The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1900-08-03
Mr.. W. II. Thackston Dies Suddenly.

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4 he had complained of IA distressing pail
In the chest to more than one Of hi
% friends, went home to dinner at tn
regular hour, ate lightly of the meal
0ut soon after returning to his Office
and feeling no better, went to consul
DR.. White at his drug store, where tn,
end came in the twinkling of an ey,
ana without struggle, the exciting
cause Of death being pronounced Apo
pleXy. He was thought by those who
knew him best to be in the enjoyment
Of perfect health, and the blow came
with the startling suddenness Of a light
ming shock from a clear sky.
The remains were removed to the
undertaking rooms Of Messrs. Barrow
Cowan, where they were prepared
Tor burial, and then tenderly borne
10y lovlnghands to the old home, where
the funeral services were held at 1870
p. m, of Wednesday, and from there
to the family square in the town Gem
etery, where short but impressive
funeral service was conducted by the
Rev. Mr.. Hunter of the Methodist
church, and Rev. Or. Harding, of the
Presbyterian church, and then "dust
to dust and ashes to ashesr were sadly
said over the dead
The procession that followed the re-
mains to their last resting place was
one of the longest that ever wended its
way from the city of our living to the
city Of our dead, and the grave was
literally buried beneath a wilderness of
flowers.
The pall-bearers were Messrs. II. G..
Crute, j. Whitehead, w. II. Ewing,
I. H. Dickinson, w. H. Hubb rd and
;. w. Watkins.
Mr. Thackston was known to Farm
vile from infancy to the day of his
death, having spent well-nigh his en-
tire life here, but to the people of Prince |
Edward and those of sister counties |
he was best known in his official ca
pacity, first as deputy clerk of the |
courts Of the county and then as clerk.
He served under the late Major Hoop
er for a number of years as deputy, and
afterwards as deputy of Mr. w. p.
Gillian, who was elected to the office
III 1892 but soon thereafter resigned
and such was his diligence in the dis
charge of the duties incident to the
office, and such his fitness that on the
resignation Of Mr.. Gillian, Judge
Crute p.omptly appointed him as
clerk for the unexpired term. This Sc
lection was ratified and confirmed by
the people at the next ensuing election,
when he was given the important trust
by well-nigh unanimous vote.
That he made model clerk is the
universal verdict He wrote an even,
graceful hand which was but a true
index 10 his care Of the Office. Neat
ness and order reigned from shelf to
shelf, from book to book, from paper to
paper, and such was his accurate
of the affairs of the Office
that his ready answers to inquiries
saved the people of his county much of
cost or of painstaking investigation.
His manner in the court room was
easy, dignifed and impressive while
his preparation for the terms Of court
was perfectness itself.
A travelling auditor of the State
since made an examination
Of his Office, and after searching in
yestigation pronounced it the chest
kept Office in the State, and 50 far as
he could see without a flaw" The
office is one of vast importance to the
people Of the county, and the loss of
such a custodian is a serious one. A
man of imposing appearance, a con-
Of pleasing vocabulary,
loosely in touch with the time i'm which
he lived, loyal to his friends, the light
and joy Of his home, he will be sadly
missed and deeply mOurned now that
ne has gone.
A brother, Mr. Charles Thackston, ,
and an only sister, Miss Ida, survive
him. To the latter the heart of this
goes out in tenderest SYM
Dathy, and would, if it could, not only
share but bear her great grief.