Muscogee County GaArchives Obituaries.....Binns, Jesse Davis February 10, 1973 ************************************************ 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: Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 April 27, 2010, 7:03 pm The Ledger-Enquirer The Sunday Ledger-Enquirer February 11, 1973 Page A1 At Graveside Binns services set for Monday Graveside services for Councilman Jesse Davis Binns, a figure prominent in Columbus politics for more than 30 years, will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Riverdale Cemetery. Mr. Binns, who would have been 64 on Feb. 20, died Saturday morning of an apparent heart attack while trying to start his car. He and Mrs. Binns had eaten breakfast about 8 a.m., and then he complained of chest pains. He told his wife he was going to the Medical Center. He went out to the car and apparently had trouble getting it started. Mrs. Binns saw him get out of the car and fall into the snow. Two men helped bring Mr. Binns inside the house and the Rescue Squad was called. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Medical Center at 9:51 a.m. Mr. Binns was born Feb. 20, 1909, in Columbus, son of the late John Olin and Jessie Davis Binns. He had lived in Columbus all his life and was the owner and operator of the Wynnton Road Grocery for the past 40 years. He attended public elementary school here, Columbus High School, the Georgia Military Academy and Mercer University. He attended the Beallwood Baptist church. He was first elected to the old City Commission in 1942, but served only three months of his term before joining the U.S. Army as a private.He served in both the Seventh and Third armies in Europe and was among the first Americans to enter Berlin. Mr. Binns returned to politics after his discharge from the Army in 1945. He was elected to the commission in 1946, 1948, 1950 and 1952. In 1954, Mr. Binns retired from politics for four years and was once again elected to the commission in 1958. Mr. Binns served on the commission until 1970, when he won election to the newly created Columbus Council, a product of the city-county consolidation for which he had long fought. Mr. Binns was considered during his long political career as a spokesman for the “little man” and as a champion of fiscal responsibility in government. He was a questioning, candid watchdog of the council. “The public may not agree with me,” he said during his last political campaign, “but they know where I stand. If elected, I intend to discuss all issues as thoroughly as I know how; I intend to search each proposition as closely as I can. I intend to make all propositions where they will be easily understood.” Mayor J.R. Allen led the list of city officials in paying tribute to Mr. Binns. “Columbus has lost one of her most useful and devoted public servants,” said Allen. “The voice of Jesse Binns so often raised in defense of the interests of the average citizen is stilled, and the city of Columbus to which he gave such a fierce devotion is vastly poorer for his passing, but vastly richer for his service over more than 25 years.” Allen said Binns “believed in open government and in the inherent good sense and good character of the people. Our best monument to his memory would be for us to carry on a government that is a true servant of the people of Columbus.” Former Councilman Malcolm Forte, a close personal friend of Mr. Binns for more than a quarter of a century, said, “I not only feel a deep personal loss but I feel his death is a deep loss to the people.” Forte said he “highly respected his judgment and felt he was one of the most knowledgeable commissioners we ever had. Regardless of who replaces him they will have a mighty big pair of shoes to fill. I also sympathize with the rest of the council because I know they’re going to miss him as much as I would if I were still on the council.” Councilman Philip Batastini said he was shocked. “I am distressed because we have certainly lost a devoted public servant.” Dr. Robert Wright, who sat next to Mr. Binns at council meetings, said, “he had the utmost dedication to the citizens of this community, especially to the poor and to the oppressed and he is certainly going to be missed by me personally and by every citizen and councilman in the community.” “He will be long remembered,” said Councilman Roy Turgeon. “He represented the working man in our community.” “I feel like it is a great loss to the city because he was a knowledgeable, keen minded person who was always a friend of the little man,” said Councilman Tommy Greenhaw. “He was certainly a watchdog of the council, which I think every council needs.” “Mr. Binns and I had our differences politically,” said Councilman C.E. McDaniel, “but I admired him as a statesman. Columbus, Georgia has suffered a great loss.” All employees of the consolidated government will serve as honorary pallbearers. Survivors include his wife, Mrs. Mattie Binns, Columbus; a sister, Mrs. Brainard B. Huling, Columbus, and a brother, John Olin Binns Jr., Sarasota, Fla. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/muscogee/obits/b/binns13028ob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb