Habersham County GaArchives Obituaries.....Gastley, Thomas J. March 27, 1934
************************************************
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:
Gila Ragan Hoover raganhoo@bellsouth.net August 31, 2005, 8:14 pm

Tri County Newspaper
1934- March 29 - Tri County Newspaper - Hon. Thomas J. Gastley Claimed By 
Death Wednesday Morning - End Comes Peaceful To Poineer Resident of Habersham 
County Who Served ???(action in Confederate Army??)  
	The entire community was saddened to learn of the passing of one of it 
oldest and most highly esteemed citzens, the Honorable Thomas Joseph Gastley, 
whose death occurred at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 27, at his home near 
Clarkeville.  
	Mr. Gastley had been in delining health for some time, and had been 
confined to his bed for the past fifteen weeks, and two weeks ago pneumonia 
developed, causng complications which resulted in his death Wednesday morning. 
	Mr. Gastley was in his eighty-sixth ....July 29, 1848 at the ... 
Clarkesville.  His parents .... America from Holl....of the .. Jeruse..settled 
in ...passed away December .children were born..ofwhom are now..Baptist 
church ....
	....attending school...outbreak of the...states whe heachlastic course 
and as a ... years enlosted as a volunteer..confederate army, serving ....and 
later going into the regular army , where he erved with distinction until the 
close of the war.
	Mr. Gatley's public service has been long and varied including 
possitions of public responsibility, serving as Sheriff of Habersham County on 
different occassions for some eighteen years: in the State Legislature for 
four years from 1909 to 1912; he also served as Chairman of the Democratic 
Committee of Hambersham County.
	He was an active member of the Clarkeville Lodge F and A Masons in 
whih he has held the offices of Tyler, Junior Warden, Senior Warden, 
Worshipful Mater, and Treasurer and was also a trustee of the lodge.  He had 
taken the Royal Arch degrees and held offices in Hambersham chapter no, 77 
R.A.M.  He was also an Odd Fellow having first joined Baldwin Lodge in 
February 1902 and was a charter member of Clarkesville Lodge at the time it 
was constituted about twenty-five years ago.
	He was also prominent in church activities having been ordained as a 
deacon of Bethlehem Baptist Church on Mary 31, 1873 and had been 
superintendent of that Sunday school and trustee of the church for a number of 
years.
	He served as Moderator of Clarkesville Baptist Association for eight 
years and was a memeber of Hambersham County Singing Convention since 1878 and 
was president of that organization for forty six years.
	For years he and his sons have been successful in operating saw mills, 
grist mills and planing mills in addition to their extensive agricultural 
pursuits inwhich Mr. Gasltye continued to take an active part until the past 
year when his health began to gail to such a degree that he was unable to work.
	He possessed a lovable personality and had many griends throughout 
this county and section.  During the last years of his long and useful life he 
was made inexpresily happy when on his birthday each year, July 29, his 
children, grandchildren relatives and friends gathered at his home to do honor 
to this grand old man, and Christian gentleman, who was noted for his kindness 
and helpfulness to others.
	Mr. Gastley is survivied by one daughter, Mrs A.A. Erwin of Habersham, 
Five sons, Messrs. T.R., J.H. and J.A. Gastley of Clarkesville, Charlie 
Gastley of Fairburn, Joseph Gastley of Seneca, S.C. also by a large number of 
grand children and great grand children.
	Funeral services were held today, Thursday, at Bethlehem church, which 
was crowed to overflowing by sorrowing relatives and friends, from all 
sections of Habersham county assembled as their tribute to a beloved and 
venerated man.
	Mr. Gastley before his death had expressed his wishes in regard to his 
funeral which were carried out in the minutest detail, even to the musical 
selections.  Rev. J.O. Fullbright, Rev. H.H. Humphries and Rev. T.C. Burrell 
read scriptures and offered prayers, and a number of friends paid tribute to 
Mr. Gastley's unimpreachable character and examplary life.  His  five sons and 
one grand son acted as pallbearers.
	Members of Clarkesville Masonic Ladge were in charge of the impressive 
burial rites at the grave to which the body borne to its last resting place in 
a beautiful grey casket, made at Mr. Gastley request.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/habersham/obits/g/gastley2712gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/gafiles/

File size: 4.8 Kb