The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-04
DIR. J.M.MAS0N PASSES AWAY P Siding Elder Dies in z 0pefika. .sUccUMBs TO BRIEF ILLNESS Beloved Minister of Methodist
 Church is Dead. Funeral wnI Take Place at Auburn This Afternoon snd Many Church. Men Of Alabama VIII
 Be Present.
 
'UccUMBS TO BRIEF ILLNESS
Funeral wn Take Place at Aubur-

suddenly i'll yesterday, pr. J. NJ Ma son, of Montgomery, and Presiding 4El- der of the Montgomery District of the Alabama Methodist Conference. died here this morning at s:2s o'clock, aged 6S years.
 / Dr.. Mason was seized with acute. stomach trouble Tuesday, while at opelika, and became rapidly worse. Two of his sons were hastily summon. ed to his side, when 1t was seen that his condition waBsserious, and the two,. pr. E. NJ. Mason of Montgomery, and pr. James Mason of Birmingham, were the only members of the family at his side at the time of his death.
 The tidings of the death of pr. Ma son. wired immediately throughout Alabama, was productive of the great est gloom, especially among the Meth-, odists of the State, of whom Dr. Ma son was one of the most beloved and revered.
 He had been elected. for twenty-five consecutive years, as secretary of the South Alabama Conference. at each place of meeting. He had served as . minister for forty years, since 1889; for twenty-6ve years of his service he had been presiding cider, serving in most of the districts of the conference.
 Work for college.
 Dr. Mason was chairman of the Woe A ference. and his efforts were in large measure the cause of the present im- .minence of the college construction. He was also vice-prestdent of the His- torical Association of the Conference, and delivered. under the auspices of the Association, the annual address at the last conference on "One Hundred Years of Methodism in Alabama"
 Altogether, as 6 minister, a leader of religious work. an educator and e literary worxer of note. he Was prom. tnent throughout Alabama, and in most parts of the South, and his death is a loss to moral and educational advance. ment of the section.
 pr. Mason is survived by his wife, who. before their makriage. was Miss Ellen Drake, and eight children: Dr. E, N. Mason. Julian Mason and Miss Ella Mason. of Montgomery pr. James Ma son Clarence Mason and Eugene Mason. of Birn1fngfiatsi; Mrs. Mamie Killebrew and Mrs Ethel Reed. Of Albany, Ga
 The remains will be sent to Auburn for burial tomorrow at o'clock in the afternoon. the funeral to take place at o'clock. Rev. A. J. Lamar. of Nash vile, and Rev. E. A. Dannelly. of Greensboro. will ofklciate-
 Dr. Mason was born in Old Spring Hill in 1S4e. and was educated at Ma rion. and studied law afterward at Lex Ington, Ky. At his graduation. he fore swore the legal profession for that of the States as, g lieutenant in the 4th Alabama Cavalry. a division of For rests famous brigade.
 Served Mnny Churches.
 After the war he settled near Ma- rion and entered. in 1869. the Methodist ministry. He served as pastor in Au- burn, Eutaw. Opelika. Union Springs and many other cities of the State. among them Montgomery.
 In 1884 he was appointed presiding elder, and since that year has served as the head of one or the other of the districts of the Conference.
 pr. Mason was a member of the Royal Chapter of Masons., and he always took a deep interest in everything looking to the upbuiiding of the order.
 The funeral services will be held at the Auburn Methodist Church at 8 o'clock.
 The following will be the active pall- bearers: T. A. Flanagan, R. W. Burton. c. c. Thach, B. B. Ross and J. T. An- derson of Auburn. and General George F. Harrison, A. E. Barnett and J. B. Greene of Opelika.
 The honorary palI-bearers will be Revs. J. s. Frazier. E. A. Dannelly. T. Y. Abernathy, J. B. Cummins J. B. k. Spain, J. A. Peterson. A. J. Cousins, W. M. Cox and George Fointaine.
 General George P. Harrison. com mandIng the Alabama Confederate Vet erans, has issued the following order relative to the death of Mir. Mason. Headquarters Alabama Division. U. C..
 V. Opelika, Ala, February 8, 1909 Circular No. 1.
 "It is with profound grief and heart felt sorrow, that the Commanding Gen. eral announces the death of Colonel J. |. M. Mason. the Chaplain-General of this division. which sad event occurred in this city at 6:SO o'clock this morning. Suddenly and with little warning he was called by the God he loved and served so well. to the better world above, In his departure the Confeder- ate veterans of Alabama have lost a comrade that all loved who knew him. As a follower of the gallant Forrest, he won honors that endeared him to all who served with him. He was devoted to our cause. next to the service of hJS God, and always loved to meet with the sboys who wore the gray We will all miss him at our reunions. where his prayers, and benedictions, were SO com. forting to us. In his death the Com manding General has lost a member of his stan whom he loved like a brother and to whom he always looked for counsel and advice.
 "While we shall never shake his gen fal hand again on earth, let us try to emulate his Christian example and meet him. when we too shall have passed over the river
 (signed) George P. Harrison, Major General, Commanding Alabama
 Division, U. c. V. -- | Attest,
 Harvey E. Jones, "Adtt. Gen. and Chief of Stah." Many ministers of the conference. unon the news of his death. have reach- l ed Ouelika, and 1t Is known that many more will attend the funeral ser vices at Auburn tomorrow