After years of legal challenges and hurdles, the final wish of Jim Reeves's widow, Mary Reeves Davis, is about to be honored and fulfilled. Saw this posted on FaceBook a a few minutes ago:
Although her will specified she was to be buried next to Jim, Mary was interred in the Mausoleum at Nashville's Spring Hill Cemetery by her 2nd Husband, Terry Davis, when she passed away in 1999. Today, a Nashville Probate Court has agreed to honor Mary's wishes. By the close of business this afternoon, a court order will be signed allowing Mary to be moved to Carthage, TX as soon as possible.
Too bad the Reeves relative who took this action didn't care more about her uncle Jim's memorabilia, recordings and legacy. She missed opportunities to protect these assets years ago before Ed Gregory plundered Mary's estate.
I've got numerous taped interviews with her which document our discussions and it was very frustrating that we could not convince her how important these things were. Instead, Jim's artifacts are scattered to the winds and a lot of them are in the hands of hoarders.
It also would have made more sense to strike a deal with Terry Davis, Mary's second husband, so he would ride off into the sunset, instead of engaging in a protracted legal battle that drained the estate of hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees such that it is now worth a fraction of what it originally was. Being spiteful is self defeating. Being practical minded would have been a better legal strategy in the long run.
So what has been accomplished? It's nice that Mary's wishes will be carried out and she will be buried in Carthage with Jim. But so many of the priceless artifacts that both Jim and Mary spent decades preserving were ultimately lost, while heirs on BOTH the White and Reeves side sat idly by and let that happen.
I cannot understand why the relatives of Jim and Mary Reeves allowed that to happen,it boggles the mind that the heirs were so irresponsible.I do wish that Mary Reeves-Davis had carried out Jim's wish for a music scholarship in his name as stated in his will,but it seems to have been ignored by even judges and legal experts,though.Anita L. Cooper
on August 1, 2014, 12:55 pm