Thanks Pat for this article. Bush was my Great Grandma Bowman's brother. Brenda Duff ----- Original Message ----- From: "PMcDonald" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 11:17 AM Subject: [TNROANE] Bush Breazeale funeral > For several years, Snyder Roberts wrote weekly feature articles on > local history under the column title, "A Glimpse of the Past." for > local newspapers. He later compiled some of them into several books, > all of which are out of publication. I thought I might share a few > tidbits from time to time. This one came from a series, "Old Time > Funerals." > Pat McDonald > [email protected] > > ============= > "The Story of Oliver Springs, TN And Its People, Vol III" By Snyder > E. Roberts, pub 1984 > Roane's Most Publicized Funeral > The Roane County Banner had leaked the news to the outside world that > 74-year old Uncle Bush Breazeale planned to have a full funeral > service on June 26, 1938 while he was still alive and could enjoy it. > The idea caught on. The power of the press was soon in evidence as > the news spread like wildfire nation-wide. His "funeral" plan was > reported nationally by the Associated Press and the UP, and > photographically by Life magazine. > > The funeral on June 26th attracted the largest crowd ever assembled in > Roane to that date; the estimates ranged from eight to twelve thousand > people. Cars from at least fourteen states were backed up for two > miles from the two Cave Creek Baptist Churches built side by side (one > Primitive, the other Missionary) to highway #70. enterprising JOHN > COOK charged 25 cents per car to park in his field. He was reported > to have taken in $300. Vendors from soft drink trucks did a > flourishing business. Hot dogs sold well. Knoxville and Chattanooga > florists shops sent floral offerings. By 2:00pm the crowd was in > place. The press was represented by reporters and cameramen from the > Knoxville News Sentinel and Journal, Chattanooga Times, News and Free > Press. Young Don Whitehead who was to become a war correspondent, and > two time Pulitzer winner was there. > > The funeral cortege was late due to the traffic jam along the road. > At last the Hawkins Mortuary (of Loudon County) hearse arrived bearing > the home-made walnut coffin, and Bush in the front seat. The crowd > was so eager to get a glimpse of him that officers had difficulty in > clearing a lane for the pallbearers to carry the coffin to its place > in front of the tent on the Churchyard. Children were held high by > their parents so they could see. Ten persons fainted from the heat > and excitement. Uncle Bush was seated in front of his coffin dressed > in a new suit, shirt, tie, etc. donated by Halls of Knoxville. For a > period, he was the center of attraction for cameramen who took > pictures of him and the crowd. > > Songs were sung by the Friendly Eight Octette of Chattanooga. Fred > Berry of Knoxville said "There's a Gold Mine in the Sky." the Rev. > Charles E. Jackson from Paris, IL, delivered the funeral sermon. The > festive atmosphere soon changed to fit the solemn occasion. He said: > "This service is not a bad idea. Much good should come from a service > divested of the usual tears and heartaches. It gives us an > opportunity to take thought of tomorrow and anticipate the great > adventure called death. Mr. Breazeale and I never intended anything > but that this should be a solemn service." > > At the conclusion of the formal program, Bush shook hands with a > thousand or more friends and well-wishers. He autographed many > "official programs" by marking his *X*. bush said, "This will be my > only funeral. It was the finest sermon that I ever heard, and when I > die there won't be another one." > > Bush Breazeale was Roane's greatest celebrity. A few days later (July > 4, 1938), he was dressed out in a Hariman "Papermaker" baseball > uniform and threw out the first pitch in the double header between > Harriman and Loudon. Shortly afterwards, Robert Ripley featured Bush > in his syndicated column, and took Bush to New York City for a radio > interview. When Bush got back from New York, Mrs. Claude Johnson said > someone asked him, "Mr. Breazeale, how did you like New York?" Bush > replied, "Oh just fine. You know, they were the finest folk, and > treated me wonderfully, but to be honest about it, their victuals > wasn't worth a dern." > > The Breazeale Family > The Breazeale family is one of the oldest and most prominent in Roane > History. The Breazeales came from SC to Knox County, TN where HENRY > BREAZEALE was made Assistant District Attorney in 1797, and was > elected as the first County Court clerk in Roane in 1801. He held > this position for 34 years. His son, JOHN WOOD M. BREAZEALE, was an > attorney, a newspaper publisher, and Roane's first historian. He was > the author of "Life As It Is" written in 1842. The family has > produced many lawyers. > > Felix "Bush" Breazeale was born June 29, 1864 on Dogwood Road in > Roane. He was one of eight children of DRURY W. and SARAH LITTLETON > BREAZEALE. Bush was first cousin to the well-known NY attorney, > MARTIN LITTLETON, and to Mrs. RACHEL (LITTLETON) VANDERBILT, also of > NY. > > Bush never married. He said, "The one I wanted, I couldn't get, and > the ones I could get I didn't want." He made his home with his > parents until their deaths, and lastly with his nephew, BERT > BREAZEALE. He had lived the life of a farmer, and enjoyed fox > hunting. > > Felix "Bush" Breazeale lived another five years and died at the age of > 79 on February 9, 1943. Although Bush had not requested another > funeral, Mrs. Nancy Maxwell of Harriman said, and Clarence Johnson of > Cave Creek remembers, that a small service was held on a very Cold day > before Bush was laid to rest in the Cave Creek Cemetery located on a > hill above the two church houses. > > > > > ==== TNROANE Mailing List ==== > Visit the Threaded Archives for TNRoane-L: > http://archiver.rootsweb.com/TNROANE-L > >