On a Tuesday afternoon in February of 1916, Claude Veazey and Lida Canon were married in Memphis, Tennessee. Claude Veazey was a well known merchant and happened to be very popular. I would imagine Claude was quite the eligible bachelor. He was tall and slender with blue eyes and of course, a very successful businessman. When Claude and Lida married he was 38 years old and had never been married. Lida was from a prominent family and considered a leader among social circles in Tate County.
The popular couple settled into married life and were very happy together. In August 1916, Claude and Lida decided to visit her mother and sister who were vacationing in Chicago. One newspaper reported that this trip to Chicago was actually part of the couple’s honeymoon. Despite the reasons for the trip, the couple was sure to have been in awe of the big city and the varied modes of transportation throughout Chicago. On August 19, 1916, Claude and Lida along with Mrs. Pearl Floyd, Lida’s sister went to explore the city on an electric train.
I imagine the trio were completely thrilled to be traveling through the bustling city aboard an electric train. It was a far cry from the slow paced life they all lived back home in Mississippi. As they were waiting aboard the train that had stopped around Park Avenue at the Glencoe station, a three car train rounded the corner at a high rate of speed and slammed into the rear of the single car train that contained Mr. and Mrs. Veazey and Mrs. Floyd. The impact injured all three of them. Claude Veazey suffered a head injury and several cuts and bruises, but was able to walk away from the carnage. Pearl Floyd was pinned against the seats and had to have her feet amputated to free her from the wreckage. Sadly, Mrs. Lida Canon Veazey was killed instantly.
The remains of Mrs. Lida Canon Veazey arrived by train in Senatobia, Mississippi at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 23, 1916. Several cars and buggys lined up in procession at the train depot to escort Lida to her final resting place at Bethesda Cemetery with many additional cars and buggys joining in as they neared the cemetery. According to a newspaper report, all the businesses in town were closed for the funeral. It is obvious to me that the citizens of Senatobia loved and adored Lida Canon Veazey.
Her cemetery statue is of a young girl holding a flowered wreath. It stands over 10 feet tall and has turned dark gray over the years.
I started the cleaning process by dowsing the monument with water and then spraying it was D2 biological solution. It was a pretty time consuming process because of the intricate design of this statue and the decades of vegetation and discoloring that had occurred on the marble.
Lida Canon
Wife of Claude Veazey
March 8, 1891
August 19, 1916
She died as she lived trusting in God
After Lida’s untimely death, Claude Veazey remained single for over 20 years. In 1940, he married Louise Bell Bonner Campbell. However, his new found happiness was short lived. James Claude Veazey passed away on April 18, 1942 at the age of 64.
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I wanted to share this story that was made by Mrs. Frances Perkins in the comments below. She read this article and visited the cemetery with one of my friends, Debbie Perkins. Mrs. Frances told Debbie a story about Ms. Pearl Floyd, Lida Canon Veazey’s sister that was injured in the accident.
Here is her story:
My name is Frances Perkins and I am 93 years old. Several months after Bill Perkins and I married on March 1, 1956, his mother Vivien Bernard Perkins (Mrs. William Preston Perkins) related to me details of the Veazey-Canon-Floyd tragedy and the part she played in accompanying Mrs. Pearl C. Floyd to Chicago to be fitted for an artificial foot and have therapy, as to how to walk again with a prosthesis. Vivien was a 20 year old Converse College student at the time, when she was selected as a companion to accompany “Miss Pearl” to Chicago. The travelled by rail and stayed at a hotel in Forrest Park, near the places “Miss Pearl” was to frequent. Vivien accompanied Miss Pearl 2 or 3 times and it made a vivid impression each time. Years later, Bill and I went to Chicago twice a year (Bill sometimes three times) to True Value meetings and market for 35 years. Each time we passed the Glencoe and Park location, we spoke of and remembered the “Honeymoon Tragedy” and Vivien’s trips to escort “Miss Pearl”.
Love the stories that go with the
Statues. Doing a great job. Keep up the good hard work.
This was beautifully written and the restoration is amazing!!
I’m did not know this story. It is amazing history being bought to life. Thank you for all your hard work on the statue. I know when I ride though a cemetery, I often wonder about the families of these beautiful statues
Cindy, your work is so interesting. I love your passion for this. So often we take graves and markers for granted. These are people who God loved and who impacted the lives of others and thus history. You keep the memories of them alive.
Very much enjoy following Cindy in this labor of love. Great job.
The “before and after” is stunning!
Love the story behind this! It should be put on a plaque there.
You are still doing a good job. Thanks
My name is Frances Perkins and I am 93 years old. Several months after Bill Perkins and I married on March 1, 1956, his mother Vivien Bernard Perkins (Mrs. William Preston Perkins) related to me details of the Veazey-Canon-Floyd tragedy and the part she played in accompanying Mrs. Pearl C. Floyd to Chicago to be fitted for an artificial foot and have therapy, as to how to walk again with a prosthesis. Vivien was a 20 year old Converse College student at the time, when she was selected as a companion to accompany “Miss Pearl” to Chicago. The travelled by rail and stayed at a hotel in Forrest Park, near the places “Miss Pearl” was to frequent. Vivien accompanied Miss Pearl 2 or 3 times and it made a vivid impression each time. Years later, Bill and I went to Chicago twice a year (Bill sometimes three times) to True Value meetings and market for 35 years. Each time we passed the Glencoe and Park location, we spoke of and remembered the “Honeymoon Tragedy” and Vivien’s trips to escort “Miss Pearl”.
My new favorite site…