Blog no. 33

Rose White Cheairs was born on December 17, 1892, in Maury County, TN, to John Wesley Cheairs Jr. and Rose White. She had three siblings, and their names were Irene Mayes Cheairs, Margaret Fain Cheairs, and Wharton John Cheairs. Rose and her family lived together most their lives.

Both of Rose’s grandfathers were famous names in the history of Spring Hill, TN. Her paternal grandfather was Col. John Wesley Cheairs, brother of Maj. Nathaniel Francis “Nat” Cheairs of the Rippavilla, and her maternal grandfather was Dr. Aaron Chapman White of White Hall. White Hall was also the home where Rose had lived with her family. It still stands at 2536 Duplex Road, in Spring Hill, TN.

On December 29, 1932, in Maury County, TN, Rose married Frank Clayton Bridges. They had no children, but Frank had children from a previous marriage.

For 40 straight years, Rose was a first-grade teacher in Spring Hill, TN. Many people remember Rose being one of the best teachers there was in Spring Hill, TN. This is what some of the people who remember her said about her in the book, Spring Hill Everybody Has a Story:

“The person who was to make a loving and indelible imprint upon my life, as well as all who came to her for instruction, was the star teacher of all time, the outstanding educator Miss Rose Cheairs. She was a beautiful lady who almost always smiled. On special days, weather permitting, she would take her brood of first grade scholars to play in the leaves in the yard of her antebellum home nearby while her aging mother, attended by a nurse, watched from the front porch.” — Cora Beal Hardison Shields, page 174.

“My first-grade teacher was Miss Rose Cheairs, and she would take her class to Sherwood Forest, the little hill with trees south of the football field to play games. When her whistle blew, we lined up to go back to our room.” — Alice Ann Mitchum Fitts, page 234.

“Miss Rose Cheairs, who taught first grade, was most helpful the first weeks of school. I suppose she thought I needed help coming from fifth-sixth grade to the second grade. She was most anxious for her last year’s students to do well. One morning, she came to my room bringing a wash pan, a yardstick, and some first-grade reading books. I used the reading books the first few days of school. Some students liked to review the first-grade material. Other students did not want a first-grade book. They were in the second grade and wanted second grade material. I soon returned the books to Miss Rose. One day near Christmas, she came to my room and wanted the yardstick and wash pan, which I had never used.” — Joyce Poynor, page 240.

Sadly, on June 20, 1972, at the Harpeth Terrace Nursing Home in Franklin, Williamson County, TN, Rose died of lympho sarcoma. She was buried at Spring Hill Cemetery, in Spring Hill, Maury County, TN. She never be forgotten by the people she taught and that had grown up with her around.