Tia Ryan Nidiffer, 24, 295 Sunrise Drive, Elizabethton, passed away Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at his residence. Tia was a native of Carter County and a 2002 graduate of Elizabethton High School. He was attending Northeast State College. Tia was a member of the College Park Free Will Baptist Church. He loved to hunt and fish. He was preceded in death by his paternal grandfather, Clayton Nidiffer, and his maternal grandparents, Kenneth Miller and Mary France.


Survivors include his father, Ricky "Tank" Nidiffer and his special friend, Robin Merritt; his mother, Penny Miller Gray and her husband Randall, Jonesborough; his paternal grandmother, Mildred Nidiffer, Elizabethton; an uncle, David Nidiffer and his wife Carol and daughter Sarah; an aunt, Sherry Hyder and husband Steve and sons Trevor and Drew; two great-aunts, Betty Grindstaff and husband Larry and daughter Kim and Barbara "Bobbie" Seifert; and his step-grandfather, James France, Nashville.


Funeral services for Mr. Nidiffer will be conducted at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 20, at Memorial Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Matthew Guy and Mr. Joel Wilson, minister, officiating. Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Grindstaff, Lynn Grindstaff, Daniel Sochalski, David Nidiffer, Kevin Avery, Patrick Frost, Aaron Taylor and James France. To those who prefer, memorials may be made to the Promise Land Ranch, c/o Joel Wilson, 1226 Burcale Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577. Interment will be at a later date. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home. Condolences to the Nidiffer family may be e-mailed to [email protected]. Memorial Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.