The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-02-09
LAST SAD SERVICES
TO ALONZO CHURCH GROOM
Jacksonville Metropolis. sth)

Jacksonville Metropolis, 8th)
Funeral services over the body of
the late Alonzo Church Groom. state
comptroller Of Florida, who died sud-
denly at Ocala yesterday morning, were
held at IL o'clock this morning at st.
Johns Episcopal church, a large num-
Der Of personal friends of the dead Of
hcial and leading politicians of the
state being present. Members Of r. E.
Lee Camp. No. So. United Confederate
Veterans. of which Mr.. Groom was a
member. also attended.
Services were conducted by Bishop
z. G. Weed. assisted by Rev. Van Win
der Shields and Rev. G. H. Harrison.
The bishop spoke in a feeling manner
Of the life and achievements of the
late comptroller and of the esteem in
which he was regarded throughout the
entire state. Many beautiful floral Of
ferings. which were banked on the
altar. evidenced the general regard in
which Mr.. Groom was held.
The Pallbearers
Among the active pallbearers was
former Gov. William 8. Jennings, who
appointed Mr.. Groom to the office Of
comptroller in 1901. to fill the vacancy
caused by the death Of w. s. Reynolds
The other active pallbearers were c.
8 Wilson. @. W. Saxon. w. B. Sadler.
D. r. Mcneil. s. A. Rawls. Albert WILL
hanson and Fred Cone.
Acting as honorary pallbearers were
the following: Gov. A. w Gilchrist and
members of his cabinet follows: H.
Clay Crawford, secretary of state;
Park Trammell. attorney general; NJ.
". Knott, treasurer; w. M. Holloway.
superintendent of public instruction;
John c. Lunning. commissioner of ag-
riculture: Capt. r. E. Rose, state chem
list; also John T. Dismukes Of st. Au-
gustine; w. H. Ellis, former attorney
general; DR.. r. P. Daniel DR.. F. c..
LEngle and DR.. II. Robinson Of Jack
sonvilie. Interment was made at Wood
lawn cemetery.
Public Offices Closed
Out of respect to the memory Of the
late comptroller, all county and city
offices were closed between the hours
OF 1890 and 1880, while the funeral
was in progress.
Mr.. Groom belonged to one of the
Oldest established families of Florida
and possessed rare intellectual gifts.
He was a man of sterling character
and made friends by the thousands,
and his death will cast a gloom over
the entire state, to the service of
which he has devoted his best talents.
During his incumbency the office Of
comptroller was raised to a high de-
gree OF efficiency. He was the pos
SCISSOR Of remarkable executive ability.
The office Of comptroller has supervi-
sion of all state banks and the ac-
counts of all state offices. and no mon
ey Is drawn from the state treasury
without the warrant of the comptrol-
Ter. He had charge of the railroad as
sessments and general supervision of
all the taxing matters in the state.
He bore the name of his eminent
grandfather, who, for thirty years
prior to the civil war, was president
OF the University of Georgia. He was
educated at the old West Florida Sem
mary at Tallahassee. and, in early
manhood served in the Confederate
army through the four years OF the
civil war. At the close Of the war.
following in his fathers footsteps, he
was a planter In middle Florida, later
moving to fernando county, where he
followed his profession as civil engi-
neer and engaged in orange planting.
The disastrous freeze of 1895 wiped
away In a night the large grove which
he had just succeeded in getting into
bearing. Following this loss, he be-
came agent of the Plant System rail-
way at Brooksville, and held that posi-
tion until his appointment as comp
troller of the state OF Florida by Gov
ernor Jennings in 1901. Thereafter he
was thrice elected by the people of
Florida to serve them in the very i'm
portant office OF comptroller
Mr.. Groom was regarded as one of
the strongest and ablest men who had
been connected with the state govern
ment in recent years. He possessed an
unusually broad, clear and analytic
mind. and the impress Of his vigorous
personality was strongly marked upon
all the many important governmental
policies with which he had been con-
nected. He was a man of very superior
executive ability, of high character and
a highly valuable and efficient officer
of the state. He possessed the cour-
age Of his convictions in all matters,
and numbered his warm personal
friends by the thousands. He was
steadfast in his devotion to the best
interests of the state, and was ever
ready to champion vigorously the
cause OF those men and measures which
in his judgment were worthy and de-
serving. His associates in the admin