Obituary of Abel Hankins, 1914 - Tazewell Co. VA

(Submitter note: Abel Hankins  died 8-27-1914-no other names listed.  I believe they were
published in the Delta Press, Delta, Iowa and were passed down through
the family by Abel Hankins daughter, Lucy Bell (Hankins) Booton.)

                                    Abel Hankins

Abel Hankins died at his home in Delta August 28, 1914 at the age of 70
years.  Mr. Hankins was born in Virginia, served in the Confederate army
and after the war came to Iowa where he resided until the time of his
death.  Here he raised his family all of whom are grown to manhood and
womanhood in this his adopted state.  For forty years Mr. Hankins served
as justice of the peace for Warren Township and Delta.  there are few
attorneys in this county who have not practiced in the court of Squire
Hankins.   He was a man highly respected by all who knew him and his
funeral which was held in the M.E. church Sunday was very largely
attended.  For 27 years Mr. Hankins was a member of that church and the
minister said in his sermon that regardless of the weather that pew over
yonder was always occupied by Mr. Hankins.  The family and the community
will mourn the loss of a good husband and father and citizen.

2nd article:

Last Sunday afternoon we attended the funeral of Abel Hankins in Delta
and we could not help but observe that even through we may have had a
shock upon civilization by conditions in Europe there was a bright and
shining example that patriotism is not dead in this country.  We saw
there a former member of the southern confederacy, a soldier of the Army
of Virginia his native state, laid to his last resting place with all
the honors of the G.A.R. post of the town of Delta could bestow.  During
the fifty years of residence in Delta Abe Hankins demonstrated to
everyone, that even though he may have been wrong in following the flag
of his state, he was a splendid citizen and an exemplary christian
gentleman.  Fifty years had made friends ofall men and his body was
placef in its last resting place by those who best knew all of the
conditions sourrounding the great conflict.  It was an act that proves
to all of us that patrotism and love still exist.

3rd article:

                                    The Blue and the Gray

A few years ago, A. Hankins, who was a confederate soldier, asked James
Bethard if he would see that a flag was placed over his grave when he
died.  Mr. Bethard said he would provide Mr. Hankins would perform a
like service for him should he survive him, and so the pact was formed.
After Mr. Bethard's death last week, Mr. Hankins, accompanied by C.F.
Kendall, went to the grave yard, where the wearer of the gray placed the
flag on the northern soldier's grave.-Delta Press


Submitter by Patricia Johnson <pootercat@webslnger.com>

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