Sunday's Obituary: Lester Leonard Eppard

Sunday’s Obituary is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers asking us to post obituaries along with other information about that person.

This obituary of my great grand-uncle Lester Leonard Eppard was torn from a newspaper and part is missing along the bottom.  I cropped the scan just to neaten it for presentation here.  I am guessing that the obituary appeared in an Athens, Georgia newspaper in 1944.

                                                                                  

          Death Takes L. L.

       Eppard Today;

       Was Ill One Week

L. L. Eppard, one of the city’s most popular businessmen, died in an Atlanta hospital this morning at 7 o’clock after an illness of one week.  Mr. Eppard was 56 years old.

Funeral services will be conducted from the First Christian Church, of which he had been a member and deacon for many years, by the pastor, the Rev. Paul Howle.  Date for the services will be announced later by McDorman-Bridges, in charge of arrangements.  Burial will be in Oconee Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Eppard is survived by his wife, Joanna Gibson Eppard, Athens; sister Mrs. Sudie Rucker, Shenandoah, Va.; and ---[probably says brother] Dr. G. I. Eppard --- [probably says Washington, DC]. ---

Death Takes L. L.

Eppard Today;

Was Ill One Week

(Continued from Page One)

sadness to the large number of friends in the city who held him in the highest respect and esteem.  He was one of quiet demeanor and always shunned the spotlight but who did a lot of good as a citizen of Athens in many ways.  He was a person of perfect fairness in his dealings and relationships with his fellow man and his loyalty to his friends was one of the qualities which was an inspiration to the many who knew him.

Lester Leonard Eppard  (16 Mar 1888 – 24 Jul 1944) was my maternal grandmother’s uncle, her mother’s youngest brother.  Based on census records, I conclude that he and his wife Joanna Gibson Eppard had no children.  In 1930, he was proprietor of an automobile company.

According to family lore, he once served as mayor of Athens, Georgia.  However, an Internet search into the history of Athens does not confirm this as he is not listed among the past mayors on a page that admits to being incomplete.  Nor does his obituary indicate having served in such a capacity. 



Image on Findagrave.com
Photo by Ed Saye