Stories and Folktales – A Deadly Rattlesnake Bite
Stories and Folktales – A Deadly Rattlesnake Bite
Deaths from rattlesnake bites in Tennessee are rare, but they do occur from time to time. This is the story of one of them.
Lara Ona “Onie” Dillard Pedigo was 25 years old. She and her husband, William Radford “Rad” Pedigo, had three children between the ages of one and five. They were a typical Macon County farm family.
When unusual happenings occur, stories—often apocryphal—follow. Rumors circulated that on August 28, 1920, Onie was in her garden picking peas. A little tired, she sat her wicker basket down on the tail of a rattler that was hiding in the weeds, and the snake struck Onie on the lower portion of one of her legs.
Knowing she needed medical attention, Onie returned home. Then, instead of seeking out a doctor, she decided to go back to the pea patch, find the snake, and determine exactly what kind it was. After several minutes of fruitless searching, her swollen leg was hurting badly. Onie stopped looking for the snake, returned home, then went to Dr. H. H. Howser for treatment, but it was too late, and she died about four hours after she had been bitten.
While the actual events as related may not be accurate, it is certain that a venomous snake bit Onie, she sought treatment, and she died shortly thereafter.
Onie Pedigo is buried in Macon County’s Blankenship Cemetery.