Mosaic Life

Obituary

December 29, 2007 on 9:59 am | In random |

So my aunt found an obituary for my great-great grandfather, and I figured I’d blog it so as to preserve history and whatnot. Everyone knows that anything you put online stays online, so I figured I’d use that to my advantage for once. My great-great grandpa lived to a ripe old age of 93 and apparently had a “quiet and pleasant personality.” Sadly, I don’t think I inherited that disposition. Heh.

Last Veteran Answers Call: Mr. Joe D. Porter, Barbour’s Last Veteran Passes Last Evening At Age Of 93

At the age of 93 years, Mr. Joseph D. Porter, Barbour county’s last Confederate veteran and probably Eufaula’s oldest citizen died last evening at 6 o’clock at a local infirmary after two weeks’ illness.

The funeral will be held at the Second Baptist church on Sunday afternoon at 3 o’clock, conducted by the pastor, Rev. Shaw Hardin.

Mr. Porter is survived by three daughters, Mrs. J. C. Rogers, Mrs. W. H. Jones and Mrs. J. C. Hughes, all of Eufaula; one son J. C. Porter, St. Petersburg, Fla; eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Born in south Georgia, he had made his home in Eufaula for the past forty years, residing at the time of his death with his daughter Mrs. Jones. For thirty years he held a position at Cowikee retiring when he was past eighty after the 8 hour law was put into effect which proved too strenuous for him at this age.

During the War Between the States he served three years and 8 months under Gen. Joseph H. Johnson, having fought in the battles of Shiloh, Battle of Atlanta, Franklin, Tenn., and Chicamauga.

A member of the Second Baptist church he was active in the work of the church until recent years. Last May he was the only veteran attending the Confederate Memorial Day exercises and he was the only one on the county’s veteran pension roll in Clayton.

Active for his years, Mr. Porter possessed a quiet and pleasant personality and was able to get about readily until his last illness.

He will be accorded military honors at the burial in Fairview by the blowing of taps over his grave. The pallbearers will be Geo. W. Wentz, J. R. Hatfield, Charles Lunsford, Ray Snipes, Lloyd Cade, Donis Ward; honorary, L. C. Jennings, O. F. Benton, C. C. Halstead, W. C. Glenn, Jim Gill, Cleveland Adams, Arthur Ward, J. T. Barnett, Lee Kay, O. A. Ard, C. Nolan.

Unfortunately, the dates of his birth and death aren’t available (his headstone just says his name and newspaper clippings didn’t include the date), so my best estimate is that he lived 1841-1934.