PIONEER MASON OF MADISON COUNTY SUCCUMBS TO AGE
B O Williams, Aged 95, Was Oldest Member of Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge
"I have not belonged to any church, I have lived what I hope was an honorable, upright life for 95 years, and I am not afraid to die. At the age of 12 I wanted to become a church member, but my mother thought I was too young, so I postponed joining. Somehow, I never joined after that."
Those were almost the last words uttered by B O Williams of Neese, Madison county, who died at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. His death marked the passing of Madison county's oldest citizen, and the pioneer Mason of Madison and Clarke counties. He was the oldest member of Mt Vernon Lodge (having affiliated with the Masonic fraternity in Athens long before the Civil War.) For over half a century he has been an earnest Masonic worker, and has, to use his townsman's phrase, "labored in the service of the Lord, though never an actual church member"
He was born on the same spot, in the same house in which he died. On January 2. 1827, in an ivy vined wood frame house in the yard of which a bee swarm hummed, there was born a life destined to be honored much, though word of his kindly deeds did not come greatly to the ears of the outside world. For nearly a century he "went about doing good" unostentatiously, and he died beloved, honored and mourned.
That same bee swarm, the same family of bees, still hum in the yard. The swarm was brought from North Carolina over 150 years ago by Mr Williams' father, who emigrated from " the old North State" and, in addition to proving a source of revenue with their honey, they have become part of the Williams family and are to be endeared because of memory to all the succeeding generations of Williamses.
The funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home in Neese, the Rev J R King officiating, and interment will
be in Grove church, the Masonic order to have charge of the ceremony.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs Elizabeth Williams; nephews and nieces as follows: C C Strickland, Athens; Alsa Strickland of Madison county; J T McElroy of Madison county, and H J McElroy of Maysville; Mrs Cornelia Edey of South Georgia; Mrs Cornell Smith of Neese.
Dorsey Furniture Company is in charge of the interment.
Athens Daily Herald, Apr 25, 1922 ~ page 4
B O Williams, Aged 95, Was Oldest Member of Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge
"I have not belonged to any church, I have lived what I hope was an honorable, upright life for 95 years, and I am not afraid to die. At the age of 12 I wanted to become a church member, but my mother thought I was too young, so I postponed joining. Somehow, I never joined after that."
Those were almost the last words uttered by B O Williams of Neese, Madison county, who died at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. His death marked the passing of Madison county's oldest citizen, and the pioneer Mason of Madison and Clarke counties. He was the oldest member of Mt Vernon Lodge (having affiliated with the Masonic fraternity in Athens long before the Civil War.) For over half a century he has been an earnest Masonic worker, and has, to use his townsman's phrase, "labored in the service of the Lord, though never an actual church member"
He was born on the same spot, in the same house in which he died. On January 2. 1827, in an ivy vined wood frame house in the yard of which a bee swarm hummed, there was born a life destined to be honored much, though word of his kindly deeds did not come greatly to the ears of the outside world. For nearly a century he "went about doing good" unostentatiously, and he died beloved, honored and mourned.
That same bee swarm, the same family of bees, still hum in the yard. The swarm was brought from North Carolina over 150 years ago by Mr Williams' father, who emigrated from " the old North State" and, in addition to proving a source of revenue with their honey, they have become part of the Williams family and are to be endeared because of memory to all the succeeding generations of Williamses.
The funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home in Neese, the Rev J R King officiating, and interment will
be in Grove church, the Masonic order to have charge of the ceremony.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs Elizabeth Williams; nephews and nieces as follows: C C Strickland, Athens; Alsa Strickland of Madison county; J T McElroy of Madison county, and H J McElroy of Maysville; Mrs Cornelia Edey of South Georgia; Mrs Cornell Smith of Neese.
Dorsey Furniture Company is in charge of the interment.
Athens Daily Herald, Apr 25, 1922 ~ page 4
PIONEER MASON OF MADISON COUNTY SUCCUMBS TO AGE
B O Williams, Aged 95, Was Oldest Member of Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge
"I have not belonged to any church, I have lived what I hope was an honorable, upright life for 95 years, and I am not afraid to die. At the age of 12 I wanted to become a church member, but my mother thought I was too young, so I postponed joining. Somehow, I never joined after that."
Those were almost the last words uttered by B O Williams of Neese, Madison county, who died at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. His death marked the passing of Madison county's oldest citizen, and the pioneer Mason of Madison and Clarke counties. He was the oldest member of Mt Vernon Lodge (having affiliated with the Masonic fraternity in Athens long before the Civil War.) For over half a century he has been an earnest Masonic worker, and has, to use his townsman's phrase, "labored in the service of the Lord, though never an actual church member"
He was born on the same spot, in the same house in which he died. On January 2. 1827, in an ivy vined wood frame house in the yard of which a bee swarm hummed, there was born a life destined to be honored much, though word of his kindly deeds did not come greatly to the ears of the outside world. For nearly a century he "went about doing good" unostentatiously, and he died beloved, honored and mourned.
That same bee swarm, the same family of bees, still hum in the yard. The swarm was brought from North Carolina over 150 years ago by Mr Williams' father, who emigrated from " the old North State" and, in addition to proving a source of revenue with their honey, they have become part of the Williams family and are to be endeared because of memory to all the succeeding generations of Williamses.
The funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home in Neese, the Rev J R King officiating, and interment will
be in Grove church, the Masonic order to have charge of the ceremony.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs Elizabeth Williams; nephews and nieces as follows: C C Strickland, Athens; Alsa Strickland of Madison county; J T McElroy of Madison county, and H J McElroy of Maysville; Mrs Cornelia Edey of South Georgia; Mrs Cornell Smith of Neese.
Dorsey Furniture Company is in charge of the interment.
Athens Daily Herald, Apr 25, 1922 ~ page 4
B O Williams, Aged 95, Was Oldest Member of Mount Vernon Masonic Lodge
"I have not belonged to any church, I have lived what I hope was an honorable, upright life for 95 years, and I am not afraid to die. At the age of 12 I wanted to become a church member, but my mother thought I was too young, so I postponed joining. Somehow, I never joined after that."
Those were almost the last words uttered by B O Williams of Neese, Madison county, who died at 2:30 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. His death marked the passing of Madison county's oldest citizen, and the pioneer Mason of Madison and Clarke counties. He was the oldest member of Mt Vernon Lodge (having affiliated with the Masonic fraternity in Athens long before the Civil War.) For over half a century he has been an earnest Masonic worker, and has, to use his townsman's phrase, "labored in the service of the Lord, though never an actual church member"
He was born on the same spot, in the same house in which he died. On January 2. 1827, in an ivy vined wood frame house in the yard of which a bee swarm hummed, there was born a life destined to be honored much, though word of his kindly deeds did not come greatly to the ears of the outside world. For nearly a century he "went about doing good" unostentatiously, and he died beloved, honored and mourned.
That same bee swarm, the same family of bees, still hum in the yard. The swarm was brought from North Carolina over 150 years ago by Mr Williams' father, who emigrated from " the old North State" and, in addition to proving a source of revenue with their honey, they have become part of the Williams family and are to be endeared because of memory to all the succeeding generations of Williamses.
The funeral services will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home in Neese, the Rev J R King officiating, and interment will
be in Grove church, the Masonic order to have charge of the ceremony.
Survivors included his wife, Mrs Elizabeth Williams; nephews and nieces as follows: C C Strickland, Athens; Alsa Strickland of Madison county; J T McElroy of Madison county, and H J McElroy of Maysville; Mrs Cornelia Edey of South Georgia; Mrs Cornell Smith of Neese.
Dorsey Furniture Company is in charge of the interment.
Athens Daily Herald, Apr 25, 1922 ~ page 4
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