Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Gay, Josiah P., 1921 

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JOSIAH POWELL GAY

   Franklin lost one of its finest and foremost citizens, a man whose name had 
been closely identified with the growth and development of the town since the 
days following the Civil War, in the death of Mr. Josiah Powell Gay, which 
occurred at his home in North High street Thursday evening, June 16, at 8 
o’clock.  Mr. Gay would have reached his seventy-fourth birthday August 15, 
1921, and for several weeks had been critically ill with a trained nurse in 
attendance.  Although his death was not unexpected, the passing of such a name 
as J.P. Gay cannot fail to bring universal sorrow to any town or community 
because of the uprightness of his walk in life, the high integrity of all his 
dealings with his fellows, and the splendid Christian Character which he 
constantly and consistently exemplified in all of the relations and 
obligations of human endeavor.

   Mr. Gay was born in Southampton county, in the Franklin community, the son 
of the late William E. and Laura M. Gay.  When he was a mere youth, the War 
Between the States had broken out in all of the fury which ravaged and 
devastated his beloved Southland, and he entered the service of the 
Confederacy soon after the battle of Gettysburg in 1863, being at the time 
only sixteen years of age.  But his service to the Stars and Bars was of the 
highest order of gallantry, bravery and patriotism and he ever cherished and 
maintained his allegiance to that glorious cause.  He was one of three 
brothers in the Confederate Army, losing one brother, Harrison Gay, in action. 
As a loyal and useful member of Urquhart-Gillette Camp U.C.V., he served as 
treasurer and afterwards as adjutant, never missing a meeting of the survivors 
of the Lost Cause when able to be with his old comrades.

   Coming to Franklin at the close of the war, Mr. Gay clerked for some time 
for the late Frank Holland and going in business with Mr. C.C. Vaughan, Sr., 
as Vaughan and Gay.  In 1881, he established the firm of J.P. Gay, which he 
conducted successfully until the year 1905.  He was interested in the cotton 
business here for a number of years, until he retired from active 
participation in all business enterprises a short while ago.

   He was married October 8, 1878, to Miss Emma Willie Lee, daughter of the 
late Captain P.H. Lee of Nansemond, his beloved wife preceding him to the 
Spirit World in 1906.  A year later, a daughter Miss Willie Gay, died and he 
is survived by a son, J.P. Gay, Jr.*, and a daughter, Mrs. J.F. Bryant, Jr. 
and one grandson, Joe Gay Bryant.  Members of his family who were honored 
residents of this town and prominently connected with some of its oldest 
family were the late Littleton A. Gay, Mrs. C.C. Vaughan, Sr., and Mrs. Bettie 
Crumpler.

   Mr. Gay was a member of the Franklin Baptist Church and the oldest on the 
church register in point of years of membership.  As Deacon and Treasurer of 
his church, as one of the most faithful, liberal and consistent Christian 
within the acquaintance of the writer, it would be difficult to estimate his 
value to his church, and by reason of the life he lived and practiced, his 
value to his town and community.  The name of Joe Gay was a synonym as far as 
he was known for the highest type of Christian citizenship than which there 
can be on more noble epitaph written of any man.  He was a member of Franklin 
Lodge No. 151 A.R. and A.M. and a past Worshipful Master of that order, member 
of Franklin Lodge No. 51 Knights of Pythias and past Chancellor Commander of 
the lodge, being a charter member of both orders.  Though never seeking public 
office, he had filled with credit the positions of Mayor and Councilman in the 
town government, and was ever ready to lend his name and to give of his means 
to all worthy local movements.

   Funeral services will be conducted from the Franklin Baptist Church 
Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock  by Rev. M.A. MacLean pastor of the church. 
Interment will follow in the family plot in Poplar Spring Cemetery and the 
Masons will participate in the services at the cemetery.

****************************************************************************** 

FUNERAL OF J.P. GAY

   The funeral services for our lamented townsman, Mr. J.P. Gay, whose death 
was given last week’s issue, were held from the Franklin Baptist Church 
Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock.  His pastor, Rev. M.A. MacLean was assisted 
by Dr. C.H. Rowland of the Christian Church and Rev. J.A. Chapman of the M.E. 
church, Mr. MacLean paying a most fitting and eloquent tribute to the life and 
work of Mr. Gay.  Hymns sung by the choir were all favorites of the deceased 
and were those old songs which have helped and inspired countless thousands of 
faithful Christians - "My Soul Be on Thy Guard", "Jesus Lover of My Soul" and 
"How Firm a Foundation" were sung at the service in the church and "My Faith 
Looks up to Thee" was used as a quartette at the grave side.

   The active pallbearers were Gen. C.C. Vaughan, J.E. Bynum Gay, Harry T. 
Jones of Norfolk, Jno. P. Lee and L. Pretlow Holland of Suffolk, B.L. Holt, 
W.O. Bristow and Dr. J.C. Rawls.  The honorary pallbearers were A.L. Gardner, 
J.L. Camp, J.A. Johnson, R.C. Campbell, E.S. Eley, B.M. Cutchin, B.J. Ray, 
I.E. Howell and R.E.L. Watkins deacons of the Franklin Baptist Church; M.H. 
Moore, W.T. Pace, Col. E.E. Holland of Suffolk, J.V. Boone, W.H. Pierce of 
Danville and Paul Scarborough, and the following Confederate Veterans, who 
followed the body of their beloved comrade to the last roll-call, dressed in 
the gray uniform he loved so well and with his casket draped with the 
beautiful silken banner, the "Stars and Bars" used as the camp flag by 
Urquhart-Gillette Camp U.C.V.; C.C. Vaughan, Sr., J.T. Bradshaw, M.L. 
Raiford, J.H. Vaughan and E.F. Reese.


Josiah Powell "Joe" GAY, Franklin businessman, former Mayor & Councilman, 
Confederate veteran, 
b. 15 Aug 1847, Southampton Co., d. 16 Jun 1921, at home, Franklin, 
interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 1, Plot 10**), Franklin, 
   18 Jun 1921, 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), June 17, 1921, p. 1; 
"The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), June 24, 1921, p. 5 

**Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, 
   Poplar Spring list: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar1.txt 

*While his son is styled above "J.P. Gay, Jr.," he was actually named 
   Joseph Patrick.  His obit ("Tidewater News," Apr. 12, 1946, p. 5) 
   is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/g000j4ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/g000j1ob.txt