Dr. Jack Elvis Sanders -- Dentist and Community Leader

 

Dr. Jack Sanders with baby Steven

Jack Elvis Sanders was born on August 7, 1941 in Cadiz, Kentucky. He was the oldest of two children born to Eura “Mutt” Sanders and Eris Elaine Baker Sanders.  Mutt was a native of Trigg County, Kentucky and worked as a rural letter carrier for over 32 years as well as a farmer. Elaine was born in Cadiz and had worked as a cafeteria manager in the local Trigg County schools.  She was a descendant of Stanley Thomas. Jack had one sister, Joyce Annette Sanders, born in 1945 and married Danny Green Bozarth.

Jack grew up in the Wallonia community, attended Trigg County Schools and graduated from Trigg County High School in 1959. While in high school Jack played basketball, football, baseball and was President of the Student Body.  After high school, Jack enrolled at Western Kentucky State University where he earned his teacher certificate and graduated in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree.  He then went on to attend the University of Kentucky Dental School where he earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (D.D.S.) in 1967.

After dental school Jack began his U.S. Army basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  On October 1, 1967, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas where he attended the Medical Field Services School.  He then spent two years at Fort Clayton in the Panama Canal Zone in the U.S. Army Southern Command.  He was discharged as a Captain at Fort Jackson in Charleston, South Carolina in July 1969.

Jack returned to Cadiz where he set up a dental office and practiced dentistry for his home county. He also practiced in nearby Eddyville and Princeton.  He was a member of the Kentucky Dental and West Kentucky Dental Associations.  In June 2001, after practicing dentistry for 32 years and spending more than half of his life helping Trigg County residents with their dental health, Dr. Jack Sanders closed the doors of his Hospital Street office because of health problems.  He was one of only three dentists practicing in the county at the time and his absence left a big hole in the county’s health care system.

On August 25, 1962, Jack married Carla Lea Roach in Hartford, Kentucky.  Carla was the daughter of Homer Garfield and Mary Gladys Embry Roach of Hartford.  Jack and Carla were the parents of four children, Kelly Rae Sanders, born in 1967 who married Mark Alan Anderson and then Harold Bradley Haugh; Steven Brent Sanders, born in 1969 and married Terese Lenore Rabbitt.; Kendra Annette Sanders, born in 1972 and married James Rodman Redd III and Ashley Elizabeth Sanders, born in 1974 and married Jeffrey Alan Hunter. Jack’s marriage to Carla ended in divorce and in 1993, he married his second wife, Jackie Lavern Mays Beasley.  Jackie was the daughter of Thomas and Euna Futrell Mays.

As a community leader, in November 1974 Jack ran for a seat on the Trigg County School Board.  In a surprise win, he defeated his opponents including a 12-year incumbent, for the seat in a close race.   He was subsequently selected as the chairman of the school board.  He was re-elected to his school board position in November 1978 and 1982 but was defeated in his re-election bid in 1986 after serving 12 years on the school board.

Jack suffered with health problems beginning in the early 1980s which included heart bypass surgery in 1981 and 1992, angioplasty and at least one heart attack.  These health problems were the cause of his retirement as a dentist in 2001.  Jack died on July 3, 2004 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.  He was buried in the Wall Cemetery in the Wallonia community of Trigg County.

Jack's tombstone

 

Jack's military tombstone

LINEAGE: (Jack Elvis Sanders was the son of Eura “Mutt” and Eris Elaine Baker Sanders and the grandson of Samuel Lee and Vera Evelyn Cunningham Baker.  Samuel was the first child of Mark Smith and Mattie Mae Ricks Baker.  Mark was the second child of Samuel Freeman and Sarah Adeline Thomas Baker.  Sarah was the first child of Stanley and Emily Ann Light Thomas.  Stanley was the second child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)