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Helen Sparkman Eastland, 95, passed away peacefully on January 6th, 2019 at NHC Place at the Trace in Nashville, TN. She was born on August 25th, 1923 in Doyle, TN to Jere Baxter Sparkman and Geneva Helen McReynolds Sparkman. She graduated from White County High School in Sparta, TN in 1941. She married William “Bill” Frederick Eastland on April 30th, 1949 in Sparta, TN. She went on to receive her Bachelor’s Degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University in 1964 and later a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1974. She started working at the White County Hospital in Sparta, TN after nursing school and continued onto have an exceptional nursing career working as an instructor and head nurse of medical-surgical nursing at White County Hospital and later at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN. She continued her teaching career at the University of Tennessee in Nashville in 1969 and Tennessee State University as an Assistant Professor of Nursing in 1979. She cherished her role as a teacher and bedside nurse, especially in the field of obstetrics. After her retirement in 1994, she went onto enjoy gardening. She especially loved roses and participated in The Rose Society at the Botanical Hall at Cheekwood Gardens. She and Bill celebrated 60 years of marriage prior to his passing in 2009. She was a long-time member of Bethlehem United Methodist Church. She is preceded in death by her husband William Eastland, parents Jere Baxter Sparkman and Geneva Helen McRenoylds Sparkman, brothers Horace and Hubert Sparkman. She is survived by her sister Hazel Eller, daughter Anne (Mike) Massieu, John L. Chitwood, granddaughters Katie Chitwood Briggs and Stacie Chitwood Miller. Memorials may be made for the advancement of nursing education to the Foundation for Geriatric Education 100 E Vine St. #1400, Murfreesboro, TN 37130. Visitation will be held at Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Franklin, TN on Wednesday January 9th, 2019 at 10 am with funeral immediately following at 11am, Rev. David Bradley and Dr. Craig Geoff officiating. Interment to follow at Williamson Memorial Gardens. Williamson Memorial Funeral Home, 615-794-2289 www.williamsonmemorial.com