Find Newspaper  Thursday, September 18, 1969 Pg 3

Flu epidemic took life of J B Montgomery

 

I remember on one occasion back in the early twenties.  This was after World War I when the flu epidemic was raging in Adair County, Kentucky.  Flu and pneumonia was the sickness of the day.

 

Death came to a well-liked and dearly beloved citizen of the county.  He was JUNIOUS BRUTUS MONTGOMERY.

 

He was born in 1853, a son of Dr. William and Mary Smith Montgomery.  He was born and reared in the Joppa community.  When he married he moved across Russell Creek on the north side.  He was living there when he died.

 

He was about 70 years of age and was considered one of the county's best citizens.  He first married Elizabeth Epperson, who preceded him in death.  His second wife was Susan Morris.

 

He was a great entertainer for children.   Every child far and near loved him dearly.

 

The winter had been very rainy and damp.  He took pneumonia, death came at once with only a few people knew he was sick when the news got around he was dead.  The horse drawn hearse as they were called then.  They were built high off the ground for there were no bridges across the streams of water then.  Some times it took four horses to pull them through the mud.  On this occasion he had to be brought across Russell's Creek.  The continuous rains had swelled the creeks almost past crossing.

 

The water almost reached into the carriage, but with painstaking care the creek was crossed without much damage.  He was then borne to the Montgomery Cemetery at Joppa, Adair County, Kentucky, and laid to rest beside his first wife, Elizabeth Epperson, who had preceded him death to the grave to await the morning of the resurrection.  He was a member of the Christian Church and was a regular attendant.

Note* J. B. Montgomery was the great-grandson of John Jefferson Epperson