St Landry County Louisiana Archives Obituaries.....Pulford, Sr. (2), George November 25, 1913
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St. Landry Clarion (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, December 06, 1913, Image 2

In Memoriam

In the death of Mr. George Pulford, Sr., last Monday afternoon, the city of 
Opelousas, and we can well add the parish of St. Landry and the whole State 
of Louisiana, lost not only one of its oldest and most venerable citizens, 
but one of its most loved and trusted men, a man, as was tightly said by the 
minister officiating at his interment, without enemies above suspicion and 
above reproach.

Mr. Pulford was born in Leiceistershire, in the central portion of England, 
over eighty-six years ago, and came of the straightforward, trustworthy and 
liberty-loving English stock which had so much to do with the forging of the 
destiny of this great republic. He passed his youth and young manhood in his 
English birthplace, and there in his young days married a Miss Abigail 
Stephens, who was taken from him by an untimely death and left him a 
childless widower. The spirit of unrest and progress which has from time to 
time sent to America its truest and best pioneers, seized young Pulford at 
or soon after the death of his first wife, and fate sent him to Louisiana 
and Opelousas, where his wound was soon healed and he wooed and won Miss Eva 
Christman, then a young man, but now one of our oldest citizens, although 
still young in strength and in spirit. On this second union Mr. Pulford 
reared a large family, destined to be welded into an integral part of the 
framework of our parish. He, himself, rapidly won the confidence, friendship 
and love of our people, we might say our fathers, and in due time as a 
result of his business and social relations with him, and in spite of his 
naturally retiring disposition and lack of aspiration for political honors, 
he was practically forced by unanimous public pressure to serve his adopted 
people, first as Alderman, the as Mayor, of the Town of Opelousas, as 
Coroner of the Parish of St. Landry, then as wide as an empire, and as a 
Representative in the General Assembly of the State. He in his early days 
associated himself with the local chapter of the Masons, and received high 
honors at their hands, reaching the Knight Templar grade and serving the 
local chapter as Past High Priest, as Worshipful Master, and in other 
prominent positions. He was a pillar of the local Methodist Church and one 
of those to whom much of the credit for its installation and success here 
was due. In these and many other ways he became a part of our community and 
did his full part in its work for over two generations. He even became a 
member of the local volunteer fire company and took a leading part in its 
affairs. Yet withal he was an ideal home man, domestic in his habits sober, 
industrious, a faithful husband and a good and loving father who shared the 
confidence of his children.

Mr. Pulford was a man of powerful and graceful physique, and even when past 
the Biblical three score years and ten, he preserved his stately bearing, 
and his sight, hearing, bodily activity and other faculties remained 
unimpaired almost until his last moment.

His death last Monday came as a shock to all but him. He was affected during 
that morning with what was apparently a slight cold, but he at once told 
those near to him that while he felt no pain, he realized that his strength 
was failing him, and that the beckoning hand of his Lord, calling him to 
Abraham's bosom, for which he had faithfully and patiently waited for over 
five years, was now about to take him from the presence of his loved ones. 
His foreboding which he took as not evil but of good, was too true, and he 
passed quietly away on the afternoon following the morning of his attack. 
His last words, which we cannot repeat as he said them, but which were 
eloquently expressed by Rev. G. A. Morgan, the pastor of his Church during 
the service of the following day, were beautiful in faith and sentiment, and 
such as are found only on the dying lips of those who have lived good lives 
and true, with God and of God.

Mr. Pulford is survived by six children: Mr. George S. Pulford, Dr. Frank J. 
Pulford, Miss Minnie Pulford, Mrs. Nettie Pulford Lauman, wife of Mr. H. O. 
Lauman, Mrs. Asa Pulford Childs, wife of Marion N. Childs, and Mr. John 
Pulford. All of these live in Opelousas except the latter. Mr. John Pulford, 
who is a successful business man of Saucier, in Harrison county, 
Mississippi, and who was barely able to reach here in time for the 
interment. The late Mr. Pulford's oldest son, George S. Pulford, is one of 
our most successful local building contractors, and Dr. Frank J. Pulford a 
skillful and promiment member of the dental profession here. One of the 
daughters, Miss Minnie Pulford, was for many years our postmistress, and a 
model of efficiency and courtesy when she filled that position as she has 
been in her whole life. All of Mr. Pulford's children have made good 
records, such as his fatherhood should have led them to make, and while we 
do not speak by name of the married daughters, each of them has done her 
duty, and their home lives have shown them good daughters of a good man, and 
good wives to good husbands. Mr. Pulford is also survived by thirteen 
grandchildren, all of whom loved and respected him in life, and mourn and 
reverence him in death.

Mr. Pulford's body was given to Mother Earth at the old Protestant graveyard 
picturesquely located at the eastern edge of the city. The service at his 
home was followed by a short service at the Methodist Church just two blocks 
distant therefrom. Rev. G. A. Morgan read the beautiful selections from 
Scripture which form the burial ceremony of his Church, and then after a few 
fitting and comforting remarks to the bereaved ones, he called upon Mr. 
Thomas H. Lewis, a fellow member of the congregation and old friend of Mr. 
Pulford, for a short address. This Mr. Lewis ably gave, and we regret that 
his eulogy was impromptu and that we therefore cannot reproduce it. He spoke 
fitly and feelingly of Mr. Pulford's record in the community, and especially 
of the high position which he occupied in the confidence of his fellow men, 
and of their universal esteem for his character and trust in his honor and 
integrity. At the graveyard, where the body was followed by a host of loved 
ones, friends and acquaintances, including his fellow members of the fire 
company. His brother Masons consigned his soul to its heavenly home and his 
body to its earthly resting place, after holding over it their beautiful 
burial ritual, to which even greater than the usual attractiveness was lent 
by the large gathering of the Masons who attended this interment, and by the 
impressive reading of the ceremony by the Chaplain, Mr. Jonas Bailey, Sr., 
and the Worshipful Master, Mr. Walter W. Smith.

If George Pulfprd, Sr., were with us to-day, as unhappily he cannot be in 
body, he would be the first one to say to the loved ones he has left behind 
him, to wipe away their tears, and to think of him as happy and warm in the 
bosom of his heavenly Father above, not as lying cold in his earthly grave.



Additional Comments:
NOTE: George Pulford, Sr. is buried at the Myrtle Grove cemetery located in 
Opelousas, St. Landry Parish, LA.

www.findagrave.com memorial # 96485984

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