Vannie Cook
Ten year old Vannie Cook rests in Walkers Valley Cemetery across the road and uphill from the Tremont Institute in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
We have read two versions of her story, both being accounts of a folk tale passed down through oral history. Oral tradition, by its nature, is subject to revision in the telling and may reflect a story somewhat askew from what actually happened.
As the story goes, there was a personal feud between two Tremont families in 1910, which escalated into one side starting a fire on the other's property. The fire soon grew out of hand, and the community activated to put it out. Vannie and her sister Eva were positioned to monitor the spread of the fire, while the adults fought to suppress it.
The fire moved quickly, soon surrounding the two sisters. A burning tree fell on Vannie, not only gravely injuring her, but burning her as well. She was taken to Will Walker's cabin, where local women labored to save her life.
It is said that a dove appeared on the window sill, while Vannie struggled to survive. The child lingered for two days, and the dove maintained its vigil throughout. When Vannie died on the third day, the dove then flew away. This dove was believed to have been an angel sent to carry Vannie's spirit to heaven.
Another, more embellished, account has the dove actually inside the cabin and concludes with the resolution that the feuding families saw the error of their ways and mended their differences henceforth.
Such is the grist of folklore, destined to be handed down through the generations. But one shortcoming of folklore is its focus on one event to the exclusion of others. At least seven other children are buried in Walkers Valley Cemetery. What of these children buried near Vannie Cook? There were no doves, no fires, so no one talks about them much anymore. There may have been no angels on the window sill, but these other children were nonetheless important to someone.