Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Lankford, William H., 1940 

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WILLIAM HENRY LANKFORD

TOWN SUFFERS GREAT LOSS IN THE PASSING OF W.H. LANKFORD

   William Henry Lankford of this town died Saturday night, November 16, at 
his home in Clay Street after an illness of many months.  Mr. Lankford, who 
was 67 years of age, was the son of the late James Irvin and Mrs. Sarah Barnes 
Lankford, and had been a leading merchant in Franklin for approximately 40 
years.

   On January 8, 1902, Mr. Lankford and Miss Effie Wiggins, daughter of the 
late J.B. and Mrs. Mary S. Wiggins of this community were married, and besides 
his wife, he is survived by a brothers, S.W. Lankford; three sisters, Mrs. 
Eddie L. Vaughan, Mrs. John L. Eley and Mrs. Hunter Darden; a large number of 
nieces and nephews and a veritable host of friends.

   Will Lankford’s life had been a singularly useful and helpful one to many 
people.  There was probably no member of our community who had done as much to 
endeavor to alleviate sorrow in as many homes as he, and his reputation for 
going to the aid of people in affliction was without parallel within our 
knowledge.  He had been a member of the Franklin Baptist Church for many years 
and of its board of deacons for a long period, perhaps one of the most useful 
members of that church in terms of loyalty and actual service given.  He was 
also a charter member of the Bruner Bible Class of its Sunday school, his 
connection with both church and Sunday school being one of the most active 
interests of his entire life.  It is neither a trite nor an empty expression 
to say that he will be missed as much as any citizen of this town.

   Funeral services were held from his residence in Clay Street Monday 
afternoon at 2:30 o’clock in the presence of an unusually large assemblage of 
friends, conducted by his pastor, the Rev. R.D. Stephenson, assisted by the 
Rev. L.F. Paulette of Smithfield. Mrs. R.G. Cobb, Mrs. Frank E. Howell, Frank 
and Percy Bunch sang "Nearer, My God to Thee," and "The Haven of Rest."

   The active pallbearers were seven of Mr. Lankford’s nephews: Irvin, Hudson 
and Sam Lankford, Jr., John Eley, Jr., Herman Eley, Hunter Darden, Jr. and 
Jesse Frank Vaughan and Godfrey Councill.  A number of member of the Bruner 
Bible Class acted as honorary bearers.  Burial was made in the family plot in 
Poplar Spring Cemetery.


[William Henry LANKFORD, Franklin merchant, 
 d. 16 Nov 1940, at home, Franklin, age 67, 
 interred in the Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 1, Plot 72A*), Franklin, 
    18 Nov 1940, 
 "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Nov. 22, 1940, p. 1] 

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

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
William J. DelMonte (JazzyBill@aol.com) & 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/l521w2ob.txt