Southern Harmony in Western Tennessee

While searching for information on the Baptist preacher Alonzo Nunnery, I found the following obituary posted on the Find-A-Grave memorial for William Robert Vaughan (no known relation) of Weakley County, Tennessee.

DEATH OF WELL KNOW CITIZEN

Mr. W. R. Vaughan died Tuesday night at his home, one mile east of Ralston, after an illness of several months of cancer of the stomach, followed by paralysis. Mr. Vaughan was one of the oldest and best known men of that vicinity. He had lived there practically all his life and was one of the original members of the Old Southern Harmony singing class, which held regular annual reunions up until a few years ago. He was a splendid citizen upright and honorable in all his dealings with his fellow man. On Sunday night he suffered a stroke of paralysis, remaining speechless all the following day and died Tuesday night. Mr. Vaughan was the father of Mrs. Desdy Bragg of Dresden, Tom Vaughan of Martin and Cleveland Vaughan of Memphis. The remains were laid to rest Wednesday at the Martin cemetery. Many friends extend sympathy to the bereaved wife and children.

Dresden Enterprise and Sharon Tribune, September 09, 1921, page 5.

One thing that caught my eye was that he “was one of the original members of the Old Southern Harmony singing class, which held regular annual reunions up until a few years ago.” I’ve not known a lot of how the general demise of singings from the Southern Harmony book played out – but here we see it continuing in Western Tennessee into the first quarter of the 20th century.

All-day singing in Flatwoods (probably the one in Perry County, Tennessee)

The Camden Chronicle, April 26, 1901, page 2