Jerry and Linda Butler

History of Scotts Hill, Tennessee, Gordon Turner

FANNING, Alfred; C.S.A. Pvt. Co. G Newsom's Cav. Married Sarah Orr and after she died, her sister. Reared a large family all of whom later moved away from here except himself and his wife. John H. and Will C. were twins and became top travelling salesmen in anybody's book. From their Lexington homes (John later lived in Jackson), they "made" railroad towns in the hey-day of passenger trains, by catching an early train together and riding north to Beuna Vista. They quickly sold the few merchants there and had time to walk back south to Yuma (two or three miles and finish up there in time to catch the first train south and ride it back through Lexington and on to Beech Bluff. When done at Beech Bluff, they walked back to Huron to see merchants there in time to catch the next train north. They would ride it back through Lexington and on through to Wildersville. There they would "work" stores and walk back to Timberlake in time to finish the one store there and then catch the last train back home to Lexington. What a day! But this was done for years. These "Fanning Boys" made off-railroad towns and merchants usually In a two-horse buggy. Successful, they were always smiling and popular. John sold mostly coffees (Maxwell House) and teas; Will sold groceries and in later years was a top wholesale house official. John's wife was the former Leora ("Ora") Austin here; Will's was the former Cora Davenport, daughter of "Unkle Ike" of Civil Ware fame. Innes Fanning of Lexington, a grandson of both Fanning and Davenport, is presently one of the nation's best gunsmiths in Lexington, after a professional career as "Rip'' Fanning in automobile racing and as both player, official and scout in professional baseball. We used to say here that the blood of both Alf Fanning and Ike Davenport in him, Innes could do almost anything. He almost did! I slept with him in the Will Fanning home for four years while a student in high school there; I know! Great friend; great fellow....Another son of the Fannings was Woodward, a longtime railroader and Edgar, top bandsman here who went to Gleason as a young man to organize a band and remained to become a banker for more than a half century! Their brother, Waiter G. was a playmate-neighbor of mine when we were boys. The only Fanning daughters who lived were Lillian who married Sanford Jones and Elizabeth whose husband was Albert L. Goff.

March 12, 1920
Lexington Progress
One of the Best Men I Ever Knew

Alfred Fanning was born in North Carolina 81 years ago last January 9th. He came to to this country with his parents when quite young, his father settling in Decatur County, where he lived out his life as a farmer and blacksmith and Alfred followed the occupation of his father.

His first wife was Miss Cassie Orr, who died many years ago, leaving two children, one of whom Mrs. A.L. Goff of Bells, Tenn., survives. For his second wife he married Miss Sarah A. Orr, sister of his first wife, Nov. 14, 1871, and to that union seven children were born and six survive Will and John (twins), Woodward, Edgar, Lillian (Mrs. W.R. Smith), Dyersburg, and Walter.

Mr. Fanning lived practically all his life in Decatur County, many years in Decaturville (where I first met him in April 1881) and the first 12 years in the Decatur County section of Scotts Hill. In August 1918, he gave up his work in the blacksmith shop and moved to Lexington and Mrs. Fanning died here in February 1919. After the death of his wife, Mr. Fanning lived with his children here and elsewhere, finding it hard to be contented without his helpmete.

He was taken ill with influenza and pneumonia nine days before his death which occurred at 925 o'clock a.m., March 3rd, in the home of his son, John, here in Lexington, and we are told that almost from the first of his illness he was in a semi-conscious condition.

The funeral service was held in the Fanning home at 12 o'clock noon, on the 4th inst., Revs. H.R. Rose and Fleetwood Ball and Elder J.O. Brown officiating, each paying tribute to the life and character of the good man who had lived to a great age and each offering words of sympathy to the bereft ones.

It was the intention of the Masonic fraternity to take charge of the funeral after the service in the home, but they were delayed and later that service will be held in his memory.

This notice is written not so much to give the family history of Mr. Fanning, but to pay a personal tribute to his life and character by one who had known him for thirty-eight years. When I first went to Decaturville in April, 1881, I met him on that day or very soon after and the writing of this in his memory is prompted by the fact that I have never heard a single statement derogatory to his character. He had no opportunities to secure an education, hence his life was one of hard work, on the farm, the anvil and forge. Under these conditions with the fact that he reared a comparatively large family of children to make useful, respectable and fairly successful men, did he not perform a greater life work than if he had accumulated riches and reaped worldly honors? From the first he seemed to like me and his character as well as his personality commanded my respect and friendship. Even in his last days here in Lexington, it was his pleasure to hunt me up and with me converse of the by-gone days on which the minds of aged men dwell. So, it comes about that as Will Barry, his friend, and not as a newspaper man, it is my pleasure to write of him and to say that in all my life I do not believe I ever knew a cleaner, more honorable man than this simple, plain, unassuming Alfred Fanning. I feel that his children should cherish his character as the richest blessing he could have left them, and I believe they do.

It is a peculiar fact that while Mr. Fanning's faith was that of the Primitive Baptists, he did not affiliate with the church to the extent of membership-which did not alter the fact that his God in the last judgment with clean hands and a clean soul. Peace is the only logical destination for one who had kept the laws of his God and the country in which he lived.--W.V. Barry, Lexington, Tenn., March 9, 1920.