to live.
–Recollections of a Lifetime, 1923
–Eleven Leaves
High school and college in New York City and degrees in bio-medical sciences and graphic design gave Mary Calia a springboard from which she has expanded into worlds of business, art, finance, ethics, international relations and communications. In partnership with Marcel Knicht, she has owned her own financial communications company which operates in the United States, Canada, and France. Married to portrait painter Igor Babailov, Mary takes an interest in art and has helped place works of art in many museums and public settings. With so many interests and skills, she can turn her attention to new ideas and formats as she has in this book.
–Ford and the American Dream (with Clifton Lambreth), 2007
A
native of Nashville, Catherine Callicott started collecting dolls in 1941 when her daughter was born. Her studies of
interior design at Ward–Belmont School in Nashville encouraged a lifelong interest in houses
and antiques. With her attorney-husband, Claude Callicott,
and their children, she moved to a farm in Williamson County in 1959 and began a lengthy restoration
of a huge tornado-damaged antebellum house on
–In Praise of Doll Houses, 1978
The few years spent in Williamson County made a huge impact on “Cot” Campbell’s life. His love of horses and horse racing was sparked when his father moved the family to Williamson County from Des Moines, Iowa, and bought a horse farm. Campbell attended Battleground Academy for one year; he joined the Navy in 1944 after his sophomore year at a boarding school in Georgia. Born in New Orleans, Campbell has also lived in Oklahoma and Florida before settling in Aiken, South Carolina, where he is president of Dogwood Stables, home to 65 race horses. His success in horse racing has produced a Breeders’ Cup victory, a Preakness winner, and six Derby entries. His experience in writing dates back to his days in Florida where he was a newspaper reporter and sports editor for a Winter Haven paper. From being an advertising copy writer in Atlanta, he graduated to owning his own advertising firm, Burton-Campbell.
–Memories of a Longshot: A Riproarious Life, 2007
–Rascals and Racehorses, 2002
–Lightening in a Jar, 2000
Michael Card is a well-known singer/songwriter who specializes in religious lyrics. He has been praised for the biblical accuracy and integrity of his lyrics. His compositions include “El Shaddai,” rated the number one song of the 1980s by Christian radio broadcasters and named one of the “365 Songs of the Century” by the National Endowment for the Arts. In addition to songwriting, he is a student and teacher of the Bible with a master’s degree in biblical studies from Western Kentucky University. In 1997 he received that university’s Distinguished Alumni Award. In 1998 he received the National Religious Broadcasters Chairman’s Award. Several of his books have been nominated for the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association Gold Medallion Award.
–A Fragile Stone, 2003
–Scribbling in the Sand: Christ and Creativity, 2002
–The Walk: A Moment in Time When Two Lives Intersect, 2001
–Violent Grace, 2000
–Tell Me Why: Eternal Answers to Life’s Timeless Questions, 1999
–The Homeschool Journey (with Susan Card), 1997
–Unveiled Hope: Eternal Encouragement from the Book of Revelation (with Scotty Smith), 1997
–Joy in the Journey (with Timothy R. Botts), 1996
–Close Your Eyes So You Can See, 1996
–Parable of Joy: Reflections on the Wisdom of the Book of John, 1995
–Come to the Cradle, 1993
–The Promise: A Celebration of Christ’s Birth, 1991
–Immanuel: Reflections on the Life of Christ, 1990
–Sleep Sound in Jesus, 1989
Growing up in an air force family, Susan Card had Franklin, Kentucky, as a home base. While studying nursing at Western Kentucky University, she met her husband, Michael, and worked as a registered nurse before starting her family. She and Michael homeschooled their four children. When not writing or traveling, the family enjoys being together on their farm in Williamson County.
–Season of Joy: Celebrating the True Meaning of Christmas, 1999
–The Homeschool Journey (with Michael Card), 1997
Frances Courtney was born in Franklin and served as a Union nurse during the Battle of Franklin. She married Lieutenant George Grummond after the war and moved to present-day Wyoming, where her husband was killed in the Fetterman Massacre of 1868. She later married Grummond’s former commander, General Henry B. Carrington, and lived in Boston, where she died in 1911. Her major work recounts her life at Fort Phil Kearney, where the death of her husband occurred.
–My Army Life and the Fort Phil Kearney Massacre with an Account of the Celebration of “Wyoming Opened,” 1910, reissued 1971
Born and educated in Natchez, Mississippi, Ann Carroll began dancing at age two and a half. At Northeastern Louisiana University, she studied music and dance. She met and married her husband, Ray, while still a student. After the couple came to Vanderbilt in 1970, she began her first private dance classes. For many years she has operated the Ann Carroll School of Dance in the Grassland community of Franklin, widely known for its excellence. Her book reflects her awareness of God’s guidance in her life and in her teaching. She continues to write poetry.
–Together We Dance: A Teacher's Collection of Miracles and Memories, 1996
Greg Carter grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and graduated from the University of Missouri in business administration. A family friend in the hotel industry introduced him to that line of work, where he has remained since 1972. He has been associated with Opryland Hotel and also has held the position of Director of Convention Services for the Sheraton Downtown Nashville Hotel. His industry association has endorsed his convention guidebook.
–Meetings Made Easy, 1995
A native of Dallas, Texas, Jeannine Carter has bachelor and
master’s degrees in religious education. During her husband’s career in the army,
she taught school. In 1981 Carter took her first of seventeen mission trips,
some evangelistic, some educational, and some to distribute Bibles. On her trip
to
–Have Heart, Will Travel, 1997
A dentist in Franklin for nearly 60 years, Rosalie Carter was a granddaughter of Moscow and Lucy (Gross) Carter, who owned and resided in the Carter House in 1864 at the time of the Battle of Franklin. Born in Franklin and graduated from Vanderbilt University, she was one of the first women dentists in Tennessee. Dr. Carter was a member of the Women’s Dental Association, the American Dental Society, the United Daughters of the Confederacy, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Allied Arts Club. She was listed in Who’s Who of American Women. In addition to her historical work, she also wrote poetry.
–Tragedy at the Carter House
–Captain Tod Carter of the Confederate States Army, 1978
–A Visit to the Carter House, 1972
William Alton Carter IV, known as Buddy, was born in Americus,
–Billy Carter, A Journey Through the Shadows, 1999
–The Search for Savin‘ Sam, 1998
A Nashville native, Bill Carver was educated in local parochial schools before attending St. Mary’s in Baltimore with the intention of becoming a priest. Instead, he has worked for many years in the human resources field. In 1996 he and his family returned to this area, settling in Franklin. Carver is Human Resources Corporate Manager for Columbia HCA. His book combines his spiritual background with his experience on both sides of the employment desk and is designed to help both those job hunting and those contemplating a career change.
–The Job Hunter’s Spiritual Companion, 1997
Though her family had Michigan roots, Carolyn Robinson Cassady lived as a child in Nashville where her father was a
member of the Vanderbilt medical faculty. During her teen years, her family
moved to a farm on Wilson Pike and later to the Cool Springs house now
preserved in Crockett Park. She is a talented artist from an early age and
received a scholarship to Bennington College where she majored in theatre
arts. In 1947 while at the University of Denver seeking a master’s degree,
she met Neal Cassady and became part of the Beat generation, marrying Cassady and enjoying intimate friendships with both Jack Keroauc and Alan Ginsberg. In 1968 Neal Cassady died. Carolyn Cassady continued to play a large role in the beat
culture despite a move to London,
–Off the Road: My Years with Cassady, Keroauc, and Ginsberg, 1990
–Heart Beat: My Life with Jack and Neal, 1976
Janice Chaffee grew up in the desert of Arizona and went to college in California. A vocal music major led to a career path in the Christian music industry, first as a performer and then as a producer, author, and speaker. In 1994 she settled in Williamson County. Her first book grew from relationships and experiences while producing two albums celebrating Christian sisterhood and from her observations while organizing an annual retreat for women in the music world. Other books followed from similar interests. She continues to write, and she maintains an active speaking schedule.
–If the Prodigal Were a Daughter, 2003
–One Silent Night, 2000
–Sisters: The Story Goes On, 1995
A mathematician, Perry Chapdelaine finished his B.S. at the University of North Iowa and his master’s degree at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. He used mathematics professionally in academic, business, and technical venues. He is the father of ten children, five of whom attended Fairview High School at the same time. In 1982 he helped found the Arthritis Trust of America with offices in Fairview. He has written copiously, both science fiction and on the subject of arthritis and has posted much of his writing on the internet.
–The John W. Campbell Letters, editor (with Isaac Asimov and A.E. van Vogt), 1993
–The John W. Campbell Letters, Vol. I, editor, 1985
–Spork of the Ayor, 1978
–The Laughing Terran, 1976
–Swampworld West, 1974
As: Anthony di Fabio
–Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Disease Including Rheumatoid Arthritis (with Gus J. Prosch, Jr. M.D.), 1997
–Arthritis: Little Known Treatments, 1995
–Rheumatoid Diseases Cured at Last, 1982
Steven Curtis Chapman, one of the most active songwriters/performers in the Nashville music world, has not only sold millions of recordings but has also received over a hundred awards from a wide variety of sources. His strongest contribution is in the field of Christian music. As a lover of books, he reads extensively in inspirational Christian literature. A sabbatical year from stardom resulted in a new crop of songs, as well as the book he wrote in collaboration with his pastor, Scotty Smith, at Christ Community Church in Franklin. Other books followed.
–Let’s Roll: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage (with Lisa Beamer and others), 2002
–I Will Be Here (with Mary Beth Chapman), 2000
–Speechless: Living in Awe of God’s Disruptive Grace (with Scotty Smith), 2000
–Finding Heaven in the Real World (with Ken Abraham)
During her youth in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Joannie Chappel became interested in dancing. For eleven years she taught ballroom dancing in various cities around the country. In 1978 she settled in Los Angeles to become a songwriter, writing lyrics for country, pop, and gospel music. In 1991 she moved to Franklin to pursue her songwriting career. More recently, she has added writing novels and children’s books to her interests. Her first published book for children ages four through nine is written in rhyme with the theme that every achievement has been first a thought.
–Thinking Caps, 2004
Cheesman, David Ray
A Fort Worth, Texas, native and now retired from a career in Public Relations, David Cheesman has published numerous books relating to genealogical research. He moved to Franklin in 2004 and is currently working on cataloging the graves of smaller cemeteries surrounding Franklin.
–The Cheesman Dossier : Cheeseman, Cheesman, Cheseman, Chesman, Chessman, Chisman Who's Who, 2003
–19th Century Wills Index of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1999
–19th Century Wills Index of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Barcus, Concord, Cosby & Stingley Cemeteries of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Jackson Township Cemetery Index: Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Past & Present Towns, Villages, and Cemeteries of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Spring Grove Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1845-: Wea Township: an illustrated garden of stones -01991Union Township cemetery index: Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Wayne Township Cemetery Index: Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1994
–Wild Cat Cemetery, Wea Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1831-: an illustrated garden of stones, 1992
–Cheesman Marriages, 1992
–Conarroe Cemetery (Conroe Cemetery), Wea Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1830 -: an illustrated garden of stones, 1992
–O'Neall Cemetery, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1835 -1859:an illustrated garden of stones, 1992
–Wea Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, cemetery index – 1991
–Cheesman Death Records & Tombstones, 1991
–Cheesman Immigrants, 1990
–Cheesman Wills, 1990
–Farmers Institute Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1831-: an illustrated garden of stones, 1990
–Fink Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1831- (Wea Township): an illustrated garden of stones, 1990
–Cheesman Family Heritage, 1989, 1992
–Hickory Grove Cemetery: Taylor's Station Burial Ground of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1829-1910: an illustrated garden of stones, 1989
–Kenny Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1844 -: plus, the 1864 railroad disaster: an illustrated garden of stones, 1989
–Pinhook Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1828-1901: an illustrated garden of stones, 1989
–Sickler Cemetery of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, 1861-1977: an illustrated garden of stones, 1989
Born and educated in Wisconsin, Renuka Christoph received her B.A. at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. She moved to Williamson County in 1993 because of her husband’s work. Christoph began her professional career in graphic design, but in the process of working for several Nashville publishers, she moved to marketing, then marketing management. From that vantage point, she observed that there is much room in the field of children’s books for more emphasis on diversity. Therefore, she included children of many backgrounds in one main character’s adventures.
–JayCee Goes to the Park, 2001
Pennie Christopher grew up in Nashville. She received a B.S. in Education
from the University of Memphis and an M.A. from Trevecca Nazarene University. She and her husband lived
in Fairview for 29 years, rearing their four daughters
there. For twenty-one of those years, she used her artistic talents in the
classroom as a teacher at Fairview Elementary. Christopher was active in Westview United Methodist Church while in Fairview. Her book is a spiritual
autobiography, recounting her "walk with the Lord" for 29 years of
her life. Since her retirement to Fairfield Glade, she has been on mission
trips to Africa, the
–Not Just Life: The Abundant Life, 1999
While growing up in Nashville, Paul Clements attended Battle Ground Academy and Williamson County summer camps. As an adult, he has lived near the Natchez Trace with his wife and three children. Professionally, he has been in the investments business; recreationally, he has coached youth sports for many years. In 1975, disturbed by the rapid growth of Nashville, he started researching his neighborhood and eventually all of Davidson County and compiled information on its remaining antebellum homes. His massive illustrated two-volume book was the result.
–A Past Remembered: A Collection of Antebellum Houses in Davidson County, 1987
Donnie Clemons was born in Williamson County and attended school here through the
tenth grade. He studied technical education and industrial arts at Tennessee
Tech in Cookeville. After teaching in Dalton,
–Greed, 1998
–Quest for the Eye of Light: The First Book of Mankiah, 1997
A family of musicians nurtured Bobby Cochran as he grew into a songwriter, producer, and musician. Growing up in Los Angeles and Orange County, California, at twelve he entered a school talent show, which led to a position in his first band. Bobby went on to work with many famous groups including Steppenwolf, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Leon Russell, and Bobby & The Midnites (featuring Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead). After years of playing and touring, he, along with his family, moved to Middle Tennessee, which he had visited and liked for its rural beauty and focus on music. His book is about his uncle Eddie Cochran, the inspiration for much of his work.
–Three Steps to Heaven:The Eddie Cochran Story (with Susan Van Hecke), 2003
Louise Colln grew up in southern Illinois but spent much of her adult life in Missouri. She wrote in her spare time while
pursuing a nursing career and raising a family. She has been writing full time
since moving to Franklin, both historical and contemporary
fiction. Her short fiction, nostalgia, and verse have been published in
national magazines and in anthologies, including all three editions of Our
Voices. Her second novel has been translated and published in
–San Antonio Seduction, 2006
–Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, 2003
–Birdsong Road, 1999
–Falling Water Valley, 1997
–A Place for Love, 1995
–Mountain House, 1993
--Adapted and Condensed
–A Little Princess, 2001
–Black Beauty, 2001
Tom Cook was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he grew up and attended Middle Tennessee State University. He became a photographer and then a minister. In his early ministry, he served churches in Dunlap, Tennessee; Dayton, Ohio; and Cookeville, Tennessee, where he completed his B.S. and M.A. degrees at Tennessee Tech. Cook moved to Nashville, where he served several churches, and then moved to Williamson County in 1985. Retired, he has assisted at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ as an Elder in Residence. With his senior minister, Tom Riley, he wrote a book in response to the needs of small prayer groups that meet in homes.
–Praying with Jesus: Experiencing New Depths in Prayer (with Tom Riley), 2001
Chris Coppernoll grew up in Leslie, Michigan, and graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1994 he founded the nationally syndicated radio program “Soul2Soul.” He has conducted over 300 interviews with Christian recording artists and authors on living faith in contemporary times. Coppernoll has also written for magazines.
–Screen Play: a Novel, 2010
–A Beautiful Fall, 2008
–Providence: Once Upon a Second Chance, 2007
–God's Calling , 2004
–Secrets of a Faith Well Lived, 2001
–Soul 2 Soul, 1998
James C. Cotham III was born in Clarksville, and graduated from Austin Peay State University, the University of Tennessee, and Indiana University. He was an executive with the Nashville Gas Company, South Central Bell, Nashville City Bank, and First National Bank in Clarksville. He was Commissioner of Economic and Community Development in the cabinet of Governor Lamar Alexander. He spent the last years of his life as a professor of management in the Jack Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University.
–Improving Organizational Effectiveness in the Global Economy (editor), 1993
–Organizational Management (editor), 1993
–Career Shock, 1988
Perry Cotham graduated from David Lipscomb University and received his M.A. and Ph.D. from Wayne State University where he studied communications, American history, and politics. His titles reveal a special interest in labor relations and ethics. He has taught at David Lipscomb and Belmont Universities and at Nashville State Technical Institute. Cotham has also served as Minister of Administration and Involvement at Fourth Avenue Church of Christ in Franklin. His 1995 book, Toil, Turmoil and Triumph, received the 1996 Tennessee History Book Award.
–Heart and Soul of Business: A Christian Perspective, 1998
–How to Succeed in Business Without Really Losing Your Soul, 1998
–Harsh Realities/Agonizing Choices, 1996
–Toil, Turmoil and Triumph: A Portrait of the Tennessee Labor Movement, 1995
–Handbook of Labor History, The Tennessee Edition, 1989
–Trust at Work, 1987
–Marriage in the Fast Lane, 1983
–The Church of Christ in Warren County, 1982
–Christian Social Ethics (editor), 1979
–Politics, Americanism, and Christianity, 1976
–Obscenity, Pornography, and Censorship, 1973
A native of Nashville, Richard Courtney has been buying and selling real estate for most of his adult life. He has also been a publisher, having founded Eggman Press. He is an alumnus of the University of the South and a member of the Nashville Board of Realtors. He has received the Million Dollar Sales Club Award and the President’s Award of Excellence.
–Buyers Are Liars & Sellers Are Too!, 1992
Elder Jesse Cox, great-grandfather of former Franklin City Recorder Marshall Liggett, is thought to have come from the Theta community. He married Elizabeth Brown in 1816, and they had three children by 1820. He preached at the Wilson Creek Primitive Baptist Church, one of the oldest churches in Williamson County, from 1848 to 1862, and his written works were published in several periodicals. His one book went through two printings and contains more than 500 pages. Cox is buried in the McConnico Church Cemetery just west of I-65 on Highway 96 West.
–An Exposition of the Revelations of St. John the Divine… and Connections of the Kingdoms of the World with the Prophecies, 1873
Joseph P. Crockett, son of a
prominent Franklin lawyer, was born and reared in Franklin and educated at Vanderbilt. He then
worked with the consular service until he came back to Tennessee to obtain a law degree from Cumberland University. He spent more than 30 years as a
federal tax lawyer and official with the Departments of Justice and Treasury in Washington. Crockett also served as technical
advisor to the finance ministries of
–The Federal Tax System of the
After spending years as a touring and recording musician with nine albums and 5,000 concerts to his credit, Robin Crow decided to settle and live a different kind of life on Old Charlotte Pike in Franklin. Using his knowledge of the music world and a plan for living successfully, he started the Dark Horse Recording Studio. He was able to attract major recording artists to his label. With that kind of success, Crow decided to branch out into speaking and writing, there again succeeding with a best-selling book.
–Jump and the Net Will Appear, 2002
The 1996 inductee into the
Williamson County Authors’ Hall of Fame, Jim Crutchfield was born, reared, and
educated in Nashville. He moved to Franklin in the 1970s. A past editor of the Tennessee Valley Historical Review, he
has also been a publisher. Two of his books, The Harpeth River: A Biography and Franklin: Tennessee’s Handsomest Town were awarded a
Certificate of Commendation by the American Association for State and Local
History. As well as local lore, he has also written copiously about the
American West. He wrote the Colorado, New Mexico, and
–George Washington: First in War, First in Peace, 2005
–It Happened in
–The Story of an American Classic: Opryland Hotel, 2000
–Franklin: Tennessee's Handsomest Town (with Bob Holladay), 1999
–Mississippi River Tales, 1998
–Mountain Men of the American West, 1997
–A Treasury of Tennessee Tales by James Ewing, reissued and edited with additional tales by J. C., 1997
–Franklin, A Photographic Recollection, Vol. II (with Bob and Jackie Canaday and Rick Warwick), 1996
–It Happened in Texas, 1996
–The Tennessee Grassroots Writer (with Peter S. La Paglia), 1996
–Eyewitness to American History, 1996
–The Santa Fe Trail, 1996
–
–A River Through Time, reprint of Early Times in the Cumberland Valley, 1996
–It Happened in Washington, 1995
–Miss Daisy Celebrates Tennessee (with Daisy King and Winette Sparkman), 1995
–Tragedy at Taos: The Revolt of 1847, 1995
–Legends of the Wild West (with Bill O'Neal and Dale L. Walker), 1995
–On This Day… A Short History of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, 1995
–It Happened in New Mexico, 1995
–It Happened in Oregon, 1994
–It Happened in Arizona, 1994
–It Happened in Colorado, 1993
–It Happened in Montana, 1992
–Pioneer Architecture in Tennessee, 1988
–Tennesseans at War, 1987
–A Primer of the North American Fur Trade, 1986
–The Tennessee Almanac, 1986
–Williamson County Trivia, 1986
–The Natchez Trace: A Pictorial History, 1985
–Timeless Tennesseans, 1984
–Yesteryear in Nashville, 1981
–A Heritage of Grandeur, 1981
–Williamson County: A Pictorial History, 1980
–A Primer of Handicrafts, 1976
–Early Times in the Cumberland Valley, 1976
–Footprints Across the Pages of Tennessee History, 1976
–The Harpeth River: A Biography, 1972, revised 1994
The Reverend Jeremiah Cullom was born and reared on a farm in Davidson County. At the age of 18, he began to learn the tanner’s trade and at about the same time felt the call to be a preacher. In 1851 he became a circuit rider. He married into the Hyde family of Triune and lived for the remainder of his life at what is now the intersection of Highway 96 and Horton Highway. A descendant, Mrs. W. P. Wilson of Clarksville, gave permission for the journals of his circuit ministry to be published.
–Warm Hearts and Saddlebags, 1968