The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-04-01
DEACON JOHN TATE
BORNE TO HIS LAST RESTING
PLACE - IMPRESSIVE SERVICE
AT MT. OLIVE CHURCH.
BY J. Thomas Turner.

NashVllle, who packed Mt Olive
Baptist Church to its utmost capacity
to do honor to departed friend
Ihere were fully as many outside as
could be accommodated on the in
side. A grander and more magnif.
cent gathering was never witnessed
IN this city. 1t was one that gave a
marked evidence of the high esteem
held by community for their la
mented fellowtownsman, Deacon
John Tate. This was indeed a most
solemn OCCASION an occasion of deep
and especial solemnity to the entire
membership of Mt. Olive BAPTIST
Church. This unprecedented out
pouring of the people was from the
fact that the sad news had been
heralded abroad that Deacon Tate
was dead and that his funeral would
take place in the house of Worship he
founded, loved and cherished as a
hallowed spot. He departed this life
Friday, March 25th, 1910. at his res
idence, 1903 Pearl street. He was
born on the oath day of August. 1899.
his age being II years at his death.
HIS flrst marriage was to Miss Lucy
Brown in 1868, and to them were
born thirteen children. His second
marriage was to Miss Nancy Kirkpat-
rick in 1908. His wife and a daugh-
ter, Mrs. Annie May Tate Pierce, a
granddaughter, Lucy May Pierce,
survive him.
Deacon Tate was porter at the Max
well House for forty years, and up to
the time of his DEATH was the Oldest
as well as the head deacon of Mt
olive Baptist Church. In the rearing
of this great church edifice he build
ed better than he knew,-a monu-
ment to his memory, with a record
that will stand until eternity rolls
and this earth shall be no more.
The services were opened by the
church choir singing Servant of
God, etc., lined by Rev Oneal, with
Mr.. Frank Teasley at the organ.
Prayer was offered by Rev w. S.
Ellington, pastor of the First Baptist
Church, Spruce street. The choir
then sang, abide with me-" Scrip
ture reading from the sixth chapter
of the Acts, by Rev. ]. F. Thomas. of
Chicago, Ill. The obituary was read
by Rev. T. j. Townsend, pastor of
Spruce Street Baptist Church. DR..
G. H. Clark, the pastor of Mt. Olive.
preached the funeral sermon. DIR.
Clark took for a text, Second Samuel
1888 And the king said unto his
servants Know We not that there is a
prince and a great man fallen this
day in Israel" His theme was "a
great, good and powerful man has
gone to sleep"
IN MS preliminary remarks the doc
tor touched upon the history of the
great confusion that made possible
the founding of Mt. Olive Baptist
Church. He briefly told of the active
service of an army of valiant men
who have labored for the success of
MT. Olive Church of whom Deacon
John Tate was the central figure, the
pivot upon which every thing turned
in fact the general of the whole oper
alton; for it was he who marshalled
the forces to victory in every contest:
In taking up the text Dr. Clark dis
cussed it in a plain and most simple
way and made it very applicable to
the life of Deacon John Tate, in that
he proved that he was "a great, good
and powerful man" He referred to
the fact that the vast congregation
assembled to pay him the last tribute
OF respect was an evidence of his |
greatness, and the power he held
among the people, and greater evil
dence was the presence of so MANY
preachers in attendance upon the flu
neral of a layman. He went on TO
show many other ways that Deacon
John rate was an extraordinary man
among his people, many of whom he
mad befriended by providing them
with clothes, shoes, fuel and food to
The extent that he kept them from
suffering. DIR. Clark truthfully said.
hat Deacon John Tate deserved more
credit for his acts of kindness than
man of great wealth. AS an uned-
lcated man, he said, it made him the
greater and more of a benefactor in
is truest sense than one who was bet
er able to give to those who were
n need and lived on the charities of
he cold world The speaker well de-
serted him as a self-sacriicing man.
md one that never got tired going
lbout doing good.
At the close of the sermon ]. Thorn
is Turner read an original poem in
nemoriam to Deacon Tate A few
1rief remarks were made by Rev. A.
". Porter, Rev. Oneal and Rev. Pres
on Taylor all of whom spoke of Dea-
on Tate as a churchman in all that
t implies.
The Mt. Olive Church choir rem
cred some excellent music for the