Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Knight, John R., 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ JOHN ROBERT KNIGHT DEATH OF PROMINENT FRANKLIN CITIZEN Few men who have lived in Franklin within the history of the town have contributed more to its progress and development, or have more unselfishly and public-spiritedly worked for its material growth than J. R. Knight whose death occurred at his residence in North High street Thursday night, March 25. Mr. Knight, who sustained a slight stroke of paralysis several months ago, suffered a second attack on last Saturday and had been critically ill since that time. His wife and all five of his children were with him at the time of his death. John Robert Knight was born in Gates county, N.C. June 20, 1860, the son of the late William Knight and Mrs. Amanda Savage Knight. Both parents were citizens of the highest type and their training and example instilled in him those splendid traits of character, which made him the good and useful man whom Franklin knew and appreciated so well. His mother was resident of our town for several years, making her home here with her daughter, Mrs. J. B. Crocker, and is remembered by many of our people as a Godly and consecrated Christian character. Her death occurred here about twelve years ago. Mr. Knight came to Franklin in 1881 and clerked for the late Dr. W. H. L. Goodman and Mr. T. O. Barrett in the drug store of Goodman and Barrett. Later he clerked for Mr. J. P. Gay and afterwards acquired an interest in the drug business of Bryant and Edwards, the firm consisting of the late Dr. J. F. Bryant and the late J. W. Edwards. The firm was later known as Bryant and Knight, and after Mr. Knight's purchase of Dr. Bryant's interests became the Knight Drug Company with Mr. Knight as proprietor and was conducted successfully by him for 18 years. In 1903, Mr. Knight became interested in the Parker Buggy Co., a new enterprise being founded in Franklin by B. E. Parker, now of Suffolk. The history of this establishment is too well known to require repetition and under Mr. Knight's management the scope of the business was constantly enlarged and developed until it became one of the largest vehicle industries in the South. It was changed to the Knight Buggy Co. in 1907 and operated as a buggy factory until 1916 when the increasing general use of automobiles led Mr. Knight to change it into a manufacturing plant for screen doors and windows. After operating this plant for several months it was sold to a northern concern and failing health induced Mr. Knight to retire from active business in 1917. Through all the years of his life in Franklin Mr. Knight maintained a most active interest in the town's affairs and development. He was prominently connected with a number of local institutions, served on the town Council for 21 years, and was chairman of the finance committee of that body for several terms; was a member of the local school board for some time and had only recently resigned from the Town Council, to which he was chosen in the last municipal election. Mr. Knight was an upright, conscientious and honorable citizen, a consistent member of the Franklin Baptist Church, a deacon of that congregation for many years, and one of the assistant Sunday school superintendents. He was an enthusiastic Mason, a member of Franklin Lodge No. 151, A. F. & A. M., and Past Master of the local lodge. He was also a member of Franklin Lodge No. 51 Knights of Pythias. He is survived by his wife, who was Miss Annie R. Wills, daughter of Mrs. Margaret Wills of this town and the late Captain I. C. Wills; by three sons, Roy R. Knight of Suffolk, Irvin Knight of the Virginia Medical College, Richmond, and James Knight of Richmond College; two daughters, Mrs. A. Gibson Howell of Franklin and Mrs. Walter F. Story of Suffolk; two brothers, Dr. W. J. Knight of Newport News and T. O. Knight of Whaleyville; four sisters, Mrs. C. O. Harrell, Mrs. Roscoe Benton and Mrs. J. B. Crocker of Suffolk, and Mrs. Ida Brinkley of Corapeake, N. C., besides a wide circle of relatives and many friends here and throughout the South where he was well and favorably know through his extensive vehicle business. The funeral services will be held tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon from the Franklin Baptist Church at 4 o'clock and will be conducted by his pastor, Rev. M. A. MacLean. The interment will follow in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The pallbearers will be Mayor Joe Bynum Gay, J. J. Bristow, General C. C. Vaughan, W. T. Pace, Dr. W. A. De Bordenave, R. A. Pretlow, J. F. Bryant, and Toy D. Savage of Norfolk. John Robert KNIGHT, Franklin businessman & town councilman, b. 20 Jun 1860, Gates Co, NC, d. 25 Mar 1920, at home, Franklin, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 2, Plot 62*), Franklin, 27 Mar 1920, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Mar. 26, 1920 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar2.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Carol Stevens, & Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/k523j1ob.txt