Agnes “Ann” Paterson Cordell died peacefully at Adams Place Long Term Care on Monday, September 8, 2025. Born July 22, 1925, in Hill of Beath (a small coal mining village near Edinburgh), Fifeshire, Scotland, she was the last surviving of nine children born to the late Robert and Janet Allan Paterson.
As a teen during World War II, she worked various jobs including newspaper delivery and slicing potatoes in a fish and chip shop to help her mother with household expenses. Later she became a conductress for W. Alexander & Sons (the largest bus operator in Scotland at that time) assisting passengers and collecting fares on double decker buses.
Ann immigrated to America in 1950 seeking the opportunity to make a better life for herself. Sailing on the Queen Mary from Glasgow to New York, she then lived in Maine, Florida, and Washington, D.C, finding work and saving money in each location to see more of the country. From D.C. she moved to Los Angeles where she worked in the office of the Singer Sewing Company. She met her future husband, Clifford Tennison Cordell, in a night school typing class. Neither of them completed the course, but they were married on August 4, 1956, in Huntington Beach, California.
In January 1957, they moved back to Cliff’s native Tennessee to live with his uncle Clarence Lawrence and help with his farm on Baker Road in Rutherford County. Ann had never been close to a cow and knew nothing about farming but quickly became a valued hand at feeding bottle calves, caring for runt piglets, mowing acres of pasture and running to town for supplies and farm equipment repair parts. Together she and Clifford produced and sold custom processed Angus beef and raised replacement heifers for nearby dairies. She became an excellent country cook providing hearty meals for large crews during hay season each summer. They were faithful members of Stewarts Creek Church of Christ.
Ann proudly became a Naturalized US Citizen in 1963. While true to her traditional Scottish roots, she never missed the chance to remind those around her that we live in the greatest country in the world and to appreciate the blessings that are too easily taken for granted in America. She fiercely believed in the American Dream and advocated for individuals and families who came here to work and achieve their goals.
A devoted mother and enthusiastic supporter of all her daughter’s endeavors, Ann was a perpetual ‘room mother’ through the years at Smyrna Primary and Elementary Schools, providing refreshments for class parties and chaperoning field trips. She and Clifford hosted a safe and fun location for Janet’s classmates to gather and build their Smyrna High School homecoming floats in the barn on the farm. She served as a volunteer leader with Rutherford County 4-H Clubs, accompanying youth to camp in Columbia, State 4-H Round-up in Knoxville, teen leadership retreats at various locations each fall, and hosting 4-H members, leaders and Extension agents through the interstate 4-H exchange program.
With a heart for helping others, Ann volunteered with the American Red Cross Blood Mobile for many years and donated gallons of her own blood to save lives. She joined the Ladies Auxiliary at the old Rutherford Hospital in the mid-60’s and, at the time of her retirement from Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford at age 90, she was the longest serving (52 years) ‘pink lady’ volunteer in the hospital’s history. For this remarkable accomplishment, she was honored with the Daughters of Charity Legacy Award in 2022. (To commemorate 40 years, she received the inaugural Middle Tennessee Medical Center Daughters of Charity Service Award in 2008.)
After Clifford’s death in 1977 Ann moved to Forest Oaks in Murfreesboro where she made many new friends and continued her volunteer work and community activities. She became an active member of Kingwood Church of Christ.
In addition to the hospital, she was well known for her Scottish accent at the St. Clair Senior Center and Harvey’s Department Store, where she worked for several years in the 1980’s. Ann moved to AdamsPlace Independent Living in 2014 and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with her neighbors during card games and bingo. She sought out new residents to welcome them to the community and invite them to the Sunday Evening Social.
Ann celebrated her 100th birthday on July 22 with visits from family and friends and proclamations from both the city and county mayors. She led an amazing life and will be remembered for her outgoing, witty personality, her strong work ethic and service to others.
In addition to her parents, siblings, and husband, she was pre-deceased by her son-in-law Clyde Douglas Cluck.
She is survived by her daughter Janet Cordell Cluck, Dickson; her stepdaughter Shirley Cordell Rossa (Thom) of Marana, Arizona; step-grandchildren Cindy Cluck Hall (Greg) and Steve Cluck; step-great grandson Ethan Hall (Aly Schlepp), all of Murfreesboro; step-great granddaughter Erin Hall Britt (Isaac) and step-great, great granddaughter Elle Blake Britt, of Maryville.
Visitation with the family will take place on Friday, October 3, 2025 from 4:00-7:00 pm, at Woodfin Memorial Chapel in Murfreesboro. Ann’s wish was to be cremated, and her ashes buried on her husband’s grave. A graveside service will be conducted by Randy Neal at 11:00 am on Saturday, October 4, 2025 at Mapleview Cemetery in Smyrna.
The family will be eternally grateful to Sherry Beard for her compassionate and dedicated care for Ann over the past 18 months.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to Stones River Manor Christian Senior Living Community (205 Haynes Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37029) or the charity of your choice.
One Response
I extend my deepest sympathies to you and your family. Your dear one’s legacy will live on through the love and wisdom they passed on to you. May you find comfort in the cherished moments you shared together, and may these memories bring you peace.
And this promise is true: “…God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Rev 21:4