Sandra McFarland, 87, formerly of Mt. Juliet, TN, and more recently of Hopkinsville, KY, passed away peacefully in her home with loving caregivers at her side on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Dogwood Funerals & Cremations of Hopkinsville is assisting with arrangements. Private services will be held at a later date.
Ms. McFarland was born on February 28, 1938, in Lebanon, TN. She was the daughter of the late Thomas L. “Toppy” McFarland and Nell Langford McFarland, who raised her and her two sisters in Mt. Juliet, TN. Ms. McFarland graduated from Mt. Juliet High School and the University of Tennessee, proudly majoring in Home Economics and participating in women’s basketball. In 1960, she married the love of her life, and her only child was born in 1965.
Ms. McFarland worked in various teaching and education positions in the states of Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee until she retired from a special education position in Nashville, TN. She was fond of discussing her time teaching in Pigeon Forge and Sevier County High School, where she encountered a vivacious young student named Dolly Rebecca Parton—a real highlight in Ms. McFarland’s active, rich, and productive life. An avid local historian, Ms. McFarland also owned and ran a historical inn in Wilson County, TN for many years, and was proud to be featured on an episode of Tennessee Crossroads. She could talk for hours about the histories of Mt. Juliet, Wilson County, Tennessee, the United States, and her own family lineage. She watched country music shows, her Soaps (Bold and Beautiful, Young and Restless, and back in the day—Edge of Night and As the World Turns), and SEC sports—any SEC sports but especially football, basketball, and baseball—for hours on end, and Rocky Top often blared out her front door during football season. She loved cooking and decorating for holidays, making her own wreaths and centerpieces, and creating decadent deserts, and she never met a challenge she thought she could not face.
Ms. McFarland would most like to be remembered for being a loving daughter, a loving and proud mother and grandmother, a dedicated educator, an animal lover (CATS), and a feisty opponent in any competition. She was preceded in death by her husband, Anthony Ross, and by her sisters Sylvia Cook and Gloria Mullins, and by the cats who always held tightly to her heart, Smoky and PC. Survivors include her daughter Susan Redmond-Vaught (Gisele) of Hopkinsville, KY; her grandchildren, Gynni Redmond (Josh Boone) and JB Redmond; and her great grandchildren Anthony Mathers, Aften Boone, Liam Boone and Joshlyn Boone. Her niece Holly Cook Yelton (Alan) and her nephews Kelly Cook and Rick Mullins (Jennifer) were also beloved by her. Her dedicated caregivers Ritha June King, Jessica Guerrero, Diana Combs, Peggy Hines, Vicki Bailey, Barbara Ford, Patty Perry, and Judy and Tim Tucker made her final years wonderful even though strokes and injuries tried to slow her down (and failed).
Ms. McFarland was a breast cancer survivor, and her granddaughter Gynni Redmond currently lives with Stage IV breast cancer. In lieu of flowers, Ms. McFarland and her family would appreciate a one-time or sustaining donation to METAvivor in her memory. “Breast cancer fundraisers are everywhere, but most of the money raised goes toward breast cancer prevention and early detection efforts. Very little of it, only 2-3%, is dedicated toward research for Stage IV, metastatic breast cancer.” Stage IV is the only stage of cancer that actually kills. METAvivor is the only organization that solely funds MBC research through a scientific review process, and 90% of the donations go to research and grants pursuing cure. To donate online or learn how to give in other ways, follow this link: METAvivor donation.
