Obituary of James A. Ramsey Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Shawn Martin, 3/23/2004 . ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Obituary printed in the 1888 Minutes of the Concord Baptist Association transcribed by Shawn Martin from originals supplied by Gene Barron ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 39. ...Your committee beg further to make honorable mention of Brothers J. A. Ramsey, Esq.,... [who] came to untimely and violent deaths, in the prime of life and usefulness. ...a deacon of Farmerville church and Superintendent of her Sabbath School, a leading worker in our Association, a leading jurist in our District. Alas! Our brother, we miss you. These brethren leave families, wives with bleeding hearts and little orphan children, to mourn their untimely end. May God, the father of the orphan and husband to the widow, temper the wind to his shorn lambs, in this his inscrutable providence, is the prayer of your committee. Submitted by the Committee Remarks on the lives and virtues of our deceased, while the whole congregation were in tears, were made by D. L. Hicks, J. P. Everett, C. H. Raley, A. J. Callaway, J. C. Jones, W. G. Simmons, C. E. Foster, J. M. White, and others attempted but their voices failed them. At this moment Eld. J. P. Everett was called on and led in a very feeling prayer. On motion of J. D. Hamilton, two pages of our minutes -- one to each of our beloved deceased Cobb and Ramsey -- be dedicated and set apart to their memory. On motion of J. P. Everett, a committee of three brethren be appointed to solicit funds, and to superintend the erection of a monument over the remains of Rev. S. T. Cobb -- Committee J. W. Melton, J. M. White and B. F. Pleasant. On motion, Eld. J. U. H. Wharton be requested to co-operate with this committee. TO THE MEMORY OF J A M E S A. R A M S E Y, Born in Union Parish, La., March 9, 1852. Departed this life in Farmerville, La., December 19, 1887. ___________________________ Was baptized into the fellowship of Spearsville Church in early life. Married to Theodosia McFarland January, 1878. Was Deacon of Farmerville Church and a most efficient Super- intendent of her Sabbath School; was Treasurer of Concord Association, and one of her most zealous and able workers. Was a liberal contributor to every good cause, uncompromising in his opposition to evil in any shape, was learned in the law and bid fair to make a statesman and jurist of which Louisiana might justly have been proud. ____________________________ Blessed are they that die in the Lord for their works do follow them. PEACE BE TO HIS ASHES. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: A Farmerville attorney, James A. Ramsey died in a shootout with Farmerville lawyer and "Gazette" editor, Judge James E. Trimble at Stein's store in Farmerville. The two men had a long-standing feud stemming from political disagreements during the Reconstruction era. A coronor's report stated that Trimble shot Ramsey, but Ramsey's gun had not fired during the incident. According to tradition passed down in the Ramsey family, Ramsey’s nephew George McFarland was in the crowd of men gathered in Stein’s store watching the altercation between Ramsey and Trimble. After Trimble pulled his gun and shot Ramsey, McFarland, an excellent marksman, shot Trimble.