Monroe-Houston-Upson County GaArchives Obituaries.....Thurmond, Jr., William Harrison August 28, 1905 ************************************************ 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: Elaine Turk Nell emturk1976@hotmail.com October 22, 2005, 2:14 pm The Monroe Advertiser, 15 September 1905 IN MEMORIAM Mr. Thurmond is dead! was heard on every corner in Forsyth on Monday August 28th, and which words bore sorrow to hundreds of friends and comrades of the deceased. Mr. Thurmond was a citizen of Monroe County, living at his home about four miles from Forsyth for many years. He was known by most all of the inhabitants of his adjoining counties, and was liked by every one that was acquainted with him and especially those near his age. He was eighty-three years of age and the father of twenty children, of whom eighteen survive him. He had been in bad health for sometime and had lived beyond average age of man, therefore his death was not unexpected: Although we regret the death of Mr. Thurmond we are glad to say that he is far happier now than he could ever be on earth and my prayer is that his friends will prepare to meet him when the final summons come. He was a member of the Methodist church and a faithful worker. The funeral services were conducted by Rev. J. B. Holland, Tuesday evening at his residence, from which the remains were carried to the cemetery. Mr. Thurmond was a man of great intelligence and, was of an inventive turn of mind. But few of us think when we ride on the cars that he was the that [sic] first invented the automatic car coupler that is used by almost every Railroad Company in the world. He also invented, put up with his own hands and tools, and has running the only Flour Mill that make [sic] two grades from wheat, flour and brand. The bundle and cash carriers you now see in the largest stores, came from his inventions. He has not only invented these wonderful things but several others, too numerous to mention. Although Mr. Thurmond is gone from us forever, his name and wonderful works will remain with us always. A FRIEND, A.E.R. Additional Comments: William Harrison Thurmond, Jr. was born 1 February 1823, the son of William Harrison Thurmond, Sr. and Annie/Anna (Tanner) Thurmond. He first married Amanda Jane Buff (b. 17 May 1829 and died 28 October 1871 in Monroe Co., GA), the daughter of David Buff and Sarah (Smith) Buff, on 8 March 1848 in Upson Co., GA. He and Amanda had 14 children. After Amanda's death, he married her first cousin, Sara "Sallie" Catherine Buff, the daughter of Daniel W. Buff and Mary A. (Smith) Buff, on 25 March 1874 in Houston Co., GA. He and Sallie had 6 more children. He and both wives, as well as several of their children and his parents, are all buried in the Thurmond-Floyd Cemetery on Tobesofkee Creek (near where his Flour Mill was located) off of Hwy. 83 in Monroe Co., GA. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/monroe/obits/t/thurmond7692ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb