Mr. Lenvil Callebs, 91, Girdler, passed away Tuesday morning, July 21, 2026, at his home. He was the son of the late Charles H. Callebs and Ellen Smith Callebs Potter born February 23, 1935 in Knox County. He departed this life leaving behind a legacy of faith in the Lord, hard work, and devotion to his wife and family.
Young Lenvil Callebs saw a pretty school girl in a blue sweater getting off the school bus on Route 11, in Knox County and wanted to meet her. That girl was Ellen Gambrel from Disappointment Hollow. Soon Lenvil and Ellen were courting and he asked her parents if they could get married. Martha and Anthony Gambrel liked Lenvil, and on May 17, 1954, Lenvil and Ellen took her mother, Martha to Sneedville, Tennessee with them and they got married.
Lenvil became an electrical technician, welder, farmer, mechanic, and handyman. The young couple moved to Michigan, had two sons, Gene and Charlie, and built a small home at Girdler which was sold and eventually became Faith Missionary Baptist Church. Lenvil continued working at Great Lakes Steel Mill in the early 1960’s when I-75 was being built in Detroit, Michigan and land there was being cleared for the Interstate. Resourceful and hard working, Lenvil helped dismantle buildings, the Blue Parrott Bar and the Bell South Building. He salvaged beams, trim, doors, windows, and lumber and hauled them on weekend trips back to Girdler. Lenvil, Ellen, Gene, and Charlie sanded, sized, and varnished the wood to repurpose it for their new home place they built at the farm at Girdler. Lenvil then came home for good, raised cattle, and was hired by Kentucky Utilities where he retired after 30 years of working as Plant Engineer in Pineville. He was a member of the Roadside Baptist Church where he served as a deacon and Sunday School teacher for many years. He studied the Bible seriously and loved to discuss and quote scripture.
Late in his life, Lenvil worked as a devoted caretaker to Ellen, his wife of 72 years, during her long illness. He became a skilled cook and made delicious skillets of crispy buttermilk cornbread.
Survivors include his wife, Ellen Callebs of Girdler, and his two sons, Eugene Callebs and wife Doris of London, and Charles Glenn Callebs and wife Dee of Barbourville. Lenvil has three grandchildren, Melanie Ann Callebs Goodin and husband, Steve Goodin of Corbin, Andy Callebs and wife Alexis of St. George, Utah, and Shea Collette and husband, Dakota Collette of Alcoa, TN.; ten great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
Also surviving are two brothers, Leon Potter and wife Shirley Potter of Barbourville and Need Potter Jr. and wife, Pam Potter of Turkey Creek.
He has many dear nieces and nephews, the Gambrel family, and friends to mourn his passing.
He was preceded in death by a beloved sister and brother in law, Norma Sue Potter Hamilton and Jimmy Hamilton of Dayton, Ohio, another beloved sister and brother in law, Janice Potter Trent and Clyde Trent, Sr. of Woolum and a brother, Vernon Combs of Girdler.
His funeral service will be conducted in the Chapel of the Knox Funeral Home, Sunday, July 26, at 2 P.M. with Rev. David Barnard officiating. He will be laid to rest in the Barbourville Cemetery.
Serving as casket bearers will be Steve Goodin, Sean Goodin, Isaac Goodin, Andy Callebs, Dakota Collette, and Jeff Potter.
Friends may visit at the Funeral Home Sunday after 12 Noon until the funeral hour.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at www.stjude.org/donate of Korsair for Kids at www.kosair.org/give-today
Arrangements are under the direction of the Knox Funeral Home.
