John Abner Yates is the son of Calvin/Alvin Yates and Laura Caroline Womack. His Death Certificate #29428 in Davidson County, TN said he died on December 3, 1936 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at the Davidson County Asylum and was under a doctor’s care for about 4 months prior to his death. His body was taken by Roesch-Charlton Funeral Home. They are now out of business but parts of it remain with two other funeral homes. Both were contacted and have no records from 1936.
The certificate further says that R. S. Cunningham, M.D. from the State Anatomical Board removed the body on December 8, 1936. Research shows that he was Robert Sydney Cunningham, M.D. was worked at Vanderbilt University Medical School from 1925-1937. The State Anatomical Board was conducting research on Tuberculosis and John’s body was taken for research. Discussions with present employees at Vanderbilt University’s body donation program and the Davidson County Medical Examiner did not reveal what happened to John’s body but modern day Hippa Laws prohibit telling anyone, including family, what records says. Employees generally said one of four things occurred in those days.
1. The body was buried in the “Potter’s Field,” now Nashville County Cemetery, which is behind the Asylum where he died. Most burial’s did not have markers and no records were kept.
2. There is a small crematorium at Vanderbilt and some bodies were cremated and the ashes were spread in the Memorial Garden behind the chapel.
3. Some bodies were taken to the City Cemetery and buried. If indigent, and it appears John was, there is probably not a marker and he is in an unmarked grave.
4. The family could have claimed the body and then buried him. No records of this exist.
There is not enough information, at this time, to determine where John’s body is buried and he may be in an unmarked grave and the location will never be known. It is believed that he is buried or his ashes scattered in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It is possible that the family returned to his body to another State to be buried with his wife Maggie. No record of her burial can be located.
John was married three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Frances Campbell on December 21, 1890 in Nashville, TN. There were two children by this marriage, Stella Yates who died at four years old in May of 1896 in Nashville. The second child is Bessie Yates and Bessie Yates was the informant on his death certificate.
His second marriage was to Sarah Lee Narcissus Dyer of Monroe County, KY. They were married on February 6, 1897 in Clark County, Indiana and there is one child by this marriage, Bertie John "Mammy" Yates, my grandmother. John and Sarah divorced in Nashville, TN on May 24, 1900 in the Chancery Court.
His third marriage was to Margaret "Maggie" M. Mills on July 4, 1900 in Nashville, TN. There are no known children by this marriage. John was somewhat nomadic in his life, living in Nashville, Bowling Green, KY, Kansas City, MO, Quincy, IL and did spent most of his adult working life in the Detroit, Michigan area in the auto industry.
If anyone has further information, please contact me. This site will be updated when concrete information is found.
The certificate further says that R. S. Cunningham, M.D. from the State Anatomical Board removed the body on December 8, 1936. Research shows that he was Robert Sydney Cunningham, M.D. was worked at Vanderbilt University Medical School from 1925-1937. The State Anatomical Board was conducting research on Tuberculosis and John’s body was taken for research. Discussions with present employees at Vanderbilt University’s body donation program and the Davidson County Medical Examiner did not reveal what happened to John’s body but modern day Hippa Laws prohibit telling anyone, including family, what records says. Employees generally said one of four things occurred in those days.
1. The body was buried in the “Potter’s Field,” now Nashville County Cemetery, which is behind the Asylum where he died. Most burial’s did not have markers and no records were kept.
2. There is a small crematorium at Vanderbilt and some bodies were cremated and the ashes were spread in the Memorial Garden behind the chapel.
3. Some bodies were taken to the City Cemetery and buried. If indigent, and it appears John was, there is probably not a marker and he is in an unmarked grave.
4. The family could have claimed the body and then buried him. No records of this exist.
There is not enough information, at this time, to determine where John’s body is buried and he may be in an unmarked grave and the location will never be known. It is believed that he is buried or his ashes scattered in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It is possible that the family returned to his body to another State to be buried with his wife Maggie. No record of her burial can be located.
John was married three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Frances Campbell on December 21, 1890 in Nashville, TN. There were two children by this marriage, Stella Yates who died at four years old in May of 1896 in Nashville. The second child is Bessie Yates and Bessie Yates was the informant on his death certificate.
His second marriage was to Sarah Lee Narcissus Dyer of Monroe County, KY. They were married on February 6, 1897 in Clark County, Indiana and there is one child by this marriage, Bertie John "Mammy" Yates, my grandmother. John and Sarah divorced in Nashville, TN on May 24, 1900 in the Chancery Court.
His third marriage was to Margaret "Maggie" M. Mills on July 4, 1900 in Nashville, TN. There are no known children by this marriage. John was somewhat nomadic in his life, living in Nashville, Bowling Green, KY, Kansas City, MO, Quincy, IL and did spent most of his adult working life in the Detroit, Michigan area in the auto industry.
If anyone has further information, please contact me. This site will be updated when concrete information is found.
John Abner Yates is the son of Calvin/Alvin Yates and Laura Caroline Womack. His Death Certificate #29428 in Davidson County, TN said he died on December 3, 1936 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis at the Davidson County Asylum and was under a doctor’s care for about 4 months prior to his death. His body was taken by Roesch-Charlton Funeral Home. They are now out of business but parts of it remain with two other funeral homes. Both were contacted and have no records from 1936.
The certificate further says that R. S. Cunningham, M.D. from the State Anatomical Board removed the body on December 8, 1936. Research shows that he was Robert Sydney Cunningham, M.D. was worked at Vanderbilt University Medical School from 1925-1937. The State Anatomical Board was conducting research on Tuberculosis and John’s body was taken for research. Discussions with present employees at Vanderbilt University’s body donation program and the Davidson County Medical Examiner did not reveal what happened to John’s body but modern day Hippa Laws prohibit telling anyone, including family, what records says. Employees generally said one of four things occurred in those days.
1. The body was buried in the “Potter’s Field,” now Nashville County Cemetery, which is behind the Asylum where he died. Most burial’s did not have markers and no records were kept.
2. There is a small crematorium at Vanderbilt and some bodies were cremated and the ashes were spread in the Memorial Garden behind the chapel.
3. Some bodies were taken to the City Cemetery and buried. If indigent, and it appears John was, there is probably not a marker and he is in an unmarked grave.
4. The family could have claimed the body and then buried him. No records of this exist.
There is not enough information, at this time, to determine where John’s body is buried and he may be in an unmarked grave and the location will never be known. It is believed that he is buried or his ashes scattered in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It is possible that the family returned to his body to another State to be buried with his wife Maggie. No record of her burial can be located.
John was married three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Frances Campbell on December 21, 1890 in Nashville, TN. There were two children by this marriage, Stella Yates who died at four years old in May of 1896 in Nashville. The second child is Bessie Yates and Bessie Yates was the informant on his death certificate.
His second marriage was to Sarah Lee Narcissus Dyer of Monroe County, KY. They were married on February 6, 1897 in Clark County, Indiana and there is one child by this marriage, Bertie John "Mammy" Yates, my grandmother. John and Sarah divorced in Nashville, TN on May 24, 1900 in the Chancery Court.
His third marriage was to Margaret "Maggie" M. Mills on July 4, 1900 in Nashville, TN. There are no known children by this marriage. John was somewhat nomadic in his life, living in Nashville, Bowling Green, KY, Kansas City, MO, Quincy, IL and did spent most of his adult working life in the Detroit, Michigan area in the auto industry.
If anyone has further information, please contact me. This site will be updated when concrete information is found.
The certificate further says that R. S. Cunningham, M.D. from the State Anatomical Board removed the body on December 8, 1936. Research shows that he was Robert Sydney Cunningham, M.D. was worked at Vanderbilt University Medical School from 1925-1937. The State Anatomical Board was conducting research on Tuberculosis and John’s body was taken for research. Discussions with present employees at Vanderbilt University’s body donation program and the Davidson County Medical Examiner did not reveal what happened to John’s body but modern day Hippa Laws prohibit telling anyone, including family, what records says. Employees generally said one of four things occurred in those days.
1. The body was buried in the “Potter’s Field,” now Nashville County Cemetery, which is behind the Asylum where he died. Most burial’s did not have markers and no records were kept.
2. There is a small crematorium at Vanderbilt and some bodies were cremated and the ashes were spread in the Memorial Garden behind the chapel.
3. Some bodies were taken to the City Cemetery and buried. If indigent, and it appears John was, there is probably not a marker and he is in an unmarked grave.
4. The family could have claimed the body and then buried him. No records of this exist.
There is not enough information, at this time, to determine where John’s body is buried and he may be in an unmarked grave and the location will never be known. It is believed that he is buried or his ashes scattered in the Nashville, Tennessee area. It is possible that the family returned to his body to another State to be buried with his wife Maggie. No record of her burial can be located.
John was married three times. His first marriage was to Sarah Frances Campbell on December 21, 1890 in Nashville, TN. There were two children by this marriage, Stella Yates who died at four years old in May of 1896 in Nashville. The second child is Bessie Yates and Bessie Yates was the informant on his death certificate.
His second marriage was to Sarah Lee Narcissus Dyer of Monroe County, KY. They were married on February 6, 1897 in Clark County, Indiana and there is one child by this marriage, Bertie John "Mammy" Yates, my grandmother. John and Sarah divorced in Nashville, TN on May 24, 1900 in the Chancery Court.
His third marriage was to Margaret "Maggie" M. Mills on July 4, 1900 in Nashville, TN. There are no known children by this marriage. John was somewhat nomadic in his life, living in Nashville, Bowling Green, KY, Kansas City, MO, Quincy, IL and did spent most of his adult working life in the Detroit, Michigan area in the auto industry.
If anyone has further information, please contact me. This site will be updated when concrete information is found.
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