Sunday's Obituary: James Thomas Drake

J. T. Drake, 97, of Adrian dies

  ADRIAN, Ga. - James T. (Uncle Jim) Drake, 97, died Wednesday in a Keysville Hospital.
  He was born in Washington County, but had lived in Johnson County.  He had lived most of his life in Adrian.  He died after a three months' illness.
  He was a retired policeman and farmer and husband of the late Sallie Walker Drake.  He was on the Adrian police force for 25 years, retiring at the age of 80.  He served as warden in Macon County work camp for two years.  He also had served as postmaster at Odomville in Emanuel County.
  He remembered Sherman's march through Georgia.  He had said he remembered it well because the Union trooops stole all the horses and cows from his home.  He was five years old at the time.

Mason

  He was a member of Wrightsville Masonic Lodge which presented him with a 50-year membership pin.  He was still a notary public at the time of his death.

  He joined the Methodist Church in 1879 and at the time of his death he was a member of Poplar Springs Methodist Church near Adrian.  He served as Sunday School Superintendent for the church for many years.  He was a member of the board of stewards.

  Survivors include seven children, Mose A. Drake of Wrightsville, Mrs. Glee Gillls of Gulfport, Miss., Mrs. Jim Mason of Swainsboro, C. A. Drake of Swainsboro, Mrs. B. A. Norris of Adrian, Thelman Drake of Macon and Thurman Drake of Savannah; 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.

Funeral Rites

  Funeral services will be conducted at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Poplar Springs Methodist Church by the Rev. Tasker Johnson and the Rev. G. Reed Smith, Burial will be in the church cemetery.  Grandsons will act as pallbearers and honorary pallbearers include the stewards of the church.  Masonic rites will be conducted at the graveside.

  The body will be at the church from 2 p.m. until the hour of the funeral.

- The Augusta Chronicle, May 1959

Uncle Jim Drake passed away May 13, 1959.  He was my great grand uncle.

Mary Elizabeth Tapley	Me
Gilbert Earl Tapley	My father
Nealie Drake Tapley	My grandmother
William John Drake	My great-grandfather
James William Drake and Mary Ann Brantley Drake	My 2nd great-grandparents
James Thomas Drake	William John’s brother and my great grand uncle