Frances Trabue Haynes

Frances Trabue Haynes was born in Nashville, Tennessee February 20, 1926, the youngest child of Frances Thornton and William Dunn Trabue, Jr. She was predeceased by her parents, her two brothers and their wives, William Dunn Trabue, III (Lillian) and Nelson Thornton Trabue (Jane and Dottie), her niece Lucinda Thornton Trabue, her first husband, John Craighead Buntin, and her second husband, Willis H. Haynes, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Hester Gale Buntin Haddock, her grandson, Haynes LeConte Haddock (Dana), her great grandson, Daniel Scott Haddock, her great granddaughter, Anna Sinclair Haddock, and loving and loved nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and many cousins, two of her own generation.

Frances attended Ward Belmont and was gifted with an inquisitive mind, remarkable creativity and artistic talent and a love for making and building things. It wasn’t until her very last years that she didn’t have a project in hand, and usually more than one. She was ever active and cheerfully engaged working on something. In addition to crafts of all sorts, she sewed beautifully up into her nineties, making many of her own clothes.

One of her most significant accomplishments was building the house she lived in before moving to a senior living facility. She designed the house and did much of the construction work herself, hammer in hand. She, in effect, created her own little Beersheba Springs seven miles from Franklin. She had spent many childhood summers up on the mountain and these seemed to be some of the happiest days of her life.

In addition to her ongoing projects, she worked for many years as an interior decorator, first with Dan Burton in Green Hills and later opening her own business, Frances Haynes Interiors, which she ran from her home in downtown Franklin that she and Willis had restored. Her love of building and artistic sensibility gave her a deep appreciation for old houses. This included the many old homes in Franklin, and she recognized the need to save these places. Her interest in and attention to this played a significant role in the establishment of The Heritage Foundation in Franklin.

Frances was a lifelong Episcopalian and an active communicant of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Franklin. She was a member of the altar guild for many years and contributed a beautiful altar frontal she made using old family lace. She was also involved in various construction projects at the church, including the Sunday School and Otey Hall addition. She loved and was committed to St. Paul’s. Her earthly life ended on December 17, 2023.

Haynes LeConte Haddock, Daniel Scott Haddock, Nelson Thornton Trabue, Andrew Battle Sanders, Sterling McCann Sanders and David Trabue Sanders will serve as active pallbearers.

Chenault Sanders, Jeffrey Buntin, Sr., John Buntin, Bren Finucane, Doug Ward, Duncan Callicott, Rick Warwick and Dewees Berry will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Visitation will be Wednesday, December 20, 2023, at 3:00 in Otey Parish Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 510 W. Main Street, Franklin, TN 37064, 615-790-0527.

The funeral service will be Thursday, December 21, 2023, at 10:00 AM at St. Paul’s with interment immediately following at Mt. Olivet Cemetery, 1101 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN, 37210, 615-255-4193.