L'Ene Biggs Bryant

L'Ene Biggs Bryant, 88, a resident of Cleveland, passed away April 23, 2011 in a local healthcare facility. She was born July 10, 1922 in Polk County, TN to the late Burch Euclid Biggs and Della Lillard Biggs. She was a graduate of Polk County High School, Ward-Belmont College and the University of Tennessee where she was a member of Alpha Epsilon chapter of Kappa Delta Sorority. She married Everett C. Bryant on August 14, 1944 at First Baptist Church Cleveland and has been a member there for 67 years. She was actively involved in her church teaching Sunday School, Bible School, volunteering for camp and mission trips and most recently her beloved Dorcus Sunday School class. She believed one of her greatest achievements was the 30 years she spent as physical education and health teacher at Bradley Central High School. She was actively involved as sponsor of both the cheerleading squad and student council. She was a member of Alpha Delta Kappa teacher's society and was the first woman president of the Bradley County Education Association in 1974-75. Interested in affairs of the community, she led the public education division of the Bradley Child Abuse Task Force in 1976. She was also a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Ocoee Chapter DAR serving as "Good Citizen" chairman for many years. She loved her family and church, was a devoted friend, thought of her students as "her kids" and was affectionately known as "Mimi" by her grandchildren and their friends. She was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, Everett C. Bryant; her daughter, Carol Bryant Brock; sister, Etholene Biggs; brothers and sister in law, Broughton E. Biggs and wife Louise H. Biggs and Burch G. Biggs; nephew, Tom H. Biggs; and great niece Robin Stottlemyer Crocker. She is survived by daughters, Becky Bryant Osborne, of Cleveland, Nanci Bryant Williams of Marietta, GA; grandchildren, Melissa Bigham Reuter and husband, Jason Reuter, Chrystie Bigham, Amy Osborne Waddel, all of Cleveland; Kelly Bigham Blazon and husband, Scott Blazon of Virginia Beach, VA; Chad Williams and wife, Pam Byers Williams of Canton, GA; Bryant Brock and wife, Chrissy Guess Brock of Hixson, and Jonathan Brock and wife Tonya Chaffin Brock of Chattanooga; great-grandchildren, Rebecca Reuter, Amelia Reuter, Ellie Bigham, Emma Waddel, Kenli Young, Breton Williams, Cale Williams, Paulina Williams, Gavin Brock and Andrew Brock; sister in law, Margaret Evelyn Biggs of Benton; and nieces Joann Biggs Crane of Ripley, TN, Mary Temple Biggs Stottlemyer of Sarasota, FL, Carolyn Biggs Dillingham of Benton; nephew, Curtis Biggs of Old Fort. She is also survived by her many friends at Bradley Healthcare and Rehabilitation who loved and cared for her in such a special way. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Grissom Funeral Home with Rev. Jim Gibson officiating. A private interment service will be held Wednesday at Hilcrest Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 3-7 p.m. at the funeral home prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Building Fund of First Baptist Church or the Robert Maupin Scholarship Fund at Bradley Central High School. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.grissomfh.net.