Last Friday night at 11:20 o'clock, after an illness of over two months, the giant form of this well known member of the Burnet bar passed into inanimate clay, surrounded by his weeping family and friends. His disease was typhoid fever complicated with other troubles. Mr. Erwin came home sick from the Marble Falls reunion in the last days of July and was never a well man afterwards. He was warned by a Burnet physician to beware -- that he was on the verge of serious illness -- but it is supposed that he trusted to his wonderful physical strength to overcome the ailing, until it was too late. All that medical attention, the nursing of a devoted wife and many kind friends could do was without avail. He fought the disease with a courage that was his own, and sometimes there was a change for the better, that gave his hundreds of sympathizers renewed hope that he might yet be spared, but Death had marked him for his own.

William H. Erwin was born in Clarksville, Montgomery county, Tennessee, on June 11th, 1851; came to Texas to Round Rock with Judge M. A. Martin and family about the year 1880. In that year, they all moved to Burnet, where Mr. Erwin has since practised law. In that period of twenty years, he has served as County Attorney several terms and when he willed to he was a vigorous prosecutor. Blessed with an intelect far above the average, he depended too much on what nature had done for him, so he never rose to the high career in which his talent fitted him. He was a born reasoner, and the best political campaigner Burnet ever had in the memory of the writer. His forte was anecdote and illustration; here few men could equal him. It is true, many of these points went beyond the bounds of strict propiety, yet his manner was so irresistible and his laugh so contagious, that men forgave while condemming the indulgence of the penchant.

In the year 1882 Mr. Erwin was united in marriage to Miss Sallie Tomlinson, one of the sweetest and most devoted women that ever blessed this sinful world with her love and presence. She bore him eight children, seven of whom survive him. Here was the lovable side of the man's character. It is said there never was a kinder husband or a more affectionate father and the fact must have been well known from the large number of wives and mothers who paid him their last respect. God bless the mother and orphans!

As a member of the Methodist faith, the funeral services were conducted by the pastor, Rev. J. M. Sherman in presence of a large gathering. It happened that four other ministers of the Gospel were in town on that day, and the pastor with true Christian courtesy, asked that all take part in the ceremony. Rev. C. P. Moore, C. P. minister of Llano, led in prayer. Next Elder Bell, Baptist, read a part of the funeral service; Elder Rogers, Baptist evangelist of Elgin read Paul on the Resurrection; next Rev. Sherman preached the sermon from Romans 14-13, and Elder Shepard, Christian minister closed with prayer. There were several appropriate songs interspersed, the last being 'There is no good-bye in Heaven.'"