During the afternoon of November 10, 2022, Willie Ralph Hickerson of Hohenwald, Tennessee, died with his family present. He was 87 years old.

Willie Ralph was born to J.W. and Bernice Hickerson in 1935. A Possum Creek farm was his childhood home. He graduated from Wayne County High School. In 1956, he married Mary Lavenia, and together they had three sons, Anthony Ralph, Timothy William, and Corey Allan. Willie Ralph and Mary lived in multiple states working to bring telephone service to rural areas before returning to Tennessee. As a carpenter and construction worker, many homes, bridges, and other buildings in the Middle Tennessee area were built by Willie Ralph. He was a long-time employee of the Dana Corporation. He retired in 1996 to a farm in Wayne county adjacent to his parent’s home.

Willie Ralph was a dedicated husband, father, and fisherman. When not working, Willie Ralph could be found on the Tennessee River, always searching for that bigger, more elusive catfish. He was known for his patience and kind heart. He was a member of Grinder’s Creek Church of Christ.

Willie Ralph is preceded in death by his father, mother, and son Anthony. He is survived by his wife, Mary; two sons, Tim (Cindy) Hickerson, and Corey (Laura) Hickerson; five grandchildren, Jonathan (Katie) Hickerson, Jessica (Andrew) Stafford, Hannah Hickerson, Lillian Hickerson, and Jude Hickerson; and six great-grandchildren, Julia, Clark, and Nora Hickerson, Emmeline, Owen, and Leif Stafford.

Visitation with the family will be from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM on Sunday, November 13, 2022 at McDonald Funeral Home in Hohenwald. Funeral Services will follow beginning at 2:00 PM with Brother Rod Littrell officiating and congregational singing led by Jake Littrell.  Burial will follow in the Dean Cemetery in Linden, TN.