The first time I ever jumped off a diving board into the Sun-n-Fun pool, I thought I was gonna die. Although my father, with his funeral director’s tan (same as a farmer’s tan, but not from farming), was treading water below me, patiently waiting for me to summon the courage and take what appeared to be a giant leap, I was still terrified. Even in later years, when I became a proficient diver, both forward facing and backwards, there were still those moments when Fear would raise its ugly head. I mean, what if a hand reached out from the drain and grabbed me? (This is why I no longer watch any type of horror/scary/suspenseful movie).
These days I’m still diving, but not into a pool . . . or the river . . . or the lake . . . My swimming is being done in historical records, and I will readily admit, I enjoy this so much more. Between working on the Savannah Cemetery Tour and a historical walk that’s also being planned for October (October is rapidly becoming the month from the nether regions), I’m learning SO much! And the main thing I’m learning? That recorded history can’t always be trusted.
Take, for instance, the story of Thomas Harden Paine, one of the featured residents on the Cemetery Tour. He served as the President of Savannah College in Hardin County before being appointed the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and eventually, the Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of Tennessee. Granted, that last office was held from June of 1899 until his death on August 8, 1903 . . . so, if you haven’t heard of him, it’s understandable. However, when I started researching his place of death, things got a bit . . . how shall I say it? Muddled? Murky? Downright confusing?
I have a copy of pages 692 and 693 from some book (not sure which one since I only have page copies, but it cites several well-known and respectable sources) that gives his place of death as Lexington, Kentucky, indicating he had gone there on state business. But if I look at his family tree on Ancestry, it says he died in Savannah. However, if I read his obituary as it appeared in the Commercial Appeal on August 9, 1903, it states he died in a hotel in Lexington, Tennessee, the result of a 10-day illness that prevented him from returning home. At his death his family was at their summer home at Sulphur Springs about three miles from Savannah, Tennessee.
So, Lexington, Tennessee or Kentucky . . . or Savannah. Choose. But choose wisely. I, for one, choose Lexington, Tennessee since hopefully the Commercial Appeal was a bit more current on their information in 1903. Do I really know that to be true? Nope. It’s not like I can go down to the funeral home and pull a copy of his death certificate . . .
My whole point with this story is actually two-fold. Fold number one: Be careful what you believe when diving into history. If I had stopped with my Ancestry revelation, I would think Thomas Harden Paine’s launching point into eternity was Savannah. I’m also pretty sure that isn’t at all right, given the other sources I found. Fold number two: if you have access to someone who knows their history . . . Talk. To. Them. If I had done that when my paternal grandfather was alive, I would know exactly where the first ever Shackelford Funeral Home was located. Now, all I can do is point in the general vicinity thereof and say, “Dad always told me he thought . . .”
I love history. I love discovering the tidbits unbeknownst to me (but probably knownst to a bunch of other people). And I get incredibly frustrated when the stars (and sources) don’t align. So, if anyone reading this knows anything about the history of the older homes on Church and College Streets in Savannah, Tennessee . . . or the first Shackelford Funeral Home . . . or if my father (Bob Shackelford) ever drove any type of race car (a thus far unsubstantiated rumor which I can totally believe—so while I’m seeking to confirm a bunch of other stuff I just thought I’d throw that out there, too) . . . or where Thomas Harden Paine actually died, I’m all ears. Just be prepared to cite your source.
About the author: Lisa Shackelford Thomas is a fourth-generation member of a family that’s been in funeral service since 1926 and has worked with Shackelford Funeral Directors in Savannah, Tennessee for over 45 years. Any opinions expressed here are hers and hers alone and may or may not reflect the opinions of other Shackelford family members or staff.
