Reeves, Warner

Summary

Father: Willis Gales Reeves
Mother: Virginia L. Townsend

Birth: Aug 1879, Tennessee
Birth Source:

Death: 28 May 1891, near Bartlett, Shelby County, Tennessee
Death Source: Obituary

Spouse1:

Narrative

From the Memphis Avalanche, 29 May 1891:

Took Cramps and Drowned
The Sad Fate of Little Warner Reaves (sic), Near Bartlett

He Went Swimming with a Companion and Went Down in Five Feet of Water.

A sad case of drowning occurred yesterday morning about 10 o'clock near Bartlett.

Two little boys, aged about 11 years, went in swimming. One of them, the son of Mrs. Reaves (sic), who lives at Cedar Grove, according to the statement of the other, must have been taken with a cramp and sank in about five feet of water. The water was quite cold, being in a shady place near the railroad, on what is known as the Spicer farm. His companion, Little Freddie Walker, was unable to get him out, and so ran up to the town and gave the alarm. Mr. C.H. Caldwell and Jimmie Davis hastened to the spot, went into the water and found the body.

Warner Reaves (sic), the boy drowned, was the youngest of five children left by Willis G. Reaves (sic), who died about 10 years ago. he was a well-known attorney at Somerville years ago, and afterward established a home at Cedar Grove, a mile and a half this side of Bartlett, and had a considerable practice in the Bartlett Court.

The little boy will be buried beside his father today in Elmwood. The mother was speechless and frenzied with grief when the body of her child was brought to her a corpse.

The Memphis Commercial, 29 May 1891
Drowned in Bathing.
While in bathing with a number of boys in a stream near Bartlett yesterday morning little Warner Reeves, the 12-year-old son of the late W. G. Reeves,, was drowned.
The little fellow was taken with cramps while in deep water and before his comrades could go to his assistance he had gone down for the last time. His body was recovered and will be brought to the city this morning and interred in Elmwood.

Research Notes

Sources

Death:        Obituaries
Burial:       Findagrave - Elmwood Cemetery, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee

1880 Census:  District 7, Shelby County, Tennessee

Obituary, Memphis Avalanche, 29 May 1891
Obituary, The Memphis Commercial, 29 May 1891