Goldsboro semi-weekly argus., 1909-10-23
GEORGE A. NORWOOD.
A Comprehensive Tribute to Good
Man Gone.

comprehensive Tribute to GOOD
Man Gone.
The Baptist Courier, of Greenville
S. c., the home of the deceased, con-
tains the following comprehensive
tribute to the memory of the late fa-
ther of our esteemed townsman, Mr..
George A. Norwood, Jr., which we
copy from the current issue of that
paper:
George Alexander Norwood died at
his home in Greenville, S. c., Septem
ber 1s, 1909. Born at Hartsville, Oc-
tober %, 1881, he had almost reached
his seventy-eighth anniversary. His
father, Joseph Norwood, was connect
eG with the early settlers of the old
Ckeraw district, and was a descendant
OF an English family that emigrated
to Virginia in 1648. His mother, Sa-
rah Mcintosh Norwood, was connected
With noted Scotch family that came
to this country about 1746. settling in
the Cheraw district, now Darlington
county. He was lineal descendant
of Rev. Philip James, the first pastor
of Welsh Neck Baptist Church, estab-
lished in 1888, and also of his success
sor and contemporary, Rev. Joshua
Edwards. He grew up at Hartsville,
where he attended school, also attend
ing Auld's Academy at Society Hill,
before going to Furman University
and Wake Forest College for his high
er education. His college days over,
he married a daughter of Rev. Sam
uel B. Wilkins, Mary Louisa, at Leav-
ensworth, March 2S, 1858, and settled
down as planter. He was a faith
full Confederate soldier, though Union
man. A few years after the Civil War
he became a merchant at Efhngham,
then a cotton factor in Charleston for
eleven years, and the last twenty-five
Marion and Greenville. He is sur
vived by his wife and nine children,
his death being the first to occur in
the family circle, and his sister, Mrs.
A. L. Williams, a sanity widow, now
the only survivor of her fathers fam
lily.
He was recognized as a man of ir-
reproachable character, diligent and
successful in business. In every re-
lation of life he was honest, direct
frank, firm. He loved righteousness
and could neither be bribed nor driv-
en- into a course that he thought to
be wrong. He had a noble spirit of
scorn for the shams and sinister poll
cies of life that gave him touch of
grandeur. If he withstood vigorously
what he thought wrong, he also stood
as stalwart for what he conceived to
be right, whatever peril or loss might
come through loyalty to principle. If
he sometimes seemed too severe in
dealing with the injustices of society
and individuals, it was due to his
whole investment of himself in his
/ work. He impressed all who knew
him as being the soul Of integrity. His
| life was one of striking simplicity and
sincerity.
George A. Norwood was worker, a
man of will and action. He admired
all honest toilers. He did a strong
mans work, though he had a weak
body. He kept himself to his tasks
up to the very last. His work was a
matter of intense personal interest
not mere drudgery. He served his day
and generation with no ordinary intel
| ligence and fidelity, never seeking for
himself positions of ease or prefer
ment
He was conspicuous figure in the
| state. His changed places of resi-
dence, his business relations, and fam
lily connections gave him personal
| touch with almost every community ir
the state. He had a remarkable mem
ory for names and family relations
He converted the front of his bank
into a reception room. where he great
Iy enjoyed meeting and talking with
friends in the afternoons and at leis
ure periods during business hours.
He was a wise and sympathetic
giver. He helped many young peo
pie to go to college, others he helped
to get a start in business, and other.
in need. He followed his own idea!
in giving to education and missions
with a liberality known to but few
He sometimes gave for several year.
consecutively and literally to the sup
port of four or five pastors at the sam
, time in different parts of the state
His giving was done SO unostenta
tiously that in many cases not evel
the beneficiaries knew the source O
their help.
: He was man of faith in God. III
believed the Word of God. He believe
!, in the providence of God. He trace
5 back his prosperity to divine favor
: and looked forward to Gods promise
5 for the life to come. His faith wa
5 striking for it's implicitness In time
r when so many waver and hesitate /
their beliefs. He was received int
t the fellowship Of Antioch Baptis
b Church, Darlington county, abor
t 1862, being baptized by his father-ir
i law, Rev. s. B. Wilkins. Removin
S afterwards to Ef1ngham, he was o.
J, dained a deacon in Elim Churcl
: where DR.. Luther Rice, a great CT