Alta Lillian Canup, 99, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, passed from this life at home with her family on October 26.

She was born on January 14, 1924 near Metropolis, Illinois, to James Frank and Grace Gurley Crockett and grew up on a small farm. She marveled that she lived to such an age as she wasn’t expected to reach adulthood because of her many bouts with pneumonia in the Illinois winters. When she graduated from high school, she left home to work in a World War II defense plant in Elgin, Illinois. On August 7, 1943 at age 19, she married 22-year-old G.I. Harvey Nathaniel Canup in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Harvey was clearly proud to be seen with his beautiful bride for the rest of his life.

Lillian worked again in defense plants until Sgt. Canup left the service after the end of the war, and they moved to Detroit to take advantage of job opportunities for Harvey. She soon welcomed their first child, Barbara. Shortly after, they moved into their first house and welcomed a son. Lillian and Harvey wisely let Barbara name him Terry, so that she would always consider him her prized possession.

Barbara and Terry often sensed the envy of others who would have liked to be part of the loving family that Lillian and Harvey created. The family sang together, ate together and enjoyed weekend getaways and long vacations. They found kids outside their nuclear family calling Lillian “Mom” because they sensed her maternal love. She reached out to and cared for those around her, always stepped in when she could help or comfort, and bristled when she felt others were mistreated.

While never tempted to return to farm life, she maintained her passion for growing things and talking about plants. She spent many happy years working at a commercial greenhouse in Michigan, enjoying the company of other women who worked there. She helped neighbors with their yards and gardens during the two decades that she and Harvey lived on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Lillian tended her own home gardens well into her 90s during the quarter century she spent in Murfreesboro, a move made to be closer to Barbara and her family.

Lillian and her husband were active in churches in Michigan, Florida and at World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro.

Lillian was preceded in death by her husband Harvey in 2011. She is survived by her daughter Barbara Currence and husband Stephen of Murfreesboro; son Terry Canup and wife Janet Brydon of Las Cruces, New Mexico; grand-daughters Tiffany Jones and husband Steven of Murfreesboro, Stephanie Currence of Lebanon, and Clair Canup of Las Cruces; grandson Lt. Col. Ross Canup and wife Lt. Col. Ellen of the U.S. Air Force; great grandchildren Cooper and Lyndsey Jones of Murfreesboro; and Caleb, Callie, and Cody Canup at Maxwell AFB. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Visitation with the family will be held at Murfreesboro Funeral Home on Monday, October 30, 2023, from 10am – 12pm with services to follow in the chapel. Officiating will be Pastor Bob Bush. Interment will be at Roselawn Memorial Gardens.