Granddad

Granddad - His obit says in brief  what a fascinating man he was. He was an avid genealogist, a writer, a history buff and a flirt. He was one of the smartest men I have ever known. My dad and my older brother are up there too.

He was funny, canny in a way that only an older Southern intellect can be and was very influential among the Knoxville Repbulican political arena. He was a Christian man who married well - when I say well, I don't mena that Grandmother was rich (she was not)  but she was smart and was the making of George Everett Mynatt. She was a Christian, feisty woman who raised three kids in the fear and admonition of the Lord, who turned around and did the same thing with their kids.

Granddad loved his family  - I always knew that he thought we were the best things in the world. I knew that he KNEW in his heart that we were the smartest, most intuitive family. After all, we were his people. It gave me a confidence in his love and faith in me that never wavered. I miss him to this day. He died in May 2004 with most of his family circled around his bed at the hospice that night. It was me, my parents, my aunts, my uncles, my cousins Lea, Patrick and Chris and at the end, my older brother.  My cousins Jim and John, my little brother and my sister and their families lived too far away.

We were lucky to have Granddad and I count myself fortunate to have had the experience of being his grandchild.
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George Everett Mynatt, 92, died Sunday, May 2, 2004. Born June 16, 1911, in Grainger County, he was the son of William H. and Susan Penelope Mynatt. Mr.
Mynatt came to Knox County when he was 17 to secure a job in a restaurant.

In 1940, he began working as a salesman for a flour milling firm, J. Allen Smith & Co. and in 1960, he formed his own business, Mynatt Brokerage Co. His food
brokerage firm was a factor in the Knoxville food market area for a number of
years. In recognition of his stature in the business field, he was elected by his peers to serve as president of the Knoxville Food Brokers Association. In
1972, Mr. Mynatt sold his company to retire.

Mr. Mynatt served as a delegate to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention called in 1971 to address the state's tax structure and his family said he was proud of the resulting plan that lowered taxes on residences within the state. From 1974 to 1999, when he again retired at age 87, he worked full time as an officer of the court for Knox County Criminal Court. A former deacon at Broadway Baptist Church, Mr. Mynatt was a founding member, treasurer and deacon at Second Baptist Church, and a current member of Central Baptist Church in Fountain City. According to his family, Mr. Mynatt had a wide interest in many things. In addition to his lifelong participation in the Republican Party, he served for years as chairman of the 31st voting precinct. His family said he had long been a student of his family's genealogy and was a recognized authority in this area. He was a member of Sons of the Revolution and First Families of Tennessee organization.