Gravestone found under a Hoyt Street driveway
Gravestone at Forest Hills Cemetery
House where gravestone was found under the driveway at left
Bobo marker at Forest Hills
Why did Martha Clementine "Clemmie" Johnson Bobo have two identical gravestones?
That is one of the mysteries of local history.
Gary Ball said one of his Tower Construction firm crews last week was tearing down an old business on Tunnel Boulevard and an old house behind it facing Hoyt Street.
Under the asphalt driveway to the old house, they uncovered one of the Clemmie Bobo gravestones in fine condition.
It says:
Mother
Clemmie J. Bobo
Wife of Lewis M. Bobo
1864-1936
A check for an obituary of Ms. Bobo states that she died at the age of 72 at her home at 2506 Chamberlain Ave. on Jan. 22, 1936.
It says she was buried at Forest Hills Cemetery in St. Elmo.
A check there found an identical gravestone for Ms. Bobo in Section C. It is beneath a large Bobo marker. Several of her daughters are buried nearby.
Her daughters were Ona and Birdie, Mrs. Hal Lamb of Chattanooga, and Mrs. W.H. Cherry of Atlanta. The sons were George R. Bobo of Lanksburg, Tn., Burl R. Bobo of Dayton, Ohio, and Marian S. Bobo of Los Angeles. Her brothers were James R. Johnson of Washington, D.C., and T.M. Johnson of Columbia, Tn.
D.C. and W.C. Johnson were living at the house on Hoyt Street at the time of Ms. Bobo's death.
The funeral of Ms. Bobo was held at the Highland Park Christian Church.
Lewis Bobo had died years earlier at Lynchburg, Tn., where the Bobos were - and still are - a family of note. Lewis and Clemmie were living at Lynchburg at the time of the 1900 census.
One of Lewis's nephews was Jack Bobo, who married Mary Evans. Jack Bobo died in 1948. Mary lived much longer. She is better known as 'Miss' Mary Bobo of restaurant and boarding house fame. It is now owned by Jack Daniels Distillery.