James Waid LACKEY (VETERAN CSA)

PRIVATE CSA
Civil War Confederate
February 4, 1842-July 3, 1918

Born Wayne County, Tennessee.
Died Iuka, Izard County, Arkansas.
Son of Robert Waid Lackey & Nancy B. Welch Lackey.
Married Margaret Ann Arnold, October 20, 1870, Izard County, Arkansas.

IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER, J.W. LACKEY

The subject of this sketch was born in Harden County, Tennessee February 4, 1842. Died at Iuka, Arkansas July 3, 1918. Age 76 years, 4 months, and 24 days.
When 8 years old, his parents moved to Arkansas and settled at the foot of Naked Joe where the family of 8 children were reared.
When the Civil War broke out, he cast his lot at the age of 19 with the course of the South.
Though just a private, the South never had a braver soldier during the war, nor one who has been more loyal and fought the battles of life more heroically since the war. He was married to Margaret Arnold October 2, 1870. To this union, 10 children were born, 7 of which are still living. His aged companion and one only sister also survive him to mourn his loss.
The writer, being the oldest child living, has been asked to preform the task before him which he feels very much incompetent. Father - the word means so much to me. All our thoughts of God, Creator, Heavenly Friend is surely based since time began upon our human fathers here below. His all knowing justice, quick to smile upon our goodness, slow to punishment however much deserved is founded deep upon our knowledge of the kindly men who are our fathers and who are our dearest firend in all this troubled world. He filled his place so well in both church and state and his work will live after him. He never missed an election from president to school director when possible for him to get there.
He had his convictions on all questions; religious, political, as well as social. And he had the courage to maintain them regardless of opposition until he was conviced that he was in the wrong. His greatest enemy was his temper, but by the grace of the graciously Heavenly Father, he was able to control his temper within the bounds of reason, right and justice.
He professed religion years ago at the old Masonic Hall of White River and joined the M.E. Church, South in which he lived until called up yonder. He taught his children the same faith and lived to see them all brought up into the Church. Being uneducuated himself, the burden of his life was to educate his children and he lived to see them all with a common schoold education.
Amid a large concourse of weeping relatives and friends, his reamins were laid to rest in the old family cemetery at Galatia where his father first settled when he came to this country.
Funeral services were conducted by his old comrade and friend, F.E. Hall, whom he had already arranged with to perform the services. He counseled freely with his aged companion and sister, children and friends as to his condidtion, giving all the sweet assurance that all was well with him. He asked us not to weep after him. Mother, brothers, sisters we do him honor in complying with his request. Let us only be thankful that we had him with us so long, and live, so each of us, when the summons come, we too may lie down to sleep with the happy thought we will clasp hands with father and sister and brothers on the other shore.
An appreciative and devouted son.
By G.W. Lackey

The obituary for J.W. Lackey was copied from Mary Lee Lackey Nelson's book 'The Lackey Lines of Northern Arkansas - Their Descendants and Related Lines'. The obituary had been furnished to Mrs. Nelson through the courtesy of Herron Whitfield. There is no indication where the obituary was originally published.
(From the files of Max Parnell.)

(Photo courtesy of Vera Reeves)

Contributed on 12/15/09 by maxparnell
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Record #: 269660

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