LaVelle Partlow went to be with the Lord, July 31, 2018.
She was born in Pendleton, Oregon, March 11, 1926, to Myrtle and Marshall Markham. She was raised in Eastern Oregon and graduated from Irrigon High School, and then from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. She is preceded in death by her husband Albert Partlow, three-month-old son Terry Partlow and another son who died at birth. She is also preceded in death by her sister Marlene Berg, nephews Ronald Berg and Rick Mills, and parents Myrtle and Marshall Markham.
LaVelle was raised in Irrigon, Oregon with her parents and two sisters. After graduating from college, she traveled as a missionary. Additionally, she worked at the Army Depot in Umatilla, Oregon, and became the Postmaster of Irrigon, Oregon, where she served for most of her adult life. In 2008, LaVelle and her husband, Albert Partlow, moved to Smyrna, Tennessee to be near her daughter and family. In Smyrna, LaVelle was an important part of Lancaster Christian Academy. She helped start the academy, served in the school’s office, and purchased land for the current campus. Mrs. Partlow was the piano player for Living Faith Ministries and for LifePoint’s senior service. She played for the Smyrna Senior Center and contributed to several other local events.
Her love for music and her own accomplishments as a professional keyboard player, allowed her to take incredible joy and pride in watching her two grandsons perfect their art. She loved traveling to different parts of the country to see her oldest grandson, Brandon Lancaster, perform as the lead singer for the country band, Lanco, and she proudly displayed the gift he gave her, a framed platinum album. You could find her in the front row of many concerts.
She will be greatly missed by her daughter Sherly Lancaster, son-in-law Keith Lancaster, grandchildren Devon and Brandon Lancaster, and granddaughter-in-law Tiffany Trotter Lancaster. Additional surviving relatives include her sister Delpha Mills, and many nephews and nieces. She will be buried with her husband and two sons in Irrigon, Oregon.
She was known for her love of Jesus and family, and for her immesurable kindness.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held in Markham-Partlow Gymnasium at Lancaster Christian Academy, Smyrna, Tennessee, August 12, 2018 at 3:30 pm. In lieu of flowers, you may contribute to the ministry she helped start and loved, Lancaster Christian Academy, Markham-Partlow Scholarship Fund, at 150 Soccer Way, Smyrna, Tennessee 37167.
