Obituary of Judge Nathan Merideth Calhoun, Concordia Parish, LA
Printed with Permission of The Concordia Sentinel
Appeared in the 3/20/1931 issue.



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JUDGE NATHAN MERIDETH CALHOUN CALLED BY DEATH

     Again the grim messenger of death has called in the Vidalia community,
this time taking with him all that was mortal of Judge Nathan Merideth Calhoun,
former Judge of the Tenth Judicial District of Louisiana composed of the parishes
of Concordia and Tensas.
     For the past fortnight the Judge was seriously ill, and his condition became
so alarming that he was removed to the Natchez Sanitorium, where, despite the
fact that every attention possible was given to him, he succumbed at 8:30 o'clock
Tuesday night.
     Funeral services were held at the Union Church in Vidalia Wednesday afternoon
at three o'clock.  Rev. K. P. Roberts, Methodist pastor of this district, of
Sicily Island, conducting the ceremonies, assisted by Rev. Geo. D. Boothe, pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church of Natchez, and Rev. Joseph Kuehnle, rector of
Trinity Episcopal Church of Natchez.
     Rev. Kuehnle paid beautiful tribute to this distinguished man, setting forth
the fact that he had lived his entire life in a truly Christian manner.
     Interment was made in the Natchez City Cemetery, the services at the grave
being conducted by the Masonic Lodge, of which he was a member, Mr. Black,
Worshipful Master of Harmony Lodge, of Natchez, pronouncing the beautiful ritual.
     Judge Calhoun, beloved and esteemed as a lawyer and jurist, born in Catahoula
parish on November 7, 1853, the son of Dr. and Mrs. Dabney P. Calhoun.  His father
was born in South Carolina in 1817, and when 30 years of age came to Louisiana,
where he practiced medicine and followed planting until his death in 1900.  His
first residence was at Trinity, at which place he married Miss Ellen D. Neely in
1850 after which he moved down the river to a plantation where his wife had formerly
lived.
     Dr. and Mrs. Calhoun were the parents of four children, Dr. W. S. N. Calhoun,
Mrs. S. N. Yarrell, Dr. Lee F. Calhoun, who was drowned in Black River in 1903, and
Judge Calhoun.
     Dr. Calhoun spent his youth in the place of his birth and attended the country
school until he was 15 years of age.  He then went to Morehouse College in Morehouse
Parish, where he remained two years and then spent two years in Homer College, a
Methodist school in Claiborne Parish, followed by one year at Arizona Seminary in the
same parish.
     At that time the school was in charge of J. W. Nicholson, formerly of Louisiana
State University.  After this, Judge Calhoun read law and attended the law department
of the University of Louisiana, now Tulane.  He graduated there in 1876 with the degree
of L.L.B.  Succeeding this, he taught school one year, and then began the practice of
law at Harrisonburg, remaining there about one year when he moved to Houma, where he
resided for four years.
     While in Houma, Judge Calhoun filled the office of recorder under appointment of
Gov. Nicholls for part of the time.  In 1882 he left Houma and returned to Catahoula
Parish to engage in planting on what is known as the Eutaw place on Black River,
occasionally practicing law.  He remained there until (can't read) when he located in
Vidalia and began the practice of law which continued until he was elected to fill the
unexpired term of Judge John Dale, who had resigned.
     Judge Calhoun was married on January 14, 1878 to Miss Nannie M. Williams of
Ouachita Parish.  Her parents were Rev. R. T. Williams formerly of North Carolina and
Nannie (Newit) Williams.
     Judge Calhoun is survived by a son R. D. Calhoun, attorney of Vidalia and his
widow, Nannie Williams Calhoun and a sister, Mrs. Jennie C. Yarell of Greensboro, SC.
     He served as district judge from 1914 until 1925, was a member of the Masonic
Lodge and of the Methodist Church of which he was also a steward.  In all stations of
life he acquitted himself as an able and creditable gentleman and was ranked as one
of the state's foremost jurists and attorneys.
     Judge Calhoun occupied a warm place in the hearts of all Concordians, having
been one of the leading attorneys of the parish for years and having served long and
faithfully as District Judge.  His devotion to his family, his close attention to his
professional duties and his life-long service to the church of which he was a member
marked him as a man most deserving of the high esteem in which he was known by all.
     Following were the pall bearers:
     Active:  Walter McCrea, C. P. Seab, Fred Falkenheiner, Leslie Murray, Jos. M.
Reeves, and San Calvert.
     Honorary:  D. C. Strickler, Judge John Dale, Judge Hugh Tullis, E. P. Campbell,
J. L. Rountree, A. H. Gillespie, Phil Hough, Sr., Dr. P. E. Magoun, T. J. Bingham,
W. L. Eckels, Howard Henderson, D. B. Fleming, B. F. Young, C. B. Burley, Judge R. M.
Taliaferro, J. S. Staton, and William Cross.