Teresa Anne Holt, age 78 of Decherd, Tennessee, departed this life on December 12, 2021, at NHC Tullahoma. Teresa was born in Sewanee, Tennessee, the youngest child of Fred Orville and Maude Esther Hughes. She was a 1962 graduate of Franklin County High School where she was a star basketball player. In 1961, Teresa left the mountain to marry the love of her life, James W. Holt Sr, and together they made their home in Decherd. Teresa will be remembered as a woman of strength and perseverance who worked hard and took pride in her family and her home. She was an extraordinary Southern cook and took great joy in feeding her family and friends. No one ever left Teresa’s house hungry. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James W. Holt Sr; brothers, Charles Evan Hughes, Roy Hughes, and Kenneth Hughes; sisters, Evelyn King, and Nancy Gilliam; and step-son, James W. Holt Jr. She is survived by her children, Tammy (Sheila Mason) Holt of Decherd, and Sandy (Wendell) Burnette of Murfreesboro; granddaughter, Jami (Aric) McClintock of Shelbyville; great-granddaughter, Alayna; brothers, Thomas Henry (Jimbo) Hughes of Tracy City, and Fred Hughes Jr (Dutch) of Cowan; step-daughter, Wanda (JW) Finney of Winchester; step-grandson, Greg (Michelle) Zimmerman of Winchester; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends. It was Teresa’s wishes to be cremated and her ashes interred beside her husband at Franklin Memorial Gardens. It was also her wishes that there be a graveside service with her eulogy given by her daughter. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 pm on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, at Franklin Memorial Gardens. Immediately following the graveside service, the family will be going to Teresa’s favorite restaurant, Gondola in Tullahoma, for a meal. Friends and family are invited to join them. In lieu of flowers, it was her wish that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or Animal Harbor of Franklin County. Her family would like to thank the caring staff at NHC Tullahoma for taking care of “Mama Teresa” in the last months of her life. Moore-Cortner Funeral Home, 300 First Ave NW, Winchester, TN 37398, (931)-967-2222
