Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Gardner, Abraham L., 1933 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ ABRAHAM LITTLETON GARDNER FRANKLIN LOSES GOOD CITIZEN IN DEATH OF A.L. GARDNER TUESDAY Franklin lost one of its best and most highly esteemed citizens in the death of A.L. Gardner which occurred Tuesday, following an illness of several months. Abraham Littleton Gardner was born in Southampton County April 3, 1850, the son of Abraham Littleton Gardner and Mrs. Susan Gardner. Spending the years of his boyhood in the South Quay community, Nansemond County, he attended the Virginia Military Institute and graduating there in 1871, was one of its oldest alumni. Mr. Gardner came to Franklin in 1873 and was in the mercantile business here for a number of years, afternoons giving efficient service to the Southern Railway as their first agent in Franklin. In 1905 Mr. Gardner went with the Camp Manufacturing Company in their store department and was general manager of the several stores maintained by the company at their mills until ill-health caused his retirement from active business a few months ago. During his long and useful life Mr. Gardner found time to devote himself to many things for the development of the town in which he had lived for 60 years. He was Mayor of Franklin from 1886 to 1890; severed on the local school board for a number of years, and was much interested in the organization and growth of the local military company, being Captain of Company "I" at the time of his retirement in 1897. His death also marks the passing of the last charter, member of Franklin Lodge No. 51, Knights of Pythias, which was organized here in the year 1879. A.L. Gardner was best known, however, throughout this entire section and the State of Virginia for his outstanding characteristics as one of the most loyal and conscientious laymen of the Baptist Church. Being ordained as a deacon in South Quay Baptist Church as a young man, he had been a deacon of the Franklin Baptist Church since he joined the local body in 1880, giving his church genuine and generous service for a period of 53 years. He was Superintendent of the Sunday school in that church for 44 years, 40 years of this time being consecutive service, and upon his 40th anniversary as Superintendent was presented with a handsome watch as a token of the Sunday school’s appreciation of his long and useful work. When the Blackwater Baptist Association was formed in 1907 from the old Portsmouth Association, Mr. Gardner was selected as its first Moderator, and his interest in and attendance upon the annual sessions of the association was untiring. He was also a regular attendant upon the annual meetings of the Baptist General Association of Virginia, and had served upon several of its committees and boards. He was a consistent Christian character, a loyal friend and neighbor, a good citizen, fearless in every position taken for the right as he saw it. One of the great pleasures of his life was his long membership with the old Franklin Hunt Club and his association with its members at their annual deer hunts in the "Big Woods" at Riddicksville, now known as "Camp P.D." in honor of one of the founders of the club and the donor of the handsome clubhouse bearing his name. In 1929, a handsome silver loving cup was presented to Mr. Gardner at "Camp P.D." by the members of the hunt club at a special testimonial dinner held there by his friends in that organization. In 1874 Mr. Gardner married Miss Bettie J. Lee, daughter of Captain Patrick Henry Lee of Nansemond County, who died in 1890. Of the children by this marriage, A.L. Gardner, Jr., died in 1918; Mrs. Joe Bynum Gay died March 7, of this year, and Mrs. W.H. Pierce of Danville survives him. In 1892 Mr. Gardner married Mrs. Henderson T. Parker, (nee Miss Lelia Norfleet), daughter of Alex W. Norfleet, of this town, and their two children are Rev. E. Norfleet Gardner of Dunn, N.C., and Dr. Emily Gardner of Richmond. There are four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were conducted from the Franklin Baptist Church Wednesday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock in the presence of a large assemblage or friends. Assisting the Pastor, Rev. R.D. Stephenson, were Dr. Sparks W. Melton of Freemason Street Church, Norfolk, Rev. Beecher L. Rhodes of Berkley Memorial Church, Norfolk and Rev. L.F. Paulette of Smithfield. Favorite hymns, "Jesus Lover of My Soul," "Nearer, My God to Thee," and "Abide with Me" were sung by the choir, appropriate tributes to his life and work being given by the Pastor and by Mr. Paulette. Interment was made in the family plot in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The pallbearers were the deacons and former deacons of the Franklin Baptist Church, a number of whom had served with Mr. Gardner for many years, the active bearers being; Joe Bynum Gay, M.H. Moore, R.J. Tucker, Dr. Burton J. Ray, Jno. M. Camp, B.L. Holt, Paul Scarborough and W.H. Lankford; honorary, B.M. Cutchin, R.E.L. Watkins, J.R. Howell, J. Linwood Edwards, Lloyd A. Darden, F.F. Jenkins, Jas. A. Johnson, D.T. Prince, Jas. L. Camp, Jr., P.R. Camp, W.O. Bristow and Clifford A. Cutchins. Abraham Littleton GARDNER (II), retired Camp store gen. manager, former Mayor, b. 3 Apr 1850, Southampton Co., d. 19 Sep 1933, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 1, Plot 5*), Franklin, 20 Sep 1933, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Sep. 22, 1933, p. 1 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS}, Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar1.txt Additional information: A.L. Gardner, 23, Single, b. So.Hampton., res. Nansemond, s/o A.L. and A. Gardner, Farmer Bettie J. Lee, 24, Single, b. & res. Nansemond, d/o P.H. and J. Lee m. 5 Jany 1874 Nansemond. by C.A. Apple (Nansemond Co. M.Reg. {BVS copy} 1874, p. 186 #4) Abraham Littleton Gardner, Jr., 42, w, So.Co., So.Co., s/o A.L. and Susan Ann Harrison Gardner, Railroad Agent m. 07-14-1892 Franklin, Va. by Rev. J.L. McCutcheon Lelia Jackson Norfleet Parker, 32, w, So.Co., So.Co., d/o Alexander Wilson and Indiana Virginia Edwards Norfleet (Southampton Co. MB7:442; transcribed & annotated by Bruce Saunders: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/vitals/mb07pt.txt) His widow's obit ("Tidewater News," Oct. 22, 1948) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/g635l3ob.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/g635a3ob.txt