The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-06-02
SALEM
MR.. EVANS FUNERAL
Attended by a Large Concourse
Of People.

The funeral of the late John NJ Evans
was held in the Baptist Church yester-
day morning at II o'clock. Shortly after
10 o'clock the people of Salem began to
assemble and by 1920 every pew was
filled, except the central block OF
benches, which was reserved for tho
Nlasons, who were to assist in the
funeral ceremonies. OF these forty
seven were in the ranks, white-gloved
and aproned, and bearing the Masonic
funeral emblems. In the procession
that subsequently followed the hearse
to the grave there were moro than fifty
carriages. 1t seemed as if all Salem
was there, and the church was much too
small to hold the crowd. Many ladies
had to stand in the aisles.
The large gathering at Mr.. Evans
funeral was spontaneous tribute to
tho memory of an honest, Christian
man and an upright citizen, and there
were probably very few persons in that
large gathering who did not recall some
kind word spoken or some helping hand
lent to them by the deceased.
The pail bearers were Col. ID. c.
Shanks, w. w. Motfett, w. j. Clement,
w. r. Whitescarver, L. M. Lee, w. q.
D.. u. d. -.
Reynolds.
Following the casket as it was borne
in came Nash j. Evans and Mrs. John
nj. Evans, Samuel Adams and Mrs.
Evans, the mother of the deceased; ID.
Is. Strouse Mrs. StrouSe and Mrs. Bon
sack; Mayor Evans, of Roanoke, and
Mrs. Dickinson and Mrs. Adams; Ben
ton Wiley and wife, Everett Strouse
and Miss Lilly Strouse, and c. d.
Strouse and wife.
In the pulpit with DIR. c. Tyree, the
pastor OF the church, were Rev. DR..
Flippo, of Roanoke; Rev. Mr.. Beal, of
Hollins, and Rev. Calvin Jones, of
Lynchburg, who made the opening
prayer.
DR.. Tyree preached from the text,
"For he was a good man, full of the
Holy Ghost and faith" Acts ii. "a. The
preacher mentioned as elements of
goodness, sincerity, humility, benevo-
lence, courage, energy. All these were
cxemplified in the life of the deceased,
who was one of. the founders and al
ways stauncb supporter of the church
His death was the greatest loss ever
sustained by the church.
After prayer by Rev. Mr.. Beal the
procession was formed and proceeded
20 East Hill Cemetery, where the re-
HALLS were lHleTrcu, passing ny Iuo
stores which closed in honor Of the
memory of the deceased, who had long
been merchant here.
In the procession were j. w. +. Allie
mong, Capt. j. C. Langhorne, Capt. r.
Il. Norman and family, and Colonel
Lewis, of Roanoke, Rev. DR.. Cooke of
Hollins, Col. a. NJ. Bowman, Judge w.
Griffin and others.
Col. r. II. Logan was the mar
shall, leading the Masonic procession.
At the grave the beautiful and impress
sive ceremonies of the Masons was gone
through with, the master, S. NJ. Nc
Laughlin, placing in the grave the white
apron, emblem of innocence; tt e glove,
emblem of friendship, and the sprig of
evergreen, emblem Of the Immortality
OF the soul.
Rev. Mr.. Iutchison, chaplain, offered
the PRAYER. While the Masons were fill
ing up the grave, hiding from mortal
sight the last earthly remains of John
III. Evans, quintetJe composed of the
Afessrs. Towson, w. II. King, o. l..
Steames and Mr.. Wylie sang Nearer
my God, to Thee" When the town clock
in Salem struck one there was new
mound in Fast Hill Cemetery. "Time,
burrowing like mole below the ground,
had marked his track by throwing up
another heap of earth. And that was
all.