Mary McKinney Bachman Anderson
1897

One of the Best Beloved and most popular ladies of Chattanooga died unexpectedly yesterday. Mrs. Mary Bachman Anderson, the wife of Charles C. Anderson and daughter of Dr. and Mrs. J. W. Bachman, died yesterday afternoon at 1 o'clock after a brief illness at her home on McCallie Avenue. The news of this lamentable event spread rapidly, and plunged the community into profound sorrow, for there are no homes in Chattanooga where Dr. Bachman, pastor of the first Presbyterian Church, and his esteemed family are [not] respected and beloved. The death of a good, noble woman lady is a loss to the entire city, and in this case is particularly sad. Mrs. Anderson had been ill only four weeks, and at no time had her physicians or family anticipated death. A robust constitution and a cheerful disposition, Mrs. Anderson herself did not fear the result, and though she suffered intensely, the end was entirely unexpected. The direct cause of death was the rupture of a blood vessel on the brain, precipitated by nervous prostration. Mrs. Anderson began to sink only two hours before she died, but the end came peacefully simply passing out of a Christian life, rich in good deeds, without even the consciousness of the parting from her loved ones. Surrounding her death bed were the members of her own family and Dr. Bachman. It was a bitter trial for that divine, who has brought solace to so many departing souls, to minister in the last and hour to his daughter, cut off in the prime of her womanhood, taken from a devoted husband, three little children, a happy, unbroken family chain, and a good work, constantly her labor of love. The melancholy intelligence was telegraphed to her sisters, Mrs. Anne Bachman Hyde, at Richmond, and Misses Fannie and Eva D. Bachman, at Spartanburg, S.C. and to her brother, M. Nathan Bachman, who was out of the city. Until they are heard from no definite arrangements for the funeral will be made. .....Mrs. Anderson was the third daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Bachman, she was married nine years ago last Saturday at the age of 21 to Charles C. Anderson, and was the mother of three children, two boys and one girl, the eldest is 8, the youngest is 2 years of age.
The Chattanooga Times, October 16, 1897

Submitted by Robert L. Coffey
rlc6087@excite.com