May 10, 2022
Ronald Lawrence Huffstetler, was born on June 16, 1937. He lived a long and accomplished life. He was the first born of Clarence and Minnie Huffstetler, and he had three younger brothers, Norman, Jack, and Harris. He grew up in an idyllic setting on the western slopes of the Appalachian Mountains, off Block House Road, in a place called Carpenters Campground, just outside of Maryville in east Tennessee. He was a graduate of Everett High School.
During the mid-1950’s in the hills of east Tennessee, the New York Yankees came calling, and he signed up to play baseball with them right out of high school. Ronald then spent a couple of memorable years playing baseball for the Yankees organization in the Nebraska farm leagues. Afterwards, he spend a short stint at the University of Tennessee where he met his wife, Peggy. He then joined the United States Air Force Reserves and served at Stewart Air Force base in Smyrna, Tennessee. While on deployment in Puerto Rico, he injured his ankle and was honorable discharged. While recuperating from this injury, he picked up a guitar and began a career as a county music entertainer where he was noticed and picked up by Buddy Killen and signed with United Artist. He was a member of the Country Music Song Writer’s Association and went by the stage name, Rink Hardin.He went on to write songs for Marty Robbins and Johnny Horton. He performed at the Grand Ole Opry several times and toured with likes of Jerry Lee Lewis, Roger Miller, and George Jones over the years.
After he left the music business, he began work on the shipping docks and H.D. Lee Company near Nashville, TN. He rose through the ranks where he became a member of the management team. After retiring from Lee, he and his wife built a cabin on a farm in Lebanon before finally settling down to the family place on Hurricane Ridge at Center Hill Lake.
Ronald was preceded in life by his father and mother, Clarence and Minnie and brother Norman.
He is survived by his wife Peggy; brothers, Jack and Harris; sons, Marlon and wife Ginger; and Ricky; grandchildren, Mitchell, Grayson, Garrett, and Morgan. He passed away quietly at his home of natural causes on Sunday, May 8, 2022 at 84 years of age.
Visitation with the family will be on Wednesday, May 11 from 10am until the time of the funeral service at 1pm at the chapel of Love-Cantrell Funeral Home. Burial will follow at DeKalb Memorial Gardens.