Hertford County NcArchives Obituaries.....Dickens, Joseph Reid 1934 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/nc/ncfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Bruce Saunders bs4403@verizon.net January 15, 2014, 9:52 am THE TIDEWATER NEWS 08-17-1934, P. 1 JOSEPH REID DICKENS J.R. DICKENS, FORMER REVENUE OFFICIAL AND GOOD CITIZEN, DIES AT 76 Joseph Reid Dickens, one of Southampton’s best citizens, died at his home in the Capron community Friday, August 10, after a brief illness. Mr. Dickens, who was 76 years of age, was born in Hertford County, N.C., the son of the late Jesse and Mrs. Sarah Bowles Dickens, his parents moving to Southampton when he as a small boy to the same community in which he spent a long and useful life. In 1894, Mr. Dickens married Miss Elizabeth Bryant of this county who survives him with two daughters, Misses Bessie and Helen Dickens, and one son, Julian J. Dickens. He also leaves a brother, C.W. Dickens, and a sister, Mrs. Rosa M. Hill, both of this county; besides a host of friends. He had been a member of Whitehead’s M.E. Church for approximately 60 years where he served for 40 years as steward; was secretary to the board of stewards; was secretary to the board of stewards, teacher of the men’s Bible class and superintendent of the Sunday school. His Christianity was unquestioned, his loyalty to his church of the highest type, and his service to his fellows and his community as a man of unusual integrity and honor were outstanding characteristics. “Joe” Dickens, as he was familiarly known, served his county faithfully and well as Commissioner of the Revenue for sixteen years, being first elected in 1903 and continuing in that office, with the exception of one term, until January 1, 1924. Following the combination of the former commissioners for this county into one official, Mr. Dickens had been a deputy commissioner under Commissioner Franklin Edwards from the consolidation of these offices until his death. To all of this service he gave painstaking, efficient and honorable work, holding public office as a public trust. Besides his work in this capacity, he ever maintained an active interest in public affairs and had held several minor positions in his district and community. Funeral services were held from his late residence Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock in the presence Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock in the presence of a large assemblage of friends from throughout the county, and were conducted by his Pastor, Rev. R.H. Marks. During the service the choir of Whitehead’s Church sang “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” and “In the Sweet Bye and Bye,” burial being made in the cemetery at Capron. The active pallbearers were: Claude S. Dickens, J.D. Hill, C.W. Barnes, G.F. Pope, Hereford Bryant, Felix Bryant, E.F. Babb and George Prince, while the honorary bearers were selected from a large list of personal friends. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/nc/hertford/obits/d/dickens3470gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/ncfiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb