Elsin Ann Perry
Elsin Ann Perry (Annie), 76, wife of retired Elder, the Rev. Gene R. Perry, died at home in Norris, Tenn., Jan. 19, 2017, due to long standing health issues. A funeral service was held Jan. 27 at the Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton Tenn.
Elsin Ann Perry was born Jan. 8, 1941.
Gene Perry served churches in the Cumberland-Hagerstown District as well as others. These included in Ellerslie, 1973-76; Berkeley Springs, 1976-79; St. Andrews in Hagerstown, 1979-83; St. George Island, 1983-87; Sexton, 1987-90; and Salem UMC in Keedysville 1990-1993 when he retired.
Annie, as she was known, was a long-time member of the Mystery Writers of America. She was nominated for the prestigious Edgar Allen Poe Award in 1975. She wrote weekly humor columns for The Brunswick Citizen for 27 years and for the Lexington Park Enterprise for 10 years.
Since 2007, until her death, she regularly wrote humor-based reviews of books pulled from all genres of literature for publication in The Norris Bulletin. She wrote them for years without attribution, as her wish, until her last editor prevailed upon her to write under the banner of "Annie's Reviews."
She felt her articles were her anonymous gift to the community. As an additional gift, she would purchase in hard cover all of the books that she intended to review so she could then donate them one-by-one to the Norris Community Library. Countless books on the local library shelves can be traced back to Perry's generosity.
Her editor never could convince her to reveal herself as the person who crafted The Norris Bulletin's weekly cryptograms. Perhaps she wanted anonymity so that none of her cryptogram-addicted followers would know precisely who had been bedeviling their brains for all of these years. But now the secret is out!
Perry lived a life filled with much adversity and yet stayed positive, kind and loving toward others right to the end. She stayed truly grateful for the basic gift of life, but especially for her final 16 years that followed a saving surgery in 2000.
Her pastor, the Rev. Keith Haverkamp, retired, summarized her life: "Annie was a remarkable woman who left an impact on many with her wit, intelligence, insight and writing. In her own humble way, she was remarkable."
Survivors include her husband; son, Glenn Gardner of Hyattsville; daughter, Nancy F. Gardner of Brooklyn; stepsons, Christopher Perry of Pensacola, Fla, Timothy Perry of Walkerstown, N.C., and Charles Perry of West Palm Beach, Fla.; one granddaughter; and her twin sister.
Condolences may be mailed to Rev. Gene Perry, 220 Longmire Road, Clinton, TN 37716.