Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-12-26
Death Of Joshua Stevens.
Passss Away al His Home SIX Miles
North of Macon, Where He Has
Lived for Sixty Years.

On last Saturday evening while
confined to my room by severe in
disposition, my phone rang and
! was informed that Mr.. Joshua
Stevens, my loyal and steadfast
friend for over one half of a centus
ry, had just been relieved from
suffering by death and was at last
at rest. Mr.. Stevens was born in
Oglethorphe County, Georgia, Oc
tober 2Sth, 1929 and moved to
this county with his father, the
late Major Alex Stevens, while a
boy, residing here continuously
until his death. His mother died
soon after he moved here while he
was quite young, and he was thus
deprived of the inestimable bless.
ing of a mothers love aud counsel.
which fact he regretted to the day
of his death. He only had the
schooling he could get from the
old field school of that day, but he
had such splendid mind, that he
became quite scholar and before
he reached his majority, entered
into the profession of teaching,
making great success of it until
the close of the war. He had
quite a number of Noxubee's
brightest young men for his pupils
and these always gave him credit
for laying the foundation of their
education and he retained in a
remarkable degree, their esteemed
respect and confidence.
was in Birmingham not long
ago, and while there met Hon.
Frank White, now one of the lead
ing lawyers of Alabama, who told
me to tell Mr.. Stevens that he be.
lieved that he was indebted, in
great degree, to him for his success
and that he always had the high.
est regard for him.
Mr.. Stevens married December
9th, 1851, Miss Ann Nelson of this
county who was a loving and low
al wife the remainder of her life.
dying some years ago. She as
sisted him in his school work and
aided him at. all times in building
up his handsome estate, being a
helpmeet to him indeed. This
union was blessed with seven chill
dren, all but one, Mrs. James Bos-
we'll, of this county, having pre-
coded him to the better land some
years ago.
My brother, T,l+ ,ar, married his
81. : g AKA and han Fne was
,asu SO 9, uEFhile bis three boys were
very small, he called Mr.. Stevens
to his bedside and asked him to
care for his little boys, and no
father was ever kinder to his chill
dren than he was to those, or
pr0uder of their success.
Soon after Bud died Mr.. Stevens
discovered that no stone marked
his grave and he at once ordered
a stone placed over his grave Just
like the one that Bud had placed
over his wife's grave. / mention
this to show Mr.. Stevens generos.
ity).
Although reared in a county
noted for being the hot bed of Sc
cession, he was an ardent Union
man, opposing secession from the
start, and predicting our defeat.
He opposed the war and when
drafted in Home Guard Company
before its close, said he never in
tended firing upon the Old Flag.
After the war he naturally allied
himself with the Republican Party
and through good and evil report,
often at the risk of his life, he was
loyal to it. If l had to mention
the dominant trait Of his makeup,
l would say it was honesty. He
was honest in every sense of the
word, and this fact secured the
confidence of the people, even when
party spirit ran high and ostrac;sm
was the watchword.
He was treasurer of Noxubee
county during the radical days,
and at all times every cent of the |
public money was accounted for.
He never concealed his opinion,
was frank and open at all times. |
Being a great reader and having
such a retentive memory, he wss
a convcrsationalist to be feared in
deed.
He was postmaster for Macon