Talbot County GaArchives Obituaries.....Dana Brown September 22 1906
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The Talbotton New Era, September 27, 1906

The Talbotton New Era
Thursday, September 27, 1906
Page 2

Dana Brown is Dead

Saturday afternoon about 3:30 o’clock news was received in Talbotton of the 
death of Mr. A.D. Brown, which occurred at 3 o’clock at St. Joseph’s Infirmary 
in Atlanta.  The telegram was addressed to Mr. T.A. Bardwell but it was only a 
few minutes before the sad news was known by every person in Talbotton and a 
good many in the county.  The people knew that his condition was critical in 
the extreme and all day Saturday messages were being received from people all 
over the county asking as to his condition.

Mr. Brown had been sick for nearly three months.  He had a prolonged spell of 
fever, which lasted about five weeks.  He was up about the first of September 
and went to his place of business where he remained for about two weeks.  He 
seemed to be regaining his strength rapidly and his friends thought that he 
would be fully restored to health in a short time.  About the fifth of 
September, however, he began to feel badly again and decided to go to Atlanta 
and enter a sanitarium.  Upon reaching Atlanta he immediately went to St. 
Joseph’s Infirmary and called in some of the best physicians in Atlanta: 
Doctors McRae, Noble, Hodgerson and others.  They saw at once that his 
condition was critical and gave him the closest attention.  He grew worse from 
day to day until the end came Saturday afternoon.

The physicians were unable for a long time to locate Mr. Brown’s trouble.  They 
thought that an abscess had formed on his liver, resulting from his spell of 
fever.  In fact, they entertained this idea until after his death when a post 
mortem examination was made.  It was then discovered that an abscess had formed 
at the base of his brain, resulting from an ear trouble from which he had 
suffered for some years, and that it was this which caused his death.  
Physicians now think that his fever was caused from this trouble and that is 
was the primary cause of all his recent sickness as well as the immediate cause 
of his death.

Dana Brown was 27 years of age, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Brown, and a nephew 
of Dr. E.L. Bardwell.  He was born and raised in Talbotton.  He worked in the 
drug store of E.L. Bardwell & Co. until about 18 years of age when he accepted 
a position with W.S. Witham in one of his banks.  About six years ago, he was 
elected cashier of the People’s Bank of Talbotton and filled that position 
until the time of his death.  It is doubtful if there was a more popular bank 
official in Georgia. 

He was a member of the Methodist church and for several years had filled the 
position of superintendent of the Sunday school.  He was a noble Christian and 
had been from his early youth.  It is doubtful if there has ever been a death 
in Talbotton which was more deplored.  He was loved by everyone who knew him.

The remains were brought to Talbotton Sunday afternoon and carried to the 
residence of Dr. E.L. Bardwell.  The funeral services were held Monday morning 
and were largely attended by people from the town and county.  Every business 
house in Talbotton was closed during the hour of the funeral service.  The 
members of Olive Masonic Lodge, of which Mr. Brown was a member, attended in a 
body.  The remains were interred in Oak Hill Cemetery.  Mr. Brown is survived 
by his wife and little son 8 months old.  He leaves a father, Mr. Harry Brown, 
two brothers, Mr. Armstead Brown, of Montgomery, and Mr. Dowdle Brown, of 
Atlanta.  Also one sister, Mrs. Lovejoy, of Hawkinsville.

Those from a distance who came to Talbotton to attend the funeral, were Judge 
and Mrs. J.H. Martin, Mr. W.H. Martin, Misses Ruth and Edith Martin, and Mrs. 
A.W. Coxart, of Columbus; Mr. and Mrs. Holmes Frederick, Messrs. Carson and 
Leonard Baldwin, and Mr. Dowdle Brown of Atlanta; Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lovejoy and 
Mr. Frank Waterman of Hawkinsville. Mr. Armstead Brown of Montgomery; Messrs. 
Robert and Will Gorman, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Brown of Florida.

The Talbotton New Era
Thursday, September 27, 1906
Page 6

Talbotton Weeps

In another column of this issue, will be found an account of the death of Dana 
Brown, which occurred in Atlanta Saturday afternoon.  The sad intelligence 
reached Talbotton, a few moments after he died, by telegraph, and there was a 
gloom cast over the town unequaled in its history.  The cruel blow shivered 
every heart with agony even as the lightning of Heaven rends the mighty monarch 
of the forest.  The merchant sighed over the fatal news; the farmer ceased his 
toiling and learned of the message with moistened eyes; men, women and little 
children lifted up their voices and wept.  He was known and loved by all.

Yes, it is true.  Dana Brown, but 27 years of age and just entering upon a 
brilliant career, is dead.  We cannot realize it.  So bright and cheerful but a 
few short weeks ago, now folded in the arms of death.  A greater shock, a 
keener sorrow, was never crushed upon our people.  We find no words to voice 
our grief.

His death is a great loss to Talbotton and Talbot County.  Every man, woman and 
child feels it as a personal bereavement.  Although young in years, he was 
doing as much, if not more, for the good of the community than any other man.  
In the church he was always an active worker.  For several years he had been 
the superintendent of the Sunday school and the children of the town were 
devoted to him, because they knew in him a clean, pure-hearted Christian.  As a 
businessman, he had but few superiors.  Six years ago, he accepted a position 
in a small county bank, on a salary hardly sufficient for a meager support.  
But it was only a short time before his worth became known, and within three 
years, he was cashier of The People’s Bank of Talbotton, the only bank in his 
hometown.  He followed one of the best bank men in the State, but by constant 
devotion to his work, the institution prospered from year to year and he was 
just beginning to reap the fruits of his industry when he died.  His place 
there will be hard to fill.  He never held but one public office, being a 
member of the town council at the time of his death, but he took a great 
interest in all public questions.  He was always on the moral side of every 
issue, and he had the courage of his convictions.  He paused not to think what 
results would be or what the public would think, but when he felt that duty 
called, he never hesitated to express himself or to lend his influence to what 
he thought was right.  Men of this kind are few, and when one dies, the loss is 
irreparable.

I knew Dana Brown all of his life, just as he was known by nearly everyone in 
Talbotton.  I saw him almost every day from his early boyhood until the time of 
his death.  I can say of him as I could say of few men of my acquaintance, I 
never knew him to say an unclean thing or to do a wrongful act.  He was always 
pure in word, thought and deed.  He was a noble Christian, and lived his 
religion every day.  He exercised an influence for good over all with whom he 
came in contact.  He was never too busy to give a cheering word to a friend in 
distress or to assist the weak up the rugged pathway of life.  I can say, as I 
heard many say on the day of his death, “Dana Brown was the best boy I have 
ever known.” What a glorious name is this he leaves behind.

Yes, he is dead.  Did ever the coming of Death’s angel seem more untimely?  The 
dispensations of Providence are indeed mysterious.  It is a strange fate, past 
all human understanding, why so excellent a spirit, a man of so much influence 
for good, should be cut down in the early morning of his life, in the richest 
prime of his young manhood.

O death, why arm with cruelty thy power
To spare the idle weed yet lop the flower?

So it seems to us with our poor mortal vision, but there is an eye above all-
seeing; a Providence, all-timely; a Power, Almighty; and to His will we bow 
this day.  In His sight, the stricken star is not blotted out, but borne aloft 
to a brighter realm.  In His power the spark which no longer animates the moral 
man, glows again in glory, and sends a ray of living light from Heaven to cheer 
and console the broken hearts on earth, and remind us that his work and 
influence are not lost, but will live and bear blessed fruit for generations to 
come.

God bless his name and his memory, and be a strong and abiding support to his 
broken-hearted wife, who loved him so tenderly, so devotedly, and whose sorrow 
is all but more than she can bear.

Neid McGehee






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