Hon. Richard A. Clayton

 
The Cartersville News
Cartersville, Georgia
May 16, 1907, Page 1
 
Transcribed by:  
 

Hon. R. A. Clayton
County School Commissioner Passes Away.
Dies Suddenly at Shelman Hotel Monday Morning – Funeral Takes Place Tuesday Morning.

Hon. Richard A. Clayton died suddenly at the Shelman Hotel last Monday morning.  Mr. Clayton had complained to his wife during the night of feeling badly, but seemed to get better and both went to sleep.  At six in the morning, Mrs. Clayton, on awaking, looked over at her husband and finding him motionless, believed that he was dead.  Dr. Lindsay Johnson, from a near-by room was called in, and examining Mr. Clayton, pronounced life extinct.  Dr. Johnson supposes that Mr. Clayton passed away abut five o’clock, and the cause was heart paralysis.  Mr. Clayton had a paralytic stroke some time ago, and it is supposed to be a return of the malady with the heart involved.

Mr. and Mrs. Clayton had returned last week from Florida, where they spent the past winter on account of Mr. Clayton’s health.  They sold their home before going to Florida and decided to board for awhile, choosing the Shelman Hotel as their stopping place.  Mr. Clayton seemed much improved after his Florida sojourn.  Sunday he attended three different services at the Baptist church and at the night service assisted in taking up the collection.

Mr. Clayton was a student at the State University – going there from Cuthbert –when the war broke out.  Hon. W. A. Hemphill and a number of other well known Georgians were his classmates.  His class all left the institution and joined the confederate army.  Mr. Clayton enlisted with the Cuthbert Rifles, which was assigned to the Fifth Georgia Infantry.  On account of poor health he was later transferred to the cavalry service, the 29th Ga. Battalion, in which he continued to the close of the war.

He leaves a wife and three children, Julian, Harry and Lorrie Clayton.  Two brothers survive him, Mr. Sam Clayton, of Texas, and Mr. W. H. M. Clayton, of Florida.  He leaves two sisters, Mrs. A. C. Smith, of Atlanta, and Mrs. Corum, of Tampa, Fla.  The funeral took place from the home of Mr. W. H. Howard Tuesday morning at 11 o’clock, Rev. R. B. Headden, of Rome, assisted by Rev. J. E. Barnard, conducting the services.

From Cuthbert he moved with his father after the war to Cobb county.  From Cobb he moved with his father to this city.  In 1866 he married Miss Fannie Howard, daughter of Col. J. J. Howard.  He followed the mercantile business for ten or fifteen years, being a member of the firm of A. A. Skinner & Co.  Afterwards he went into the Howard Bank as teller, a place he filled for a number of years, working insurance as a side business the while quite successfully.  Some eight or ten years ago he was chosen county school commissioner.  This place he has filled with signal ability and has done much for the upbuilding of the schools of Bartow county.

Mr. Clayton was a citizen of inestimable value to the community.  Of the very highest type of manhood, his influence was widespread, and having the best interests of his people always uppermost in his mind, his services were of much avail in all good movements.  The school interest of the county went forward on sure and solid lines under his guidance. He was the author of a number of fine papers on school interests that elicited much more than local interest.

He was 66 years of age.

[A Tribute of Respect from the Sunday School of the First Baptist Church, Cartersville was published in the October 17, 1907 issue, page 3.  Richard Clayton’s birth date is given as June 29, 1841 and his place of birth as “near Albany, Georgia.”]

 

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