Morgan County GaArchives Obituaries.....Snellings, John Anderson January 6, 1917
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Bill Hansford wchansford@aol.com October 19, 2005, 8:36 pm

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TRUBUTE TO A GOOD MAN

Mr. John Anderson Snellings was born March 24, 1857, and died Jan. 6, 1917. He 
was the son of Mr. Madison Branch Snellings and Mrs. Nancy A. McIntosh 
Snellings.

Mr. Branch Snellings' father was one of two brothers who came to Georiga from 
Virginia. Mr. Branch Snellings' father settled in Morgan County, on the road 
from Athens, near Rehobath. The other brother settled in Elbert County.

The site on which Rehobath church now stands was donated to the Methodist by 
Mr. John A. Snelling's grandfather.

At the time of her marriage Miss Nancy A. McIntosh was an orphan and lived in 
Madison.

Mr. Branch Snellings made his home in Morgan County, having as his nearest 
neighbors, Dr. L. G. Anderson and Mr. T.L. Nolan. He was highly esteemed by his
community and generally known as Judge snellings, a title he sustained with 
dignity of olden days.

When the writer first met Mr. John Snellings, his mother and three sisters, he 
was afffectionately called "Reb" by his friends, because of the Confederate 
cognomen of "Johnny Reb" and "Reb" he continued to be to the inner circle of 
friends and family.

A young man of handsome appearance and genial winning manners; he had many 
friends and no wonder that when he sought the hand of Miss Lizzie Nolan in 
Marriage, she did not say nay, and their marriage was consumated Dec. 19, 1886.

Miss Nolan was the youngest daughter of Mr. T. L. Nolan and Mrs. Matilda 
Bostwick Nolan.

Full  of vivacity, which sparked in this brown eyes and found expression in 
animated conversation and quick reparttee, he was the life of the home of his 
widowed mother to whom he was a loyal devoted son. 

He continued to make his home with his mother until her death when he moved to 
Bostwick and built the home now occupied by his family. His family consists of 
his wife, four daughters, Misses Neva, Florice, Roselle, and Velma 
Elizabeth,and three sons, Roy Nolan, John A. Jr. and Donald. The second son, 
Thomas Branch, died at the age of three years.

One of Mr. Snellings most striking characteristics was his love of home. Truly 
to him there was, "No place like Home." and no home-builder ever loved more to 
improve and beautify his surroundings than he.  No man was ever more loyal to 
his conception of duty to home and family, more industrious in the discharge of 
that duty then he.

The few occasions upon which he left his family and home found him always 
hustling thither, when the business which took him away was finished and his 
going away now is the most heart-breaking sorrow that oculd come to those he 
leaves behind.

"LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT, AMID THE ENCIRCLING GLOOM."

Mr.Snellings was a Mason who discharged the highest offices of his order 
worthily and well, a citizen ever ready to serve his community, county, state, 
and country. He held many positions of trust and discharged all obligations 
with ability.

He was trustee of the Methodist church and the Bostwick High School. Had it not 
been for his business foresight the deeds to the church property would have 
been lost.

The last evening of his life he attended a meeting ot the school trustees and 
as chairman of the body was most actively interested in the business transacted.

He war remarkable for his willingness to help his neighbors in their hour of 
affliction or bereavement and many are those who remember gratefully his 
kindness. His family, his Masonic Lodge, his community, his country will miss 
him.

Those in touch with his inner life, know him to have been charitable in his 
judgments, forgiving toward all, Christian in spirit. There was no such as 
comes to so many after they have met the disappointments of life.

Not quite a year ago serious illness came to him and from that time he suffered 
much, but bore his pain heroically, though knowing the days of his life would 
be few.

The moring of Jan. 6, he left home with Mr. Copeland to atend a matter of 
business and in passing Mr. Matt Nunnally's responded to his inquiries after 
his health saying that he felt very well indeed.

And just beyond, near Rock Springs church, silence fell upon him, his head 
bowed, and his spirit returned unto god who gave it.

Thus wrapped about by the sunshine, lulled by the wind's soft whispers of 
eternal life to the sentinel pines, out in the open he so dearly loved, from 
the finite into the infinite he passed.

Amid a large gathering of white and colored friends, the burial took place 
January 8,1917. Ev. Jordan, pastor of the Methodist church read the 90th Psalm, 
made a fervent prayer followed by an impressive sermon.

After sining of "In the Sweet By and By" and "Gathering Home" by a quartette of 
male voices, the Masons took up the service.

Rev. W.E. Ivy of Walton County, who is a Baptist minister and Mason, spoke with 
felliing and eloquence of Mr. snellings' character as a Mason and man. The 
burial was concluded wih the beautiful symbolism of Masonary and he was laid to 
rest where the sunshire fell upon his grave and the fragance of the flowers 
breathed of God who giveth his beloved sleep.




Additional Comments:
John A. Snellings' granparents were Alexander and Virginia (Mann) Snellings who 
came to Morgan Co. Ga. before 1809,  and Daniel and Sarah (Cartwright) McIntosh 
of Green and Morgan County. He,his wife Lizzie, and some of his children are 
buried in The fenced Nolan Lot in the Bostwick Cemetery in front of the 
Bostwick Methodist Chruch. Every attempt has been made to locate a photograph 
of the lovely victorian house he built about 1900. The house burned and the 
Bostwick Methodist Parsonage in now on the lot where his house once stood. His 
daughter Velma married Carter Tate Barron for whom the Carter Barron 
amphitheater in Washington, D.C. is named.

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