Clay County GaArchives Obituaries.....PETERSON, J. EUGENE June 1936 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: REBECCA STEWART RSTEWART@ENERVEST.NET December 20, 2011, 12:44 pm SOUTHWEST GEORGIAN JULY 2 1936 HUNDREDS ATTEND PETERSON FUNERAL TUESDAY MORNING A PALL OF GLOOM SPREAD OVER FORT GAINES TUESDAY MORNING AS LAST RITES WERE SAID FOR J.E. PETERSON LIFE LONG RESIDENT OF THE CITY WHO DIED SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT PATTERSONS S OLD HOSPITAL, CUTHBERT. DURING THE FUNERAL HOUR, FROM 10 TO 11 OCLOCK BUSINESS HOUSES THROUGHOUT THE DOWNTOWN SECTION ARE CLOSED. SEVENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD MR. PETERSON HAD LIVED IN FORT GAINES ALL HIS LIFE. HE WAS BORN DECEMBER 30 1858, THE SON OF ROBERT E AND MANDA C PETERSON. HE WAS INTERESTED IN THE BANKING MERCANTILE AND FERTILIZER BUSINESSES HERE FOR YEARS AND HAD SERVED FORT GAINES AS MAYOR FOR SEVERAL TERMS. AS CHAIRMAN OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD OF EDUCATION HE WON STATEWIDE RECOGNITION AND IT WAS LARGELY THROUGH HIS EFFORTS THAT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS SET UP IN CLAY COUNTY IN 1904. HE HELD MEMBERSHIP ON THE BOARD OF STEWARDS OF THE METHODIST CHURCH FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. HIS WIDESPREAD POPULARITY EVIDENCED BY THE HUNDREDS OF PERSONS WHO ATTENDED THE FUNERAL AND THE LARGE NUMBER OF FLORAL OFFERINGS SENT. REV. SWELL SAWYER PASTOR OF THE LOCAL METHODIST CHURCH AND REV. E.B. BROOKS BAPTIST MINISTER WERE IN CHARGE OF THE FUNERAL CEREMONY. MR. PETERSON RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION HERE AND AT BUSINESS COLLEGE. AN AVID READER HE WAS KNOWN AS A CLOSE STUDENT OF CURRENT AFFAIRS AND WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST EDUCATED PERSONS IN CLAY COUNTY. ALTHOUGH WELL AGOBE SEVENTY YEARS OF AGE, MR. PETERSON MAINTAINED AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN LOCAL AFFAIRS UNTIL THE ILLNESS WHICH SENT HIM TO THE HOSPITAL LAST WEEK. HE WAS CONSIDERED A PROGRESSIVE THINKER AND HIS ADVICE ON VARIOUS QUESTIONS WAS SOLICITED BY MANY PERSONS. IT WAS AT THE CELEBRATION OF HIS FIFTY SECOND WEDDING ANNIVERSARY EARLY IN JANUARY 1935 THAT HE MADE THE STATEMENT “I FEEL INSPIRED BY THE PROGRESS MADE AND DO NOT PROTEST ALL IN FAVOR OF THE GOOD OLD TIMES”. UPON THIS OCCASION, MR. PETERSON STATED HE HAD THE UTMOST FAITH IN PRESENT DAY YOUTH AND THAT HE DID NOT FAVOR A RETURN TO OLD CUSTOMS AND OLD IDEAS. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/clay/obits/p/peterson10425gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/ File size: 2.6 Kb