SCHLEY CO GA - Obituary of Judge J. Lee and Mrs. [Janie Cleghorn] McCrory  

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Richard McCrory   mccroryr@email.com			
			
			
Obituary of Judge J. Lee and Mrs. [Janie Cleghorn] McCrory  			
			
The DeLand - DeLand	Volusia Co.	Fla. March 17	1922
			
DEATH IS VICTOR			
Judge and Mrs. J. Lee McCrory Answer Call From
Beyond the Sky. DeLand gives up two of her most
eminent and dearly beloved citizens. 			

DeLand and Volusia County were called upon this week
to give up two of the most eminent and dearly
beloved of their citizens	when Judge and Mrs. J. Lee
McCrory passed away at their home in DeLand. Mrs.
McCrory preceded the Judge by a day. Her passing
came as a shock to her many friends here although
her illness was critical from the first developing
into double pneumonia. Judge McCrory was ill at the
same time	also with pneumonia	and after her passing
it was generally expected that he would follow in a
short time. Mrs. McCrory passed away at 1:10 o'clock
Tuesday morning and the Judge at 9 Wednesday
morning. 

The double funeral service was held at the
First Methodist Episcopal Church	South	Tuesday
afternoon at 2 o'clock Rev. O. E. Rice	pastor
conducting the service. A. J. Cleghorn of Oglethorpe
Ga.	brother of Mrs. McCrory	and Charner Strange	of
Miami	a nephew	accompanied the remains to Ellaville
Ga.	the childhood home of both	for interment in the
family cemetery. Never in the history of DeLand has
a funeral been more largely attended	nor called
forth more widespread interest and sympathy. All
business in the city closed for the funeral. The
church was full of friends	while a wealth of flowers
of most beautiful design were sent by loving
friends. The Methodist choir	under the leadership of
Mrs. Marion Kenefick	and assisted by Miss Marion
Davidson at the organ	had charge of the music. 

For
Mrs. McCrory	the pallbearers were E. H. Talton	A. T.
Pattillo	O. A. Hatcher W. C. Watts	T. E. Osteen	and
Johnson Cobarly. Pallbearers for Judge McCrory were
D. P. Smith	S. B. Wilson	Bart Fish J. W. Perkins	Lee
Morris	and S. D. Jordan. 

Judge J. Lee McCrory was
born in Schley County	Ga.	Nov. 5 1848	the son of
Sterling J. and Martha Prevatt McCrory. His father
was a large planter of that day. Educated in the
public schools of his state	he afterward studied law
in Americus	Ga. and was admitted to the bar in
December 1872. A short time later	April 04	1873	he
married Janie Cleghorn daughter of Rev. and Mrs. W.
E. Cleghorn. They went to housekeeping at Ellaville
Ga. where the Judge began the practice of his
profession. He often spoke amusingly of those days
saying that when he stole his bride and set up a
home he had but 50 cents to his name	but friends had
given them as wedding gifts a few articles of
furniture and household linen	and they were as happy
as though they were millionaires. In the early
eighties Mr. and Mrs. McCrory moved to New Smyrna
where Mr. McCrory engaged in the mercantile
business. Later his store and home	a handsome one
burned to the ground	and about the same time a bank
in Georgia failed wiping out practically everything
they possessed. Returning to the practice of law	he
was elected to the office of county judge of Volusia
County in November	1890	taking office the first of
the next year	at which time the family moved to
DeLand	where they resided continuously until called
to a better home this week. Judge McCrory made a
splendid county judge	and held this office
continuously to the last mostly without opposition
otherwise with a large majority of the votes. 

The lives of Judge and Mrs. McCrory have been closely
linked throughout and it was the ardent wish of each
that neither would be called upon to outlive the
other. They practically kept open house all their
lives	the McCrory home being open to friends and to
strangers who needed a stopping place while engaged
in religious or philanthropic work in the community.
They were never so happy as when surrounded with
loved relatives or friends and ministers of the
gospel	or other workers for the common good of all.
Joining the Methodist Episcopal Church	South	while
young they loved and worked for that church with
generosity and efficiency to the last. Judge McCrory
was superintendent of the Sunday school at First
Methodist Church	South	here for about 19 years
resigning only when health forbid his attendance. He
was also a member of the board of stewards of that
church and was always in the lead with donations and
interest where needs of the church were involved.
Mrs. McCrory was a teacher in the Sunday school
active in Epworth League work	an officer in the
Missionary society and in the forefront of interest
and effort in the progress of the church and of
Christ's kingdom all her life. She was also for many
years President of the Woman's Christian Temperance
Union of DeLand	giving her life's interest outside
her family	to these worthy causes. She often said
that she had no time for clubs and orders not
devoted to Christian work	as life was too short and
work too plentiful for her to divide interests. With
no children of their own	yet Judge and Mrs. McCrory
had all the love and interest of parenthood in
caring for nieces and nephews. The children of a
sister of Judge McCrory	being left orphans	were
brought up in large part by Judge and Mrs. McCrory.
Especially was this true of the youngest	Ethel
Strange	now Mrs. J. E. Mickler	who had all the
privileges and love of a daughter. Sharing largely
in the home also were Charles	Cleghorn	Seaborn	and
Janie Dell McCrory	the latter now Mrs. Janie Andrews
who lived next door for years. Surviving Judge
McCrory are Judge Wm. H. McCrory of Columbus	Ga. who
visited him a short time before his death and
several nieces and nephews. Mrs. McCrory is survived
by a brother	A. J. Cleghorn	of Oglethorpe	Ga.	with
her for several days before the end and accompanying
the remains to Georgia	and two sisters Mrs. C. C.
Kiker	also of Oglethorpe	and Mrs. I. C. McCrory of
Jacksonville. Nieces and nephews of both were Mrs.
J. E. Mickler	now of DeLand	Mrs. Janie McCrory	also
making also making her home with Judge and Mrs.
McCrory at the time of their passing	Charner Strange
Forestus Strange	Linton Strange	and Mr. and Mrs.
Skagseth	all of Miami	and Seaborn McCrory of West
Palm Beach. All of these were present at the funeral
except Linton Strange. Today Volusia County marks a
new sorrow and loss. Tender human ties cannot be
served without a pang. Yesterday with honest tears
DeLand bid farewell to these two noble souls. The
beautifying influences of a pure religion were
spread over two lives and character as spotless as
was ever possessed by any of the noble men and women
who have lived and died during the ages that are
gone	as such lives were a blessing and benefaction
to all within the sphere of their influence	so is
the death of such people a public misfortune. It is
difficult to pay a fitting tribute to the memory of
Judge and Mrs. McCrory. A perfect gentleman -- a
perfect lady at all times	under all circumstances
they seemed both to inspire the love and respect of
all who were so fortunate as to be acquainted with
them. No one was more willing to aid the suffering
cheer the despondent	sustain the weak and to throw
over the frailties of our race the mantle of
Christian charity	and when sickness and death came
to them	as it comes to all	neighbors and friends
vied with each other in acts of kindness and tender
solicitude. But the great destroyer had placed his
signet on their brow and now hundreds who loved them
living	morn them dead. Today they sleep beneath the
sod of the land they loved and above the wide blue
dome of the heavens a__ _arded by Him whom they
loved.			


Note: J. Lee McCrory and Janie C. McCrory are buried
in Ellaville Cemetery near the northwest corner.
Nearby are the graves of parents of J. Lee McCrory
S. J. McCrory and his wife Martha Maria Prevatt.
Also nearby are the graves of the sister of J. Lee
McCrory	Sallie McCrory Strange and her husband	B. A.
Strange. J. Lee McCrory is the brother of Col. C. R.
McCrory who is also buried in Ellaville Cemetery.			
			
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