Monroe-Lamar County GaArchives Obituaries.....Thurmond, William David March 10, 1930 ************************************************ 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 http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00017.html#0004116 October 23, 2005, 11:15 pm The Monroe Advertiser (Forsyth, Georgia), 13 March 1930, page 1 Prof. Thurmond Meets Tragic Death: Aged and Esteemed Citizen of Monroe County Mangled in Machinery Monday Morning at His Mill Prof. William D. Thurmond, one of the most widely known and highly esteemed residents of Monroe county, was crushed to death at his grist and flour mill, near Forsyth, Monday morning about ten o'clock. He, with a negro helper, who witnessed the accident, had gone underneath the mill house to inspect the machinery, and according to the negro's statement, Prof. Thurmond's clothing was caught by a set screw in the driving shaft, which was revolving rapidly, and he was crushed to death before the power could be shut off. Prof. Thurmond's body was badly mangled in the machinery and death was instantaneous. Prof. Thurmond, who was 80 years old on March 3, had been a life-long resident of Monroe county. He was a member of a large family of children who have been prominent in business and professional circles of this section for many years. He was a son of the late Wm. H. Thurmond, who came to Monroe county from Walton county in his early manhood, and Amanda Buff Thurmond, of Houston county. Prof. Thurmond was long identified with the educational insterests of Monroe county, and for many years was superintendent of the Forsyth schools. In later years he, with a brother, operated Thurmond's mill. Notwithstanding his advanced age, he was very active until his death. His father was the inventor of the Thurmond car coupler for railway trains which is said to have yielded the promotors who secured the patent millions of dollars. Prof. Thurmond is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Clark Bush, of Chester, S.C.; six brothers, James M., G. Frank, Thomas D., of Forsyth; Charles A., of Perry; George L., of Crest, and Walter J. Thurmond, of Columbus; six sisters: Mrs. J. T. Means, of Yatesville; Mrs. Emmett Culpepper of Fort Valley; Mrs. Lucy Bryan, of Tampa, Fla.; Mrs. Lee Hawkins, of Barnesville, and Misses Ethel and Vivian Thurmond, of Monroe county. The funeral was conducted Tuesday afternoon at Tabernacle Methodist church by the pastor, Rev. Sprayberry, and interment was in the Culloden cemetery. Additional Comments: Billy Thurmond m. Eva Lillian Zellner on 17 January 1894 in Monroe Co., GA. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/monroe/obits/t/thurmond7723ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 3.0 Kb