Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Williams, Benjamin A., 1920 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ BENJAMIN A. WILLIAMS Benjamin A. Williams, of Courtland, cashier of the Bank of Southampton, former postmaster at the County Seat, and one of the county’s most useful and promising young men, died in Sarah Leigh Hospital, Norfolk, Thursday, March 18, at 11:30 p.m. in his 34th year. Mr. Williams went to the hospital March 1, accompanied by H.A. Gillette of Courtland, following an attack of appendicitis for which it was deemed best to operate. The operation was apparently successful but double pneumonia set in necessitating a second operation in an attempt to drain the lungs, and his life had hung in the balance for several days prior to his death. Although a young man, Ben Williams, as his friends knew and loved him, had been remarkably successful in serving and maintaining the confidence and esteem of a host of friends and business acquaintance. He was genial, courteous, accommodating, of unquestioned integrity and honor, public spirited and progressive, ambitious for the growth and advancement of his town and county and the business interests with which he was connected. He had happily recognized the unalterable truth, which with human frailty we so often miss, that there is but one way in life, the right way, and in this path he and faithfully endeavored to set his footsteps in his dealing with everyone. The writer remembers with peculiar pleasure being with him on the train as he went to the hospital, and the bright, sunny optimism with which he faced the coming operation, confidence, that all would be well with him and that he would soon return to his family and his business. But man proposes and God disposes while we strive to frame our lips to say with faith in His omniscient mercy, "the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Being in the mercantile business in Courtland for several years, he was appointed postmaster for the town in 1914, and when the Courtland office was advanced to the presidential class in 1916, received the appointment without opposition. He continued as postmaster until September 1919, when he was succeeded by Otis M. Joyner, Mr. Williams having resigned several months previously in order to give his entire time to the Bank of Southampton of which he was made vice-president at its organization in January 1917 and later cashier. In that responsible position he had given the utmost satisfaction and the bank had steadily grown in resource and in the confidence of its patrons under his direction and management. He was a member of the county Board of Review and had recently been reappointed to that position by Judge McLemore. Mr. Williams was a consistent and useful member of the Courtland M.E Church and Past Master of Courtland Lodge No. 85 A.F. & A.M. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. A.A. Williams of Courtland, both of whom survive him. He leaves his wife, who was Miss Ida Davis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.W. Davis of Courtland, and an infant son, B.A., Jr., about five months old; two brothers, C.W. and W.S. Williams; four sisters, Mrs. W.E. Edwards, Mrs. S.N. Cobb, Misses Laura and Eugenia Williams, all of Courtland, besides other relatives and a host of friends. The funeral services will be conducted Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock from the Courtland M.E. Church by his pastor, Rev. J.E. Brooks, the interment to follow in Riverside Cemetery with Masonic rites at the grave. The active pallbearers will be B.B. Herbert, E.P. Westbook, L.W. McGrath, Ezra W. Davis, H.C. Edwards, H.B. McLemore, W.J. Sebrell and H.A. Gillette. Benjamin Atticus WILLIAMS (Sr.), bank cashier, former Postmaster of Courtland, Southampton Co. native, d. 18 Mar 1920, Norfolk, age 33, interred in Riverside Cemetery (Episcopal Section, Plot 28*), Courtland, 20 Mar 1920, "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Mar. 19, 1920, p. 1 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Riverside list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/riverside.txt His widow's obit ("Tidewater News," Oct. 20, 1983, p. 6A) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/w452i2ob.txt His mother's obit ("Tidewater News," Jan. 5, 1923, p. 8) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/w452r2ob.txt 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/w452b3ob.txt