Mr. Jimmy Bryant
One of the finest men I’ve ever known was Mr. Jimmy Bryant who was a board member of Haynes Cemetery and a very active caretaker of the property during his years of service. One of my most cherished memories of him was of one Saturday afternoon before Decoration Day. I pulled into the cemetery driveway to find Mr. Jimmy and one of his sons landscaping and placing flowers on his parents’ and grandparents’ graves. At...
The High Street Cemetery
There is a cemetery on High Street in Petersburg, Tennessee, more than 170 years old, which bears the cruelty of time yet stands as a testament to the bravery and fortitude of pioneers who settled Lincoln and Marshall Counties. Currently, there is a community project underway to restore this hallowed place and, toward this purpose, we respectfully ask your support. Headstone for Theopholus W. Bledsoe, 2nd Lieutenant, Company C, 8th...
The Scribners of Scribner’s Mill
Usually, this time of year, around Decoration Day, I write an article about families connected to Haynes Cemetery. This year I’m featuring an article written by someone else – an anonymous writer for the long-defunct Columbia, Tennessee newspaper, The Herald and Mail. Haynes Cemetery is located on Scribner’s Mill Road and, this year, I’m sharing a story about a member of the family for which the road is named. The Lewis Scribner...
The Hollywood Playboy Who Came to Town
Anyone who has seen the 1933 film King Kong may remember the actor Bruce Cabot who played rival to a giant gorilla for the romantic affections of Fay Wray. The role was his big break, made only two years and seven pictures into a Hollywood career that lasted 40 years. Yet, before stardom, he struggled a bit to find his place in life — which must have been a disappointment to his father, a most capable and ambitious man....
Paul Wing: True Hollywood Hero
On November 7th of 1940, as World War II seemed imminent, Paul Reuben Wing, a 49 year-old Hollywood filmmaker, decided to reenlist in the Army. In the previous war, he had advanced to the rank of Captain with the 19th Field Artillery Regiment of the Red Diamond 5th Division while seeing action in “five major battles and two minor engagements” during the victorious St. Miheil Campaign of September 12-16, 1918. Additionally, he served...
The Andrews of Bryant Station
Ancient red cedars at Haynes Cemetery Decoration Day is coming up at Hayne’s Cemetery, and my old friend Joe Hedrick has a family connection to the place, as do I. About this time of year, we generally have a conversation about Haynes and our ancestors who are buried there. He told me today that, when he was a kid, he’d heard his grandmother Ada Mai Roberts speak often and glowingly of my grandparents Bob and Hattie White. “Are we...