TWO ARTICLES ON THE LIFE AND WORKS OF Y.B. ASHBY
Y.B. Ashby –
Written by Gayle VanHooser; Grundy Co. Register of Deeds
I have never known a more devoted champion for our veterans and
their families than Mr. Y. B. Ashby.
Mr. Ashby and his wife, Lee, moved to the Grundy County area from
Louisiana in the early 1960’s. The couple worked together to build
their home from scratch. Together they have four children, Doug
Ashby from Texas, Donna from North Carolina, Sandra and Linda
from Gruetli-Laager and several grandchildren.
Mr. Ashby served his country in World War II as a photographer. He
made his home in Texas and later moved to New Orleans where he was
the owner/operator of a trophy shop. When he got ready to retire, he
started looking for a good, quiet location to retire, and he found
beautiful Grundy County in the 1960’s. He and Lee first started a little
trophy shop in McMinnville, then later moved it to their home in
Gruetli-Laager.
Mr. Ashby has always been a person that was interested in uplifting the
people and accentuating the positive for our area. With that mind set
he has been a pioneer for improving our media outlets in order to give
the “Good News” to the people of this area. He started the Grundy
County Post in the mid-eighties. This paper was used to promote
children and their accomplishments, along with preserving the history
of this area, and uplifting our beloved Veterans and their families.
He started the first ever Chamber of Commerce in Grundy County, and
he used the Chamber to help promote the accomplishments and
volunteer contributions of individuals and businesses throughout the
area with the Annual Awards Banquet, where clergy, businesses, civic
organizations, volunteers, and governmental officials were recognized
for their contributions to Grundy County.
Under his leadership, Mr. Ashby worked toward placing a time capsule
at the newly built courthouse in which veterans stories and information
that he had collected over the years were sealed in the history of Grundy
County.
Mr. Ashby started Grundy County Television around 1994 and used
that media outlet for much of the same uplifting, encouraging and
educating the people of Grundy County. This was a first for Grundy
County and Mrs. Ashby again threw everything that he had toward
making it a success, not for him, but for the people of the area,
especially the Veterans.
He took time out of his life to cover all the school board and county
court meetings. He did this to help educate the public on the workings
of the government. He actually served as a member of Grundy County
School Board. He helped to oversee the building of the new high school,
helping again to keep the public informed.
Mr. Ashby has also served as a Church of Christ minister at several
churches in the county and is still called upon to fill in at several
churches.
Every year, for many, many years (I don’t have an exact date, but can
get one…I know back in the 1980’s), Mr. Ashby does a Memorial Day
program to recognize all local and deceased Veterans. After the TV
station was up and running, he continued to recognize Veterans (living
and deceased). Each year he rotates to each of the local funeral homes
to remember Veterans that have died during that year. He presents a
memorial plaque to family members in attendance, reminding them that
the service of their loved one was much appreciated.
Annually on Veteran’s Day, Mr. Ashby recognizes a Veteran of the
Year in each community. Annually on the fourth of July, he recognizes
a Patriot of the Year. This is someone that is also a champion for
Veterans and the community.
Several years back Mr. Ashby committed all proceeds from his trophy
shop to go directly to the Veteran’s Historical Society in an effort to
help with the sustainability of Veteran’s recognition.
Mr. Ashby worked hard to raise funds to purchase a bugle that self
played “Taps” at military funerals. There was a big demand for Mr.
Ashby to play “Taps” at military funerals so a private donor bought
another bugle in order to meet the demand. He would stand off at a
distance, and play the bugle, then take pictures of the military funeral
and mail them to the Veteran’s family. He has his assistant check the
obits each day and give him his funeral dates and times. He single-
handedly worked with a church that was closing in the Palmer area and
the Tennessee Consolidated Coal Company to give the historic church
for a Veteran’s museum.
As I was obtaining this information, his assistant told me that just
recently both bugles were stolen from the back of his car. He is
checking with insurance to see if they will replace the bugles, however in
the meantime he continues to go to as many Veterans funerals as
possible to take pictures of the military service and sent to the family
members.
This is just a few of the many things that Mr. Ashby has done for the
Veterans as well as the citizens (but this is just a few of the highlights) of
this beautiful quiet little county where he decided to retire!!! I did say
RETIRE and that was over forty years ago that means that this very
active “retiree” is almost 90 years old, has fought cancer several times
and has a very serious heart condition, and just went through a scare of
cancer again!
He is an amazing man, with a true desire to uplift others. This would be
a very unique way to turn the tables and uplift Mr. Y. B. Ashby for his
kind deeds for others.
Thank you for your consideration.
Gayle VanHooser
Grundy County Register of Deeds
P.O. Box 35
Altamont, TN 37301
931-692-3621
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Grundy County comes together again to help a local volunteer whose
business was destroyed by fire….
Y.B. Ashby has been the man that made it his mission in life to uplift
and recognize the positive aspects of Grundy County and its people.
Mr. Y. B. Ashby started his service many years ago when he joined the
service during World War II.
Mr. Ashby is not from here originally however he loves the county and
it’s people. When he got ready to retire, he started looking for a good,
quiet location to retire and he found beautiful Grundy County in the
1960’s. He has served as a preacher, an advocate for Veterans, and an
advocate for young and old alike.
It would be impossible to state all the things that Mr. Ashby has done
for this county, but I will give you a few: With his desire to uplift the
people and accentuate the positive in our area, he has been a pioneer for
improving our media outlets in Grundy County Post in the mid-eighties.
This paper was used to promote children and their accomplishments,
along with preserving the history of the area, and uplifting our beloved
Veterans and making them understand their worth, not only to Grundy
County but also to our country. He recognized young and old for their
accomplishments and presented a very positive picture of our beloved
Grundy County.
He initiated the first ever TV station in Grundy County to help do the
same. We now know this station as GCTV. He was also in on the
ground floor of our first ever gospel radio station, known as WSGM.
He was in on the formation of the first Grundy County Chamber of
Commerce and held the position of Executive Chair for many years.
All of this was done with the hope of promoting Grundy County and it’s
beautiful people. Also, giving the citizens of the county a sense of pride
in their communities and their neighbors, while using the media sources
to educate the people of Grundy County of the happenings in county
court, county school board meetings and coverage of the step by step
process of building the new Grundy County High School, which held
contractors accountable for every inch of the construction of the
building.
Every year, for many years, Mr. Ashby has a Memorial Day program to
recognize all local deceased Veterans. After the TV station was up and
running, he continued to recognize Veterans, living and deceased. Each
year he rotated to each of the local funeral homes to remember
Veterans that have died during that year. He presents a memorial
plaque to family members in attendance, reminding them that the
service of their loved one was much appreciated.
Annually, on Veteran’s Day, Mr. Ashby recognizes a Veteran of the
Year in each community. Annually, on the fourth of July, he recognizes
a Patriot of the year, which is someone that is also a champion for
Veterans and the community.
Several years back, Mr. Ashby committed all the proceeds from his
trophy shop to go directly to the Veteran’s Historical Society, in an
effort to help with the sustainability of Veterans recognition.
Mr. Ashby worked hard to raise funds to purchase a bugle that selfplayed “Taps” at military funerals. There was a big demand for Mr.
Ashby to play “Taps” at military funerals so a private donor bought
another bugle in order to meet the demand. He would stand off at a
distance and play the bugle, then take pictures of the military funeral
and mail them to the family. He has his assistant check the obits every
day and give him his funeral dates and times.
About a year ago, someone stole the bugles out of Mr. Ashby’s car, and
when the public heard about the loss, Grundy County citizens rallied
behind him and within one days time there were enough donations
raised to allow him to repurchase the bugles.
He does all of this, plus so much more that we don’t even know, and he
is over 90 years old. He has fought cancer several times, and cares
deeply and helps his entire family. This is just a few of the many things
Mr. Ashby has done for Veterans as well as the citizens of this beautiful,
quiet little county where he, thankfully, decided to retire over forty
years ago. His “retirement” has been good for the people of Grundy
County.
For so many local people, Mr. Ashby has been the man that has always
been there to uplift and recognize. Now it’s his time to get a little
uplifting.
August 28th, Ashby’s business and equipment, which was in a converted
mobile home, just yards from his home, were completely destroyed by a
fire. After calling his insurance company, he found out that they did
not cover the building that housed his printing and trophy business and
some irreplaceable records for the Grundy County Veterans Historical
Society.
“We are going to just have to be at the mercy of our creditors and the
Lord”, he said. “The thing that bothers me most is in one of the filing
cabinets we had all the records of our deceased veterans. Families over
the years have filed out forms describing length of service,
commendations and the like. Those precious documents are now a pile
of ashes in the burned out file cabinets”, he said.
If you would like to help donations for Y. B. Ashby can be made at any
branch of Citizens Tri-County Bank in Bledsoe, Coffee, Grundy,
Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie, VanBuren, and Warren Counties.
A Facebook page in Ashby’s name provides more information on how
to help.