Editor’s Note: Western North Carolina is rich with untold stories—many resting quietly in local cemeteries. In this Tombstone Tales series, we explore the lives of people from our region’s past whose legacies, whether widely known or nearly forgotten, helped shape the place we call home.
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. — In the quiet grounds of Oakdale Cemetery rests Henrietta Natalie “Hennie” Whitted Price, a woman remembered in stone as a gentlewoman, philosopher, author, composer and artist. Her life stretched from the mountains of western North Carolina to the cultural circles of Chicago before ending, fittingly, in the town where she was born.
Henrietta Natalie Whitted entered the world Oct. 29, 1864, the daughter of William Davis Whitted and Sarah Earle Blassingame. The Whitted family was part of a close mountain network of professionals and farmers, and Hennie grew up surrounded by stories, traditions and a strong sense of place. Those experiences later shaped her writing and music, which often reflected on memory, home and the natural world.
She married William Bates Price, a businessman who became president of the Price-Teeple Piano Company in Chicago. Hennie, writing under the name Natalie Whitted Price, published two volumes of poetry and prose. Ravelings in Rhyme appeared in 1910, containing verses that had earlier been printed in national publications including Life and The Atlanta Constitution. Ten years later, she released Sketches in Lyric Prose and Verse, a collection that blended poetry and reflective essays.
Her artistry extended beyond the printed page. In 1913, she provided the words for a children’s song titled The Clock (La pendule), published in Chicago by the Clayton F. Summy Company. Five years later, she collaborated with composer Phyllis Fergus on My Mother’s Ma: A Modern Grandmother, a lighthearted piece celebrating family life. These published works confirm why her epitaph includes not only “author” but also “composer.”
Price died in Chicago on Feb. 4, 1923. A funeral service was held at Graceland Cemetery’s chapel before her body was brought south to Hendersonville. She was laid to rest in Oakdale Cemetery beside her parents. Contemporary newspapers noted her passing, marking the return of a native daughter.
Her story reflects both the opportunities and limitations faced by creative women of her era. She moved in the world of piano manufacturers and literary salons in Chicago, yet she remained connected to the family and community that shaped her. While women writers and composers often struggled for recognition, she carved out her own space in print and song, leaving behind works that spoke to both humor and heart.
Nearly a century later, her grave marker in Oakdale continues to spark curiosity. Carved with the words “Gentlewoman, Philosopher, Author, Composer and Artist,” it stands as a lasting tribute to a life devoted to art and ideas.
Oakdale Cemetery in Hendersonville, North Carolina
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Tombstone Tales: The gentlewoman and philosopher of Hendersonville
Henrietta “Hennie” Whitted Price (1864–1923) was a Hendersonville native, poet, and composer whose life took her from the Blue Ridge to Chicago before returning to rest in Oakdale Cemetery.
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Tombstone Tales: Before the Science Guy, there was Bill Nye the Humorist
Before there was “Bill Nye the Science Guy,” another Bill Nye made America laugh. Edgar Wilson Nye, a 19th-century humorist and journalist, found his final resting place in Fletcher. His memorial and grave at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard still draw visitors curious about the man once known as “Bill Nye the Humorist.”
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Tombstone Tales: The 1911 Asheville Murder Story Behind a Riverside Cemetery Grave
A simple grave in Riverside Cemetery marks the tragic story of Allen “Buck” Trivette. In 1911, the young Asheville man was shot by his uncle, Pitt Ballew, during a family quarrel that led to trial in Buncombe County.
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Tombstone Tales: The wreck on Saluda Mountain that changed rail safety
In 1890, engineer Lewis Tunstall was killed when his train careened down the Saluda Grade at 75 miles an hour. The wreck led to the creation of safety switches that saved countless lives. Today, Tunstall is remembered not only for his sacrifice but also by a striking monument in Hendersonville’s Oakdale Cemetery.
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Tombstone Tales: Dr. George W. Fletcher, the mountain doctor who helped build a town
Dr. George Washington Fletcher helped shape the community that now bears his name and is buried at Calvary Episcopal Church Cemetery in Fletcher, North Carolina