BUFORD OWEN NIVENS

Funeral services for Rev. Buford Owen Nivens, 80, of Allons will be conducted at 2 p.m., Friday April 6 from the First United Methodist Church in Livingston where the body will lie in state from 1 until 2 p.m. time for service. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery in Allons, TN where there will be a military service performed by the Honor Guard from the James T. Davis Memorial Post 5062 with full military honors. The family will receive friends at Speck Funeral Home on Thursday evening from 5 until 8 p.m.Rev. Nivens died March 31, 2007 at Cookeville Regional Medical Center. He was born the oldest of 9 children on July 4, 1926 in Overton County to the late James B. "B" and Velma Cole Nivens. He completed the 8th grade at Cedar Grove Elementary, served in the U.S. Army during WWII where he was among the first U.S. occupation forces to land on Hiroshima after the bomb and was assigned to the motor pool as an ambulance driver to pick up the wounded as well as driving a jeep to take the officers to and from. He married Ann Maxine Garrett January 18, 1947 and raised 6 children. Together they answered the call of God to prepare for ministry. After graduating from Central Bible Coll...[more]

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in Springfield, MO, Buford continued his education at Bryan College in Dayton, TN and Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, receiving an M.S. in Education Administration. He served as a teacher and school administrator as well as church builder and pastor in Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Tennessee. He was recognized at the Tennessee District Council of the Assemblies of God with an outstanding faithfullness of ministry award on March 30, 1998. His legacy of faith to his family, friends and community survive him.He is survived by his wife, Ann Maxine Nivens of Allons; sons daughters-in-law, Gene Diana Nivens of Oak Ridge, Gary Donna Nivens of Maui, HI, and Jim Rachel Nivens of Columbus, OH; daughters sons-in-law, Janie Richard Cook of Modesto, CA, Jacquie Don Cartledge of Santiago, Chili, and Velvet Ed York of McMinnville, TN; 18 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren; brothers, D. Gene ( Cindy) Nivens of Indianapolis, IN and Charles ( Beverly) Nivens of Cookeville, TN; and sisters, Pearl ( Booze)Mayberry of Indianapolis, IN, Gwen Carter of Franklin, IN, Kathleen Farmer of Whiteland, IN, and Geri ( Glenn) Ruble of Indianapolis, IN.He is preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Edward Hayes and Danny B. Nivens.Pallbearers will be Richard Seth Cook, Ryan Nivens, Shaun Nivens, Jesse Nivens, Chad Nivens, Shane Nivens, Justin Nivens, Jonathan Cartledge, Timothy York, Dylan Nivens, Ethan Nivens.