The Jackson Herald       June 6, 1899

  NATHANIEL H. PENDERGRASS, ESQ.

  It is our sad and painful duty to note the death of our worthy fellow citizen, Nathaniel H. Pendergrass, who, after a severe and painful illness of over two week's duration, passed away on last Tuesday morning, at 1 o'clock, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, and was buried on last Tuesday evening, with Masonic rites, at the family burying ground, in this county.

  In noting this evidence of the Divine will we can say nothing that will add to or take from the record of the acts of our much respected friend's life---a life of probity and usefulness crowned by an old age of peace, honor and veneration.  Still, we would fain add our mite to the praise of the worthy.

  From his early manhood, Mr. Pendergrass has been before the people, having, during his long and eventful life, held various offices of trust and honor, so that he is known to most of our readers, and we know that we but bear them out when we say that in every position, whether public or private, he has by his upright course, fair dealing and honesty of purpose, gained the respect and esteem of all with whom he came in contact.  It has been our privilege to know him personally, both as a public officer and as a private citizen, for several years past, and we can but bear witness to the correctness of the above.

  Mr. Pendergrass leaves a family of three sons and four daughters to mourn the loss of a kind and affectionate father, who knew of nothing too good for his children, all of whom he had raised to be respectable members of society, esteemed for their own merits as well as for their father's sake.

  In the death of this good man Jackson county lost one of her best citizens; one that she was in no way ashamed of, for he was a fit representive of the energy and perseverance which characterizes her people.  It will be seen that Mr. Pendergrass lived to a good old age, preserving all of his faculties to the last, and up to the time of his death, he had been actively engaged in the management of his farming interest and enjoying the peace and quiet of a rural life.  When death came it found him ready for the Master's call----yes, waiting to join the loved ones that had gone before----ready to give up life's burdens, feeling, no doubt, that he had done his duty----that he had made a fair return for the talents bestowed, and was ready to go and enjoy the promised reward.

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