WM.BEAUFORD DIED YESTERDAY AT HIS HOME

Highly Respected Old Citizen, Who as a Youth Was Noted for His Patriotism-- Funeral Tomorrow Afternoon.

William M. Beauford, one of Mt. Vernon's oldest and most highly respected citizens died at 3:45 o'clock yesterday afternoon at his home 115 Casey Avenue.

Funeral Services will be held at the home at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon conducted by the Rev. Cyrus Maulding and burial will follow at Oakwood.

Mr. Beauford well known to the older and middleaged residents of Mt. Vernon and to many of the younger people.

He had for the past tweleve years been employed as night watchman for the Brooks Tomato Products company and notwithstanding his years was a faithful and efficent employee.

He was of social dispostition and easily made and retained friends. He was a good citizen and recognized as such by all who knew him. He loved his friends and always gave them a cherry greeting.

In the years of his active life he did much work as a plasterer and was employed in this capacity on many private residences and public buildings of Mt. Vernon. He was a skilled workman conscientious and faithful and ever looked carefully to the interests of those who employed him. Perhaps no man in the history of Mt. Vernon did more in his line of work than he in the years in which he devoted to his trade.

Mr. Beauford was also a butcher and worked sometimes at this trade. The same devotion to the interests of others that characterized his work as a plasterer was noted in his work as a butcher.

He was an honest and straightfoward in all his dealings and in the business world. His word was as good as his bond and the many kind words heard regarding him attest the love in which he was held by those who knew him best.

Mrs. Beauford who preceded him in death and who died April 13, 1928 was long an invalid having been confined to her bed four years before his death. And in the long years of her invalidism he gave her every care and attention possible.

Mr. Beauford is survived by the following childern; George Beauford of West Frankfort, Ralph Beauford of Mt. Vernon; Noah Beauford Villa Grove, and Mr.Wm. Rainey Benton. A number of grandchildern and great grandchildern survive.

Mr. Beauford was a man of pronounced views and his youth when little more than a mere boy although a resident of a southern state, where he was born and surrounded by all the traditions of the south he opposed the seperation of the states and refused to join the Confederate army. He was but 15 years old and while old enough to enlist in the Confederate army. He was not old enough to enlist in the Union army, so he attached himself to Sherman's forces to avoid service with the Confederacy he marched to sea with Sherman. He was a man of strong convictions of right and wrong.

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Beauford 115 Casey Ave. are among the old married couples of Jefferson County worthy of special mention. If they live untill December 10 of this year they will complete fifty six years as husband and wife.

They were married in Dahlgren, Dec 10,1871 and prior to her marriage Mrs. Beauford was Miss Frances Caroline Harris. Mr. Beauford remembers only one person now living who was present at their wedding. Mrs. Hardie Karns of Dahlgren.

Mr. Beauford was born near Salem, Alabama May 24, 1845 and Mrs. Beauford was born in Davidson County, Ten. October 11, 1853. With the exception of four years lived in Georgia they have lived in Mt. Vernon ever since 1865.

Mr. Beauford is of French parentage and his forefathers were born in France.

Although of Southern birth, Mr. Beauford did not favor the Union and while too young to join the Northern Army, but young enough to join the Confederate army he allied himself with the Union forces and marched from Rome, Georgia with the Union army under Sherman in the famous March to the Sea. He was but 15 years old at the time. He could not enlist in the Union army enlistment age being 18 but he was permitted to attach himself to the army.

Source: Mt. Vernon Register News
October 29, 1928
Submitted by: Angela Wright
Relationship: gr-gr-gr-gr-grandfather