OBITUARY:
David G. Stanton passed away at his home May 7, 1905 near Bethel Church. He had not previously complained as to his condition and the death of such a good man, always impressive, was the more so from its awful suddenness.
Mr. Stanton went to bed in his usual good health. He woke up about 1:00 AM and complained about difficulty in breathing; but before the family could be throughly aroused he was dead. The case was beyond any human aid that might have otherwise been rendered.
The deceased was a native of Bethel township, having been born at the Stanton old homestead on July 20, 1849 to the late I. Green Stanton and Mary Martha McGill Stanton. His father was a highly esteemed old patriarch of Bethel.
Mr. Stanton was raised a farmer, got his education in the country schools that flourished in his boyhood and grew up to be a most creditable representative of the splendid manhood for which his neighborhood has always been noted.
Although entirely without political aspirations of any kind, Mr. Stanton was widely known as a conscientious upright citizen, keenly interested in the public welfare, and on this account he was called to fill the office of county commissioner. He did not seek the place even indirectly and accepted it with misgivings not because of unwillingness to give his valuable time to the public service; but because he doubted his ability to measure up to his own conception of the responsibilities of the position. He served two terms most creditably and declined to stand for re-election.
Mr. Stanton was twice married. His first wife was Sallie Glenn, a daughter of James Glenn and a woman of high esteem. She died in 1893 at age 40. His second wife was Mrs. Lavinia Armstrong, widow of L. K. Armstrong, and who survives him. His children, all by his first wife, are Mrs. Mary Dulin, wife of T. N. Dulin; Haskell G. Stanton, Misses Mattie and Webb Stanton, the last named now a student at Chicora College. He also leaves three brothers, William J., Thomas and James Stanton.
The funeral took place at Bethel, having been delayed to await the arrival of the youngest daughter, Webb, from Greenville, South Carolina. Rev. W. B. Arrowood conducted the service, which was largely attended from the entire neighborhood for miles around, quite a number of persons of color also being among those who thus sought to pay their last repects.
The pallbearers, active and honorary, were from the officers of Bethel Church, in which the deceased had been a ruling elder for about 22 years. The active pallbearers were as follows:
W. L. Wallace, W. E. Adams, S. J. Clinton, S. W. Patrick, John M. Craig, Campbell Harper.
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