Smyrna times., 1931-01-21
DEATH RECORD OF WEEK
Thomas Rawlins, Well-Known Re
publican Politician of Sussex and
Former State Treasurer, Dead

SedIOTu, 1OIl4iCA oS1bS g
and prominent Republican polite
ian. died suddenly Thursday from
q heart attack in Miami, Florida,
where he and his wife were spend
inc the winter. Mr.. Rawlins was
73 years old. He was born in
Bridgeville in 1858, the son. of the
Rev. Philip and Rhoda A. w.
Rawlins. He received his early
education in the public schools, at
tended Dickinson College from
which he was graduated in 1882.
During his early life he taught
school in Delaware and New Jer-
sey, being at one time professor
at Pennington Seminary. Later he
engaged in the lumber business
and farming near Seaford. He was
elected State Treasurer in 1904
and reelected in 1906. He was
also active in the Grange move
ment and the Farm Bureau. Mr..
Rawlins served for several years
as the Sussex County representa-
tive of the Delaware State Grange.
Mr.. Rawlins was an official of st.
Johns M. E. Church, Seaford, for
more than 80 years He represent
ed the church on the Board of Dis
trict Stewards, and in 1909 was
elected a member of the Board of
Conference Stewards of the Will
mington Conference. In 1924 he
was elected to the General Confer
ence of the Methodist Episcopal
Church by the laymen. Mr.. Raw
Inns always took an active part in
the temperance cause in Delaware.
He was a member of the Theta
Delta Chi and the Phi Beta Kappa
fraternities and also a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Eel
lows, and served at one time as
Grand Patriarch of the Grand En-
campment of Delaware Of that or
ganization. Mr.. Rawlins was mar
ried twice. His first marriage was
to Miss Alfredo Wright, on April
IA, 1896. He is survived by two
children by this marriage. They
are Mrs. Sarah Jones, wife of Ed
ward Jones, representative Of the
Ludlow Jute Company, of Calcutta
India, and Philip J. T. Rawlins,
mechanical engineer Of the Mass
achusetts Institute of Technology.
On January IS, 1927, he married
Mrs. Alva Q. Davis, widow Of John
w. Davis, a merchant Of Selbyville.
She and a brother, Wilbur t. Raw
Inns, of New York city, also sur
vive him. Funeral services were
held at St. Johns M. E. Church,
Seaford, yesterday, Tuesday after
noon and was largely attended.
Mrs. Caleb II. Layton, Passes Away
Mrs. Fannie Harrington Layton,
the secondwoman to attain the
State Office of Secretary Of State
in the United States, and widow Of
DR.. Caleb Rodney Layton, whose
death occurred several months ago
died at the jefferson Hospital,
Philadelphia, on Saturday. Mrs.
Layton was one Of the outstanding
women Of the State and was as
favorably and widely known as
her late husband. She had served
as Secretary Of State for several
years, following the term Of the
late William G. Taylor, of Will
mington, having been appointed by
Governor Robinson. She also held
numerous other positions Of inn
portance, including that Of chief
clerk in the Secretary Of States
Office, in which she was occupied
for % years. Mrs. Layton was
considered the best posted woman
on the corporation law, and it was
often said that her knowledge of
the statute exceeded that of some
members of the Bar. Through her
abilities, Mrs. Lay
ton had won respect from lawyers
and the citizens at large. During
her service as Secretary of State,
she automatically served as secre-
tary of the State Pardon Board,
the State Tax Commission and the
State Board of Supplies. She was
at one time a member of the State
Highway Commission as well. 1t
was while she was employed as
chief clerk in the office where DR..
Layton was serving as Secretary
of State, that their acquaintance
and friendship was started. Their
marriage came shortly afterwards.
Funeral took place this (Wednes-
day. afternoon with interment in
the family lot at Old Barratt's
Cemetery.
Mrs-James VanWinkIe, Chester, Pa.
Mrs. Jane Barnes VanWinkle,
wife of James VanWinkle of Gar
den City, Chester, Pa, and daugh-
ter of the late Charles A. Barnes
and Sophia Richards Barnes of
Smyrna. died on Saturday morning
at the Chester Hospital. The late
Mrs. VanWinkle spent her child
hood days in this town and her