TAYLOR COUNTY, GA - OBITS John Abercrombie ***************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm *********************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: The Taylor Tracer Obituaries from the Gospel Messenger Williamston NC Sep 1900, Vol 22 No 11 reprinted in Taylor County Tracer Feb 1998 John Abercrombie - At my last meeting at Emmaus, Brother William Abercrombie asked me to write the obituary of his son John. I feel ever ready to comply with the requests of my dear brethren, but the limited space we have in our press, together with the conscious inability of doing their beloved dead justice, makes obituary writing a great task. The subject before me now is one worthy the pen of a Respess or Mitchell. A better or nobler son was never given to parents. He was a model youth in every respect. He not only possessed courage sufficient to battle with the struggle of life, but a true manhood by which only an honorable victory in the race of life is won. Nobleness of soul seated itself upon his proud spirit in childhood's hour, that followed him to the grave. It is needless to say of such a spirit that he ever rendered a true obedience to parental teaching, and that he wrung from his associates their love and admiration, which was proven in his last sickness by their untiring devotion to him. On the arrival of manhood he went from parental home to engage in business. Employment was readily found, and there in devotion to duty he contracted his last sickness, and came home to mother and father, as he said when getting off the train, to die, and there for eleven long weeks the battle between life and death raged. All was done by parents and friends for his restoration that could have been done, but slowly the disease triumphed, and at last he fell asleep to awake no more till resurrection's morn. In his last hours he turned to her who bore him, and said: "Mother, you have been the best friend I have ever had, and I do thank you and my good father for all your kindness to me." His sister told him of his approaching end, and asked him if he was ready to go; he composedly said he was, and was prepared to meet God in peace, which none of us doubt who knew him. It is ever hard for us poor parents to say good-bye to our beloved children, but to part with one in the bloom of life, whose propects were so good as his, and upon whom so many hopes were fastened, the parting is deeply dipped in sorrow, and were it not for the blessed hope we have in Christ of meeting the beloved of the Lord again in the world of no death, it does look like death in this world would be unbearable. My heart went out with many others in deep sympathy with the stricken family over the sad news of John's death, but as their humble pastor I feel that God has tempered this affliction with the blessed fact that their darling son and brother is now at rest with his God. "The Lord giveth, the Lord taketh; blessed be the name of the Lord." John W. Abercrobie, deceased, was born in Upson County, GA, June 3, 1877, and died December 28, 1899. The writer met the bereaved family at the cemetery, and spoke a few words in his memory to a large congregation who came to pay their last tribute of respect to their departed friend.