Brenda L. (Coulter) Stevens

The Lord called home one of his good and faithful servants, Brenda L. Coulter Stevens, age 81, April 30, 2025 at Baptist Hospital in Louisville. 

Brenda began life on February 19, 1944 in Lebanon, KY to the late Marvin Sr. and Mildred Lanham Coulter. 

She began earning a living in the fields and barns of local farms. She later moved into a profession as a seamstress - a skill honed from making clothes out of printed flour sacks when she was growing up. She worked at the Butte Knit Sewing Factory in Bardstown, KY until its closure. Afterward, she spent the summer as a laborer in hot greenhouses before making her dream of owning a restaurant a reality. 

Drawing once again on the skills she had developed as a country girl, she opened Home Hearth in Springfield, KY. Her restaurant quickly grew to be the most popular spot in town, offering southern, nostalgic fare of breakfast and lunch that the community of Washington County appreciated. Everyone ate at Home Hearth. It was a warm, family-friendly place where people could celebrate a birthday with a pie made from a generations-old family recipe, decompress after a bad day, or satisfy a craving for homemade biscuits and gravy. It was the kind of place where old men gathered to discuss the problems of the world. She never charged for coffee refills. 

Days are long for a restaurant owner. She closed the doors to focus on her family after seven years of success and a box checked on her bucket list. She took employment at Angell Manufacturing in Lebanon, then retired. 

She was a longtime member of Temple Baptist Church serving in several capacities. She wed Albert “Al” Stevens and joined Thompsonville Baptist Church. 

A rare lung disease and heart condition plagued the last 12 years of her life. Health concerns slowed her down, but did not keep her from making memories with family and friends. She is remembered most of all for her kindness. She habitually mailed birthday, Christmas, and get-well cards to all her loved ones who appreciated the continuance of a tradition. The family hopes others develop habits out of Brenda’s example whether by the simple act of mailing a card or baking the grieving the best brown sugar pie they have ever tasted. 

By and far, her greatest joy was time spent with her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Playing with them always made her smile even while her body was breaking her down. 

Brenda is preceded in death by her husband, Albert K. Stevens; five brothers; Marvin Jr., Vernon, Harold, Bruce, and Kelly Coulter; and an infant sister, Virginia Coulter. 

She is survived by four children; Sheila (Glenn) Spalding of Bardstown, Chris (Sandy) Mattingly of Mackville, Timmy (Jennifer) Mattingly of Loretto, and Amy (Mary) Anglin-Coulter of Bardstown. She is also survived by one stepson, Keith (Donya) Stevens of Willisburg. She is also survived by one brother, Russell (Brenda) Coulter of Chaplin; two sisters, Darlene (Ben) Ferguson of Russellville and Rita Stirn of Louisville; and, four sister-in-laws, Virginia Coulter, Venita Coulter, Marilyn Coulter, and Deborah Coulter. Brenda is survived by eleven grandchildren, two step-grandsons, and twelve great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, May 3rd at the Carey & Son Funeral Home
with Rev. Jerry Goss, officiating. He will be assisted by Rev. John McDaniel.

Burial will be in the Peter Cemetery at Mackville.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Mattie Wohner, Alma Benedict, Jim and Rebecca Wathern, Julia Stateman, Kathy Coulter and Debbie Santistban.

Serving as casket bearers will be Justin Yates, Logan Spalding, Brandon Mattingly, Keith Stevens, Tim Coulter, Garrett Stevens and Jack Stevens.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 Friday and after 8:00 Saturday morning at the Carey & Son Funeral Home.

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