MELVIN FINIS (TOOTSIE) RICHMOND WAS BORN ON FEB. 4, 1930 TO WALTER PEYTON RICHMOND AND LILY IRENE SNIDER-RICHMOND. HE WAS THE BABY OF THE FAMILY. ONE WARM OCTOBER DAY HE AND HIS BROTHER TOM WERE FLIRTING WITH THE GIRLS ON THE SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOL BUS. THEY WANTED THE GIRLS TO GO TO THE MIDSOUTH FAIR WITH THEM. THEY DECIDED NOT TO DISEMBARK THE BUS ON THEIR REGULAR STOP AT HOME, BUT DECIDED INSTEAD TO STAY ON THE BUS AND GET OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS JUST ACROSS THE STREET. THAT WAY THEY WOULD TRAVEL UP SEWARD ROAD FIRST AND THAT WOULD GIVE THEM PLENTY OF TIME TO CONVINCE THE GIRLS TO GO WITH THEM. ON THE WAY BACK, HEADED WEST TOWARD HOME THE BUS TURNED NORTH TOWARD THE RAILROAD CROSSING. NO ONE KNOWS WHY MR. PRIDDY, THE BUS DRIVER, STOPPED ON THE TRACKS....BUT HE DID. AS ALL THE CHILDREN SCREAMED FOR MR. PRIDDY TO MOVE, THE BUS WAS STRUCK, MID SECTION, BY THE TRAIN HEADED WEST THAT HAD SLAMMED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. TOM SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES BUT TOOTSIE DIED WITHIN MINUTES. IT WAS OCTOBER 10, 1941 IN EADS TENNESSEE. HIS MOTHER, IRENE, HEARD THE BRAKES SCREECH AND LOOKED OUT TO SEE THE DUST BILLOWING IN THE AIR. SHE KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. SHE RAN TOWARD THE TRACKS AND FOUND HER SONS. TOM WAS THROWN FROM THE BUS. HIS BACK RIPPED OPEN AND LUNGS EXPOSED. SOMEONE LAYED TOOTSIE IN HER ARMS AND IT WAS THERE THAT HE TOOK HIS LAST BREATH. THE ONLY VISABLE INJURY WAS A SMALL SCRATCH ABOVE ONE EYE. BUT HIS NECK HAD BEEN BROKEN. MY UNCLE TOOTSIE IS BURIED WITH OUR FAMILY IN THE EADS CEMETERY, JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY FROM WHERE HE DIED.
MELVIN FINIS (TOOTSIE) RICHMOND WAS BORN ON FEB. 4, 1930 TO WALTER PEYTON RICHMOND AND LILY IRENE SNIDER-RICHMOND. HE WAS THE BABY OF THE FAMILY. ONE WARM OCTOBER DAY HE AND HIS BROTHER TOM WERE FLIRTING WITH THE GIRLS ON THE SHELBY COUNTY SCHOOL BUS. THEY WANTED THE GIRLS TO GO TO THE MIDSOUTH FAIR WITH THEM. THEY DECIDED NOT TO DISEMBARK THE BUS ON THEIR REGULAR STOP AT HOME, BUT DECIDED INSTEAD TO STAY ON THE BUS AND GET OFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS JUST ACROSS THE STREET. THAT WAY THEY WOULD TRAVEL UP SEWARD ROAD FIRST AND THAT WOULD GIVE THEM PLENTY OF TIME TO CONVINCE THE GIRLS TO GO WITH THEM. ON THE WAY BACK, HEADED WEST TOWARD HOME THE BUS TURNED NORTH TOWARD THE RAILROAD CROSSING. NO ONE KNOWS WHY MR. PRIDDY, THE BUS DRIVER, STOPPED ON THE TRACKS....BUT HE DID. AS ALL THE CHILDREN SCREAMED FOR MR. PRIDDY TO MOVE, THE BUS WAS STRUCK, MID SECTION, BY THE TRAIN HEADED WEST THAT HAD SLAMMED ON THE EMERGENCY BRAKES. TOM SUFFERED MAJOR INJURIES BUT TOOTSIE DIED WITHIN MINUTES. IT WAS OCTOBER 10, 1941 IN EADS TENNESSEE. HIS MOTHER, IRENE, HEARD THE BRAKES SCREECH AND LOOKED OUT TO SEE THE DUST BILLOWING IN THE AIR. SHE KNEW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. SHE RAN TOWARD THE TRACKS AND FOUND HER SONS. TOM WAS THROWN FROM THE BUS. HIS BACK RIPPED OPEN AND LUNGS EXPOSED. SOMEONE LAYED TOOTSIE IN HER ARMS AND IT WAS THERE THAT HE TOOK HIS LAST BREATH. THE ONLY VISABLE INJURY WAS A SMALL SCRATCH ABOVE ONE EYE. BUT HIS NECK HAD BEEN BROKEN. MY UNCLE TOOTSIE IS BURIED WITH OUR FAMILY IN THE EADS CEMETERY, JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY FROM WHERE HE DIED.
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