Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-11-03
In Msnory join B. Binion.

| went at ODCS 10 SXIcuQ W1dC
sympathy we could to his grief
stricken widow, and to assist at
his burial. When his pastor, the
Rev. Mr.. Burke, had finished his
sermon in dear old Hebron Church
where we had carried his remains
for burial, | craved permission to
pay a slight tribute to his memory
for l had known and loved John
since he was ten years of age,
and when his wife heard of this
she asked me to write out what |
had said for publication. / do
not know that | can give just
what | said, but it was a heart
felt tribute, and | felt that |
would not have been true to his
memory had | not given express
sion to my great sense of person
al loss and pay a tribute to the
many manly qualities that he
possessed Of. Your notice of his
life and death was so fair, true
and we'll expressed that it leaves
little for me to say. In 1865 soon
after the surrender, DR.. A. H.
Binion, brother of John, married
my sister and from that time un-
til Johns sudden death, we were
intimately associated. Only ten
years of age when the war closed,
father and mother both dead. and
their property swept away with
no means TO obtain an education
he seemed to have but little
chance for success.
But endowed with plenty Of
energy and indomitable courage,
he went to work and soon estab-
lished a reputation for honesty
and rare executive ability. On
April 10Th, 1879 he married Miss
Sallie D. Boykin, a daughter of
DR.. Ed Boykin, a splendid old
southern family and from the day
of his marriage, till that fateful
day when he met his death so sud-
denly, she was the one woman in
all the world to him, and helalways
attributed his success in a great
measure to her good judgment,
for she was a help-meet indeed.
He was always so kind and con-
siderate of her. never happier
than when he could do something
to add to her comfort, or to make
her happy. The day he died he
had gone with her to erect a mon
ument to her father and mother
and it seems to me to be a fitting
close to his life to spend his last
day on earth paying honor Ito
those she loved. John had great
executive ability, his success
showed this and on his plantation
the contracts with his freed en-
were observed on one side and
enforced on the other and conse-
quently he made a great succes 8
in farming. He had the splend-
id old ante-bellum home of the
Boykins modernized and nothing
gave him and his good wife more
pleasure than to entertain their
many friends in true old southern
style. Fortunate indeed were
those who had entree to this
happy home. Every summer for
a number Of years, he would have
a fish fry and barbecue and in
vite at least a hundred Of his
friends to partake Of the feast,
and all Of his negroes were also
fed bountifully. He and his wife
were blessed with three children.
one little boy their first born died
in infancy. His daughter, Mag
gle May, married Mr.. Walter
Windham and in one short year
she died, af .er an illness of only
a few hours. This was a terrible
blow to both father and mother,
as they almost idolized this their
only daughter. One son. w. M.
Binion, was left to comfort as
best he could his broken hearted
parents, after he married and the
little grand child came, they
both seemed to take renewed in
terest in life and now the saddest
blow of all has come to his fond
wife, when he was taken so sud-
denly. AS she said, heretofore,
she had always had him to com
fort her in her hour of trouble.
Out of a large number If brothers
and sisters, he is survived only
by one BROTHER, our efficient sher-
if. Mr., A. D, Ripion. John had
become one Of the most promi-
nent citizens Of our county, Had
been Q member Of the Methodist
church for Q long time and his
pastor said that he did not know
how he could get along without
John he was 30 generous In his
support of all the institutions of