Wilson Daily Times, 2 July 1976.
(1) Do these “records of burial preparations” still exist? If so, where?
(2) “The Oddfellows’ Cemetery apparently accepted blacks for burial.” Well … yes. But Odd Fellows Cemetery is not the same as Rest Haven Cemetery. The “other old cemetery” was Oakdale/Oakland.
(3) Who was Tom Woodard and in what way was he instrumental in getting Charles H. Darden‘s business started?
Hi Lisa,
My dad, Roosevelt Winstead is familiar with Tom Woodard. Tom owned a juke joint/nightclub that served as one of the first successful businesses of its kind back in the day. My dad stated that the building is still standing but it was turned into an event center. I plan on driving over this month to find it. This was a popular spot and had only a small pathway to get in and out. He fondly remembers that whenever arguments or disagreements occurred at the club, it was hard trying to get out because everyone wanted to leave down that narrow path at the same time. Tom made a good living and was overly successful in this business and for that reason, my dad feels this allowed him the opportunity to help Darden get started. Also, my dad’s grandfather, George W. Winstead was in the burial insurance business and after a while, it became overwhelming for him picking up payments every week so he turned over all the customers to Darden. I’m sure this helped create an extra cash flow for them as well.
Hi Lisa! I know that Tom Woodard very well! His brother is my parents’ neighbor, and he’s a legend in Wilson County. The Tom Woodard referred to in this piece, though, lived much earlier and was, I’m pretty sure, white.