Seventh Generation

703. Willis Pirtle Bedwell²⁸⁹ was born on 21 Mar 1867 in Trenton, Kentucky (according to his death certificate), or in Tennessee (according to other records).⁷⁸³ He died of a fracture at the base of his skull on 26 Oct 1919 in Clarksville, Montgomery County, Tennessee.^783,784 He was buried on 27 Oct 1919 in Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Montgomery County, Tennessee.⁷⁸⁵ He was also known as W. P. or Perdle W. Bedwell. He was a carpenter according to his death certificate. He seems to have been working for Outlaw Motor Co..⁷⁸³

• 1900 Census for Montgomery County, Tennessee, shows Willis P. Bedwell, born Mar 1867, a farmer, as head of household consisting of: Mattie C., born Sept 1871, his wife of twelve years; and son James, age 10. They are living next door to John W. Bedwell and family.

• 1910 Census for District 12, Montgomery County, Tennessee shows Perdle W. Bedwell, 44, a truck farmer, and Mattie, 37, his wife of 20 years. Also in the household is John Parker, a boarder. They are renters.


• Obituary from Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, page 1, 27 Oct 1919:
BEDWELL, W. P. Age 53 yrs. Died 26 Oct. 1919 as result of roof falling on him at Outlaw Motor Co. Methodist. Leaves wife and two sisters, Mrs. J. J. Smith and Mrs. Mary Hatfield and one brother, Berry Bedwell. Interment at White's Chapel Church Cemetery.

• From Ted Pace:
I found that White's Chapel Cemetery is a church cemetery for a very small church, Grace Episcopal, located on Rossview Road in Montgomery County. I visited it today. There is a tall, slender headstone:

W. P. BEDWELL
Mar 21, 1867 - Oct 26, 1919

At Rest

There was another, older Bedwell headstone nearby, W. L. BEDWELL. There were two or three spaces between W. P. and W. L. and I assume (again) that Mollie is buried in one of these. I could find no marker for Mollie. The church was not manned and no one available to ask.

Willis Pirtle Bedwell and Mattie C. Pegram were married on 13 Oct 1887 in Montgomery County, Tennessee.⁷⁸⁶ Mattie C. Pegram⁷⁸⁶ (daughter of James S. Pegram and Sarah E. Waters) was born in Sep 1871 in Liberty Community, Montgomery County, Tennessee.⁷⁸⁷ She died on 6 Jan 1933 in Montgomery County, Tennessee.⁷⁸⁸ She was buried in Grace Chapel Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Montgomery County, Tennessee.⁷⁸⁸

Obituary from Clarksville Leaf Chronicle, page 1, 7 Jan 1933:
MEEK, Mrs. Mattie Pegram. Born in Liberty community in Sep. 1870. Age 62 yrs. Died 6 Jan 1933, of heart disease, on Main and Eight St. Married twice. First, married W. P. Bedwell, who died 26 Oct. 1919. Second, married James F. Meek, who died ca. three years ago. Daughter of late James Pegram and Sarah Water Pegram. Leaves two brothers, M. L. and W. A. Pegram; one sister, Mrs. J. E. Bell. Interment at White's Chapel Cemetery. Willis Pirtle Bedwell and Mattie C. Pegram had the following children:

2180

i.

James Bedwell762 was born in Aug 1889 in Tennessee. He died before 1919. James is not listed in either Willis' or Mattie's obituary. Surmise that he died young.