Hopkins Co. Tx - Obit for Congressman John W. Cranford

Submited by: June E. Tuck   <jparks@neto.com>

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Cranford, John W. - Was born in Clarke County, Alabama, July 28, 1859.
His father, Dr. James H. Cranford, also a native of Alabama, came to
Texas in 1865. He was greatly devoted to his profession and was eminently
successful in it and died in Hopkins County in 1872. The mother of John
W. was Caroline Cranford, nee Caroline Bettis, of Scotch - Irish
ancestry, and was also a native of Alabama and died in Arkansas in 1865.
At the age of thirteen he was left without a father, mother, or means for
his subsistence or education. He worked on a farm in this county till
about 18 years, reading at night. Fired by noble ambition to make himself
a well educated and refined gentleman, he worked for money, bought books,
studied them, and, working on, prepared himself for the best high schools
in Alabama and Texas. A good opportunity offering for him to study law,
he quit school before finishing the regular curriculum. He began reading
law with Judge Milam and Sam J. Hunter of Fort Worth, and Judge J. A.
Putman of Sulphur Springs; in 1880 he was admitted to the bar and formed
a partnership under the firm name of Hunter, Putman & Cranford, which
partnership lasted till 1884, when Judge Putman was elected judge of the
Eight Judicial District, and Mr. Hunter moved to Fort Worth. He was
married to Miss Medora Ury of Sulphur Springs in 1880 to whom he largely
attributes whatever of success he has attained. In 1888, he was
Democratic nominee and was elected to the Senate of the Twenty-first and
Twenty-second sessions of the Legislature from the district composed of
the counties of Hunt, Hopkins, Delta, Franklin, and Camp. In the 21st
Senate he served as chairman of the committee on state affairs and
advocated the railroad commission bill, although he had some objection to
the bill as drawn. In 1896, he was a candidate for the Democratic
nomination and carried nine of the eleven counties, and was elected to
the Fifty-fifth Congress. His health began to fail shortly after taking
his seat, and the long illness of his wife kept him by her side during
the first session. He never recovered from shock of her death which
occurred last October. Speaking of his career in the Senate, the Austin
Statesman says, "Of the new senators and the young members of that body,
no one has conducted himself with more dignity, courtesy, and ability
than John W. Cranford, the distinguished senator from Hopkins County. He
is an earnest good speaker, a hard worker in the committee room, a fair
and honorable opponent in debate, is possessed of excellent judgement and
gives every subject before the senate his most careful thought and
investigation. Texas is proud of such young men." Mr. Cranford was also
elected president pro tem. of the 22nd Senate and was one of the youngest
men that ever served in this capacity.

The train bearing the remains of Jno. W. Cranford reached Sulphur Springs
Tuesday evening at 4 o^Òclock, being fifteen hours late. People came in
from other places and on account of the lateness of the train had to
return before the burial took place. There were five thousand present.
Six congressman, R.E. Burke, R.C. Degraffenried, S. W. T. Lanham and R.
L. Henry of Texas; J. W. Maddox, Georgia; D. H. Smith, Kentucky; with the
proper amount of other Federal officers and employees were here. His body
was taken to the home of his sister, Mrs. T. S. Rogers, who was sick, so
she might take a last look at the features of her beloved brother.
Arriving at the cemetery, the coffin was again opened and thousands of
people marched silently by. Mr. Cranford passed away at his post in
Washington, at midnight, March 2, 1899, with burial in the Sulphur
Springs City Cemetery.