Obituary of Thomas James Boyett, 1894, Hempstead County, AR
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Submitted by: Susan Tidwell Wilburn <cdwilburn@sbcglobal.net>
Date: 14 Oct 2002

Copyright. All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
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Here is the obituary of my maternal great great grandfather Thomas James Boyett.

NEWSPAPER EULOGY FOR THOMAS JAMES BOYETT
 
(Thomas James Boyett, Jr.  (4-1-1830)-- (8-17-1894) was Mayor of Hope, Arkansas 
at the time of his death in 1894.)
 
Obituary of Thomas Boyett as it appeared in the Hope, Arkansas Gazette
 
"A Good Man Gone"
 
Mayor Boyett passes away after a few hours' illness--buried yesterday.
 
The people at Hope were inexpressibly pained, yesterday morning, by the news that 
Mayor Thomas Boyett was dead. His illness covered less than 56 hours. Many people 
had not heard of it, while none expected a fatal termination; consequently the 
announcement was a shock to the entire community. Mr. Boyett was seized with 
congestion Wednesday evening and died Thursday night. He was buried yesterday 
afternoon with Masonic honors. His remains were followed to their last resting 
place by a large number of our citizens.
 
Mayor Boyett was a native of Alabama, where he first saw the light of day on the 
first day of April, 1830. He had thus lived to the good old age of 64 years, though 
in life he looked much younger. He left Alabama eleven years ago (1883) and sought 
a home in Arkansas, locating in Hope, he engaged in the mercantile business, at which 
he had been quite successful, he was the senior member of the furniture house of 
Boyett and McFadden. 
  
His second wife was the widow of the late Lovett Hinton, by whom he had one child, 
Fair Boyett, his  son, both survive him. Seven children by his first wife are still
living, namely;  two sons; Thomas J. Boyett and Ruffin Abraham Boyett, daughters; 
Mrs. T. W. (Martha Louraney) Pollard, Mrs. J. C. (Frances E.) Routon, both of Alabama,
Mrs. James T. (Sarah Olive) Hicks, Mrs. Sid (Mary Calladonia) Reed of Hope, and Mrs. 
Edward Grayson (Arcola Colleen) Williams of Georgia.
 
Mr. Boyett had been a consistent member of the Baptist Church and a member of the 
Masonic Order for many years, being treasurer of the local Lodge of Masons. He acted 
as Justice of the Peace here for a number of terms, and last spring was chosen Mayor 
of Hope. In all these Capacities he was efficient, faithful and attentive to his duties.
 
Mr Boyett will be missed in our community, where he had proved himself an enterprising 
and useful citizen. He was a man of great probity and on his tomb could be writ with 
perfect truth, "Here lies an honest man."
_____________________________
 
Mr. Boyett was a member of the Knights of Pythias.
 
(In the 1883 Business Directory of Hope, Arkansas, Boyett & Son were listed as having a 
brick warehouse; storage, receiving and forwarding merchants, east corner of Front & 
Walnut Sts). 
 
Mr. Boyett was twice married, the first time in Alabama to Mary Johnson. (They were 
married by Minister, William Thomas.)