"Elisha T. Stewart, a citizen of the Poetry community since 1870, who died Tuesday afternoon at his home after an illness of ****** weeks, was buried Wednesday afternoon at Dry Creek cemetary, near Poetry. Rev. W. E. *. Lockridge, pastor of the First Baptist churvh of Terrell ***** charge of the funeral service. The service was held at the Poetry Baptist Church.The following served as pall bearers: Active, John Howell, J. M. McAdams, John Dennis, W. H. Wynn, Clyde Hitt, Jess Williams; Honorary, D. S. Wynn, Sam Hardon, W. A. McNutt, A. G. Hous**, *. H. Williams, W. T. Pemberton, Sam Marsh, John C. Anderson, *. B. Martin, R. Jarvis, Mack Thompson, J. J. Barton, J. M. Rutledge, W. E. Henderson, *. I. Cockrell, Henry Campbell, A. M. Akin, J. N. Stall****, old soldiers of the J. E. B. Stuart camp, of which deceased was an honored member, including J. R. Bond, J. N. Young, Comrade Holman, W. M. Parnett, T. J. Brown, M. C. Shook, R. Rucker, Ben Rushing.
Mr. Stewart was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Poetry, the members of which had charge of the services at the grave.
Elisha Stewart was born in Noxubee County, Miss., Oct 17, 1846 and joined the Baptist ******* when a youth. He volunteered in the Confederat service the second year of the Civil War, and fought throughout that bloody struggle. He was a member of the Mississippi Cavalry regiment and was a participant in the battles of Chickamanua Missionary Ridge, Shiloh Landing, and other bitter struggles of the civil war. He was made a prisoner at one time, but his exchange soon followed.
He moved from Mississippi to the Poetry community, then known as Turner's Point, in 1870, where he lived his long and useful life until the end. In 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Russell, and to this union seven children were born. Three of whom died in infancy. Surviving are his wife, Rebecca Elizabeth Stewart; two sons, Dr. H. L. Stewart of Poetry and O. W. Stewart of Point, Texas; two daughters, Mrs. J. D. Cunningham, Madill, Okla, and Mrs. R. O. Reeves of Oklahoma City. Thirty-six years ago he changed his affilliations to the Christian Church.
Mr. Stewart followed farming as an occupation throughout his life. He took great interest in the activities of the J. E. B. Stuart camp of Confederate veterans and was a regular attendant upon the reunions of the old soldiers. He was also active in the organization of the Kaufman County Singing convention and was president of that body at the time of his death and had served in the capacity for a long term of years. The convention met twice annually, at Kaufman and Terrell, and through the efforts of Mr. Stewart there was always a large array of singers in attendance, not only from Kaufman county, but adjoining counties and even from out of the state. Mr. Stewart was a typical character of the Old South, whose name was a synonym for the sterling virtues characteristic of that golden age in southern history."
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