Re: Dr. John R. Leonard (1834 - 1907)
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In reply to:
Re: Dr. John R. Leonard (1834 - 1907)
Caleb Teffeteller 9/06/12
Tri-County Observer (Monroe Co. TN) December 7, 1977, Page11B:
“Leonard Mausoleum Sealed By Brown Hill Masons---Now that the mausoleum is sealed, perhaps the request by the late Dr. John B. Leonard, “Let Me Alone,” will be granted.
Dr. Leonard’s message was chiseled on the marble door of the mausoleum on Mecca Pick, which contains the bodies of himself and his wife. The request was unheeded when, last year, someone broke open one of the three-inch thick marble doors and entered the 8 X 10 building.
The intruders also broke a glass pane which covered the upper half of the casket which contained the remains of Mrs. Leonard. A leak in the roof let water run into the casket.
The Brown Hill Masonic Lodge decided to take action and voted at an October meeting to make a project of sealing the marble structure. A committee was appointed to obtain permission to repair the building from relatives of the Leonards. One of the relatives said he wasn’t able to take care of it and would appreciate it if the club would.
At a club meeting, Nov. 26, the committee gave its report, and seven members repaired the building last week. They sealed the roof and door with cement and cleared the grounds surrounding the mausoleum.”
[Three of the seven members who did repairs were Porter Shadden, Harold Witt and Ernest West]