Georgia: Oglethorpe County: Obituary of William Leighton Brown 20 August 1895 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store this file permanently for free access. This file was contributed by: David Hunter Brown dhbrown@strato.net ==================================================================== Obituary of William Leighton Brown August 20, 1895 Mr. W. L. Brown. ---------------------------------- Death Claims This Rising Young Attorney Its Victim. ----------------------------------- HE IS SICK BUT ONE WEEK. ----------------------------------- The Entire Community Shocked by the Loss of Such a Citizen as He Was And Gave Promise of Making. ------------------------------------ One of the most shocking, as well as saddest of the deaths which has ever occurred in Lexington was that of W.L. Brown, Esq., at his residence on Church Street at 2 o'clock last Tuesday evening. Just a week and one day before he was among his friends, seemingly the picture of health and buoyant with laudable ambition backed with indomitable energy and a determination to win fame and fortune by the practice of his chosen profession - the law. For several days previous to Monday of last week Mr. Brown had been complaining of feeling badly. On that day he rode out to Crawford to consult Dr. Geo. Little, his brother-in-law, who prescribed some simple remedy thinking the malady only a slight indisposition. When Mr. Brown reached home he took to his bed, growing worse rapidly and though all that medical skill and loving hands could do for him he continued to decline until death came on the day and hour named to relieve him of his sufferings. And when his eyes closed in death the life of a most noble young man was ended; a career which gave promise of being a brilliant one was cut short; a young wife and a beautiful baby boy bereft of a husband and father's loving care; his mother and father of a son who honored them; his brothers of a loving brother; the community of one of its good citizens; his church (the Baptist) one of its constant members; and his many friends of a cherished friend. William L. Brown was born in Hart County in 1865. He was one of a large family of children. His parents were not able to give them all the educational advantages for which William's ambition made him crave, but undaunted, he went to work with a will to educate himself. This he accomplished by hard study and by alternating between teacher in primary schools and student in higher ones. Just the other day one of his former teachers was in our office and spoke of how hard this boy had worked to gain an education and how much gratification he felt over his success. When Mr. Brown had gained sufficient learning to fit him for the battle of life he chose the law as his profession. This he studied in the office of McCurry and Proffitt in Hartwell. He was admitted to the bar in Hartwell in March 1891, and located in Lexington the following May to practice his profession. Though he came a rank stranger, his affable manners, evident ability, in close attention to cases entrusted to him were not long in winning the esteem and confidence of the people and bringing him clients. Almost from the first he enjoyed a good patronage and was fast taking a stand among the leading lawyers of this circuit. When he became reasonably well established in business, Mr. Brown naturally desired a companion and helpmate to share with him his bright prospects. He succeeded in winning the heart and hand of one of the County's fairest and most popular daughters and on the 13th of December 1898, he and Miss Fannie Hunter were united in marriage. Their home was blessed less than a year ago with a bright boy, and it is indeed sad that the young wife and babe should be so soon bereft of his husbandly love and paternal care. When Mr. Brown came to Lexington, he united by letter with the Baptist Church and was one of its leading and most fateful members. He was devoted to his church and to the cause of its Great Head, and no duty to them was neglected by him. He was a good citizen, one ever ready to perform every duty incumbent upon him as such, and that he should be cut down while in the vigor of his young manhood is a public calamity. As a friend he was sincere in devoted. Those that enjoyed his friendship appreciated it because of its sincerity. These were many, and universal is the deep sorrow over his departure from among us. His funeral was preached at the Baptist Church Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock by Rev. M. S. Weaver, from the text "It is appointed unto man once to die." His remains were carried to Crawford and laid away in the cemetery there, to rest until the resurrection comes, when husband and wife, father and child, son and father and mother, brother and brothers, friend and friends can be reunited. The deep sympathy the goes out to the Bereaved is universal. May they be consoled by the truth that "He doeth all things well." SOURCE: The Hartwell Sun, Friday August 30th 1895. David Hunter Brown 14041 Shimmering Lake Court Fort Myers, Florida 33907 239-275-5361 dhbrown@strato.net