Southampton County-Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Whitley, George M., 1931 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ GEORGE MINTON WHITLEY George Minton Whitley, as esteemed and beloved resident of Franklin died at his home in High Street Wednesday, March 4, of pneumonia after an illness of about ten days. Mr. Whitley, son of Elias* Whitley and Otelia Isham Whitley, was born in Norfolk on January 20, 1856, and came to Franklin when 27 years of age and he has made his residence here ever since. He was engaged in the paint contracting business until about 10 years ago when he opened a paint store on South Main Street, which he conducted until the time of her death. Mr. Whitley was twice married, his first wife being Miss Nannie Bell, to whom he was married June 24, 1885.* She lived only a few years and on November 15, 1904, he married his present wife, the former Miss Lela Bell. His two wives were sisters and members of the prominent Bell family of Southampton County. The deceased was a consistent member of the Franklin High Street Methodist Church. He possessed a rich bass voice and was a member of the choir of his church for many years. He was live in spirit and vigorous in body, the spell of sickness which caused his death being the first from which he had suffered in approximately fifty years. He was particularly interested in outdoor sports and although he had the misfortune to lose one arm early in life was considered a good marksman at bird hunting. Mr. Whitley, familiarly known as George by his many older friends, was a man of deep conviction, high sense of honor and gentlemanly characteristics. Miss Alice Bell, a beloved citizen of our town and sister of his widow, made her home with the Whitley family and the spirit of love, kindliness and friendship of this good man and the members of his household was enjoyed by many friends and families in the town and community and the home was visited, perhaps, as generally by the people of this town as any other home here. Mr. Whitley was one of the oldest citizens of the town both in age and from standpoint of residence, and his familiar figure will be missed in this community. He is survived by his widow and a sister, Mrs. Annie H. Ramsey, of Portsmouth. Funeral services were conducted from his home in High Street Thursday afternoon, March 5, at 3 o’clock by his Pastor, Dr. G.H. Spooner and Rev. R.D. Stephenson of the Franklin Baptist Church and interment was made in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The body bearers were: W.T. Pace, J.O. Haslett, E.C. Smith, Henry B. Lawrence, Tom Canady, Dr. R.H. Cobb, J. Richard Lawrence and Dr. J.C. Rawls. George Minton WHITLEY, paint store operator, b. 20 Jan 1856, Norfolk, d. 4 Mar 1931, at home, Franklin, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Section 1, Plot 46B**), Franklin, 5 Mar 1931, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Mar. 6, 1931, p. 1 **Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS}, Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/poplar1.txt *date of first marriage given incorrectly, but corrected: George M. Whitley, 29, Single, b. Norfolk City, res. Southampton, sn/o J.T. & O.A. Whitley, Merchant Nannie Bell, 27, Single, b. & res. Southampton, dt/o J.N. & Emaline Bell m.lic. 22 Jun 1885 by clerk J.B. Prince m. 24 Jun 1885 Franklin, by M.S. Colonna (Southampton Co. MB5:457) Geo. Minton Whitley, 48, Widowed, b. Norfolk, Va., res. Franklin, Va., sn/o Elias & Otelia Whitley, Contractor Lela Blanche Bell, 34, Single, b. Southampton Co., Va., res. Portsmouth, Va., dt/o Nicholas & Emeline Bell m. 15 Nov 1904 Portsmouth, Va., by J. Ellington McGhee (Portsmouth M.Reg. 1904 #123) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/w340g2ob.txt