Fount Winfrey Bertram, 87, passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026, in his home near Bradyville, with his wife and children at his bedside. He was on hospice care for one week, following 10 days in the hospital. His illness began 3½ years before his death, and in May he was diagnosed with acute blood cancer.
He was born on the family farm in Allardt, Fentress County, Tennessee on June 30, 1939, to Lonnie Beckam Bertram and Alma Lue (Brown) Bertram. He was the youngest of 5 children, and the only boy. He said growing up with 4 older sisters prepared him to get along with anyone, and he did. He could carry on a conversation with everyone he met. As a young man he helped on the family farm, hired out to other farmers during haying seasons, was active in Future Farmers of America, and raised and showed livestock at county fairs. He was close to earning his Eagle Scout Award, when his mother’s illness caused him to drop out of Boy Scouts. He was active in the youth group at Allardt Presbyterian Church. He also earned spending money working part-time in a flower shop and funeral home in Jamestown, TN while in high school.
Fount attended Allardt Elementary School, York Agricultural Institute (now Jamestown High School), Missouri Valley College, and some post graduate courses at Scarritt and Vanderbilt. In high school he lettered in band, and played basketball and baseball. He was voted “Most Likely to Succeed” and “Most Dignified” by his Senior class. While at Missouri Valley College, he joined Alpha Sigma Phi social fraternity and played in the marching band.
In 1962, while both were attending Missouri Valley College, he married his sweetheart, Anna Schultheis, from Oklahoma. They were blessed with two children and enjoyed over 64 happy years of marriage. They lived in Coffeyville, KS; New Johnsonville, TN; Erie, KS; Kansas City, KS; Henrietta, MO; Auburntown, TN; and on their acreage near Bradyville, TN. They were in their present home for over 50 years.
His farm experience instilled in him a great love of the outdoors, which remained all his life, even after leaving for college and work in the city. When he retired in 1999 from his career as a professional life and health claims adjuster, he hiked almost 1,000 miles in Tennessee and bordering states that first year. He and his wife hiked many miles together after she also retired, and they volunteered for Tennessee State Parks for about 20 years. He kept many bird feeders in his yard, so he could watch his songbirds when he was no longer able to get outside.
Fount was a man of many interests and talents. Those who knew him enjoyed his sense of humor, quick wit, jokes, and storytelling abilities. He made friends easily everywhere he went and from all walks of life. He was widely admired and liked.
Music was in his blood. He could play almost any instrument by ear, but his favorite instruments to play were the acoustic guitar and harmonicas. In high school and college, he played the bass horn in the marching bands. In the 1960s, he formed and played in a country music band in Kansas City for a short time. Later he got a kick out of occasionally playing harmonicas as a guest of Bazzania, an “all-girls band”, based in Sewanee, TN. He taught others the basics of playing a guitar, including his daughter. He never charged for lessons, just made the students promise to teach at least one other person without charge. When he was not playing music himself, he enjoyed listening to music. His tastes were eclectic… everything from church hymns to classical, big bands, the hits of the 50s though the 70s, jazz, folk and country.
Fount was well known for his barbecue sauce and his ability to grill delicious food. His son told him many times he would win first prize in barbecue contests if he would enter and could make a lot of money if he opened a barbecue restaurant, though he never did. He was a voracious reader, reading up to 5 fiction books a week. To the chagrin of his wife, he also collected books, keeping over 1,000 hard back novels in several bookcases in their home. When he ran out of room to store them, he finally turned to a virtual reader, but he still read the books in his personal library many more times.
He and his wife, Anna, taught the teenage Sunday School class at the Woodbury Methodist Church for several years. When the presiding minister was recuperating from a serious illness, Fount was asked to serve as the lay minister for the churches at Woodbury and Ivy Bluff. During those months, he and Anna formed a combined youth group for the two churches. Once the regular minister returned, Fount was asked to serve the Beech Grove and Ivy Bluff churches in Coffee County. He did so for several years, and officiated at numerous weddings and funerals.
Fount was a born leader. It seems he was always an officer in every organization he joined. He served as President of the Tennessee Trails Association, a state-wide hiking and trail building organization, and as Chair of the local chapter in Murfreesboro. He was the first President of the Friends of Tennessee State Parks for years. He founded the Friends of Edgar Evins State Park, and served as its President for many years. He and his wife volunteered for the park almost 20 years.
Fount will be especially missed by his wife, Anna; their two children, Julia Nations, Cedar Park, TX; and James Bertram, Murfreesboro, TN; and two grandsons, Jace Nations, New York City, NY; and Kade Nations, Cedar Park, TX. He also leaves behind many nieces and nephews: Joy Tucker, Dayton, OH; Jane Conatser, Port St. Lucie, FL; Miriam “Annie” Yarnall, Dayton, OH; Steve Smith , Port St. Lucie,FL; Harold “Will” Williams, FL; Mike Williams, Muncie, IN; Gerald “Jerry” Williams, Muncie, IN; Terry Cody, Hamilton, MT; John Cody, Englewood, OH; Sandra Campbell, Union, OH; Debra Hamby, Dayton, OH; George Garrett, Shirley (Allardt), Tennessee; and too many friends to mention.
He was preceded in death by his parents, and four sisters: Nora Jean Conatser Smith, Nova T. Williams Jarvis, Betty Jane Cody, and Bessie June Garrett.
His was a long, productive, and happy life. Fount knew who he was and his relationship with God. He died at peace and ready to go after his long illness. We mourn him, but rejoice that he is no longer suffering and in a better place. He chose to be cremated, without a funeral or visitation. Later, his immediate family will scatter his ashes at Edgar Evins State Park, where he and his wife spent many happy years as volunteers. Several small gatherings to celebrate his life may take place in the near future, but dates and places have not been determined yet.
In lieu of flowers for the family, it is suggested that donations be made to Friends of Edgar Evins State Park at Silver Point, Tennessee; Blood Cancer United; or any other non-profit cancer cause. Share memories and condolences at www.gentrysmithfuneralhome.com. Gentry-Smith Funeral Home, 303 Murfreesboro Rd. Woodbury, TN 37190, 615-563-5337. Because every life has a story.
