Blog no. 16

Dr. Bernard Hatcher Woodard was born on May 12, 1881, in Fayetteville, Lincoln County, TN, to Milton Wright Woodard and Ida Lou Hatcher. He was one of many children.

On October 6, 1909, in Giles County, TN, Bernard married Bessie Carter. They had 4 children, and their names were: Anne Elizabeth (Woodard) Anderson, Dr. Bernard Hatcher Woodard Jr., Milton Carter Woodard, and James Edward Woodard. 

Bernard was a doctor for the Tennessee Children’s Home and the Branham & Hughes School for a while. He was also a doctor for the city of Spring Hill, TN and surrounding areas. In 1935, he was named General Practitioner of the Year by the Tennessee Medical Association. Some of Bernard’s young patients remember he would give the children tongue depressor airplanes and that all of the children got a piece of candy after their appointments. 

At 5311 Main Street in Spring Hill, TN, once stood Bernard’s doctor’s office. The building no longer stands, and a few different businesses currently occupy the space.

Sadly, on November 19, 1966, in Maury County, TN, Bernard died of a heart attack. He was buried in Polk Memorial Gardens cemetery in Maury County, TN. People still remember him as the great doctor he was, and the stories told of him will never be forgotten.