Joel Calvin Guthrie, who served Johnson City in several key positions for more than 44 years, died Tuesday morning in Johnson City Memorial Hospital. Mr. Guthrie, 74, 911 Woodland Ave., retired from city government in 1974.
He came to Johnson City from Kentucky in 1926, working briefly as a service station attendant while sharing a room with an older brother on Maple Street.
After returning to Kentucky, he borrowed $500 to finance his business education at the Jackson (TN) School of Business. That education served as the springboard for his long career with the City of Johnson City. "I had always enjoyed detailed work, even in high school, and mathematics was always one of my best subjects,"Mr. Guthrie said upon his retirement in 1974.
He joined the Johnson City government as a posting clerk in 1930 at a monthly salary of $75. In 1933, he received a promotion to bookkeeper and a $25 raise. Five years later he was promoted to chief accountant. Mr. Guthrie was appointed city recorder and treasurer in 1954, a post he held until his retirement although from time to time he served as acting city judge and acting city manager.
Mr. Guthrie was a son of the late B. F. and Ophelia Murphey Guthrie. He was a member of Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the official board. He was a 32nd degree Mason and Kerbela Temple of the Shrine. His first wife, Ollie Mae Pryor Guthrie, died in 1958. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lucian Graham Guthrie, Charlotte, NC, and Wilson Key Guthrie, IL. Survivors include his wife, Bennie Deneen Guthrie; son Joel Calvin Guthrie, Jr., Pennington Gap, VA; daughter, Jo Ann Guthrie English, Argyle, TX; brother Virgil Guthrie, Johnson City, TN; stepson, Fred Deneen III, Johnson City, TN; stepdaughters, Mrs. Carol Malone, Johnson City, and Mrs. Patricia Willoughby, Hidden Hill, CA; 13 grandchildren and two nephews, Lucian Graham Guthrie,Jr., Alexandria, VA.and Barry Britton Guthrie, Charlotte, NC.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at Hartman Funeral Home.
He came to Johnson City from Kentucky in 1926, working briefly as a service station attendant while sharing a room with an older brother on Maple Street.
After returning to Kentucky, he borrowed $500 to finance his business education at the Jackson (TN) School of Business. That education served as the springboard for his long career with the City of Johnson City. "I had always enjoyed detailed work, even in high school, and mathematics was always one of my best subjects,"Mr. Guthrie said upon his retirement in 1974.
He joined the Johnson City government as a posting clerk in 1930 at a monthly salary of $75. In 1933, he received a promotion to bookkeeper and a $25 raise. Five years later he was promoted to chief accountant. Mr. Guthrie was appointed city recorder and treasurer in 1954, a post he held until his retirement although from time to time he served as acting city judge and acting city manager.
Mr. Guthrie was a son of the late B. F. and Ophelia Murphey Guthrie. He was a member of Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the official board. He was a 32nd degree Mason and Kerbela Temple of the Shrine. His first wife, Ollie Mae Pryor Guthrie, died in 1958. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lucian Graham Guthrie, Charlotte, NC, and Wilson Key Guthrie, IL. Survivors include his wife, Bennie Deneen Guthrie; son Joel Calvin Guthrie, Jr., Pennington Gap, VA; daughter, Jo Ann Guthrie English, Argyle, TX; brother Virgil Guthrie, Johnson City, TN; stepson, Fred Deneen III, Johnson City, TN; stepdaughters, Mrs. Carol Malone, Johnson City, and Mrs. Patricia Willoughby, Hidden Hill, CA; 13 grandchildren and two nephews, Lucian Graham Guthrie,Jr., Alexandria, VA.and Barry Britton Guthrie, Charlotte, NC.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at Hartman Funeral Home.
Joel Calvin Guthrie, who served Johnson City in several key positions for more than 44 years, died Tuesday morning in Johnson City Memorial Hospital. Mr. Guthrie, 74, 911 Woodland Ave., retired from city government in 1974.
He came to Johnson City from Kentucky in 1926, working briefly as a service station attendant while sharing a room with an older brother on Maple Street.
After returning to Kentucky, he borrowed $500 to finance his business education at the Jackson (TN) School of Business. That education served as the springboard for his long career with the City of Johnson City. "I had always enjoyed detailed work, even in high school, and mathematics was always one of my best subjects,"Mr. Guthrie said upon his retirement in 1974.
He joined the Johnson City government as a posting clerk in 1930 at a monthly salary of $75. In 1933, he received a promotion to bookkeeper and a $25 raise. Five years later he was promoted to chief accountant. Mr. Guthrie was appointed city recorder and treasurer in 1954, a post he held until his retirement although from time to time he served as acting city judge and acting city manager.
Mr. Guthrie was a son of the late B. F. and Ophelia Murphey Guthrie. He was a member of Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the official board. He was a 32nd degree Mason and Kerbela Temple of the Shrine. His first wife, Ollie Mae Pryor Guthrie, died in 1958. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lucian Graham Guthrie, Charlotte, NC, and Wilson Key Guthrie, IL. Survivors include his wife, Bennie Deneen Guthrie; son Joel Calvin Guthrie, Jr., Pennington Gap, VA; daughter, Jo Ann Guthrie English, Argyle, TX; brother Virgil Guthrie, Johnson City, TN; stepson, Fred Deneen III, Johnson City, TN; stepdaughters, Mrs. Carol Malone, Johnson City, and Mrs. Patricia Willoughby, Hidden Hill, CA; 13 grandchildren and two nephews, Lucian Graham Guthrie,Jr., Alexandria, VA.and Barry Britton Guthrie, Charlotte, NC.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at Hartman Funeral Home.
He came to Johnson City from Kentucky in 1926, working briefly as a service station attendant while sharing a room with an older brother on Maple Street.
After returning to Kentucky, he borrowed $500 to finance his business education at the Jackson (TN) School of Business. That education served as the springboard for his long career with the City of Johnson City. "I had always enjoyed detailed work, even in high school, and mathematics was always one of my best subjects,"Mr. Guthrie said upon his retirement in 1974.
He joined the Johnson City government as a posting clerk in 1930 at a monthly salary of $75. In 1933, he received a promotion to bookkeeper and a $25 raise. Five years later he was promoted to chief accountant. Mr. Guthrie was appointed city recorder and treasurer in 1954, a post he held until his retirement although from time to time he served as acting city judge and acting city manager.
Mr. Guthrie was a son of the late B. F. and Ophelia Murphey Guthrie. He was a member of Munsey Memorial United Methodist Church and a member of the official board. He was a 32nd degree Mason and Kerbela Temple of the Shrine. His first wife, Ollie Mae Pryor Guthrie, died in 1958. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Lucian Graham Guthrie, Charlotte, NC, and Wilson Key Guthrie, IL. Survivors include his wife, Bennie Deneen Guthrie; son Joel Calvin Guthrie, Jr., Pennington Gap, VA; daughter, Jo Ann Guthrie English, Argyle, TX; brother Virgil Guthrie, Johnson City, TN; stepson, Fred Deneen III, Johnson City, TN; stepdaughters, Mrs. Carol Malone, Johnson City, and Mrs. Patricia Willoughby, Hidden Hill, CA; 13 grandchildren and two nephews, Lucian Graham Guthrie,Jr., Alexandria, VA.and Barry Britton Guthrie, Charlotte, NC.
Funeral services are scheduled for 3 p.m. Thursday at Hartman Funeral Home.
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