Col Jf rank ^>tmmonsi 1857 = Hambett) = COL. FRANK SIMMONS LAMBETH Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/funeralservicesi01unse THE FUNERAL SERVICES IN MEMORY OF COL. FRANK SIMMONS LAMBETH THE REVEREND C. S. KIRKPATRICK, His Pastor, Presiding HELD AT MAIN STREET METHODIST CHURCH Thomasville, N. C. 2 P.M. Saturday, November 24, 1928 "That I may know him, ana the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings!" — [Philippians 3:10] Wt)t Jf uneral ^etfrices; ORGAN PROCESSIONAL THE CHOIR SANG: "ABIDE WITH ME" "Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide, The darkness deepens — Lord, with me abide! When other helpers fail, and comforts flee. Help of the helpless, O abide with me! "Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day; Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away; Change and decay in all around I see; O thou, who changest not. abide with me! "I need thy presence every passing hour; What but thy grace can foil the tempter's power? Who, like thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine. Lord, abide with me! "Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies; Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!" (Henry F. Lyte) Scripture JXcaiung The Reverend A. W. Plyler, D.D. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. "He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for Thou art with me ; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23) -[7]- "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:25, 26) "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. "In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14: 1-3) "And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." (Revelation 14:13) "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." (Revelation 21:4) "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." (Psalm 27:1, 14) "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. "My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. "He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber." (Psalm 121 : 1-3) "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will be withheld from them that walk uprightly. "0 Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee." (Psalm 84:11,12) "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15,16) -[8]- draper The Reverend J. H. Barnhardt "Our Heavenly Father, who art the strength of thy saints and the Redeemer of the souls of thy people: We bless thy name for all those who have died in the Lord and who now rest from their labors, having received the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls. "Bless us, we pray thee, in this sacred hour when we bow in the presence of our dead and implore thy benedictions upon our needy hearts. Draw aside the veil of grief, thou who knewest, and doth know still, the sorrow of man for man. Thou who didst bow thy head upon the cross and pass beneath the shadow and pain of dying, draw near unto us, and speak the word of vctory over death and the grave. "We thank Thee for the noble life of thy servant, now called to his reward; for the thought of others, the gentle heart and hand, the example of lowly courtesy and earnest dutifulness which made him so beloved by us all. "Especially do we call to remembrance Thy loving kindness and Thy tender mercies extended through so many years to our brother and friend ; for all Thy goodness which withheld not his portion in the joys of this earthly life, and for Thy guiding hand along the way of his pilgrimage, we give Thee thanks and praise. "Especially do we bless Thee for Thy grace that kindled in his heart the love of Thy dear name; that enabled him to fight the good fight of faith, to endure unto the end, and to obtain the victory. "We thank Thee that his trials and temptations being ended, his spirit is at home in Thy presence, at whose right hand dwelleth peace and joy. "We commend to Thee the members of his household, so precious and dear to him in life, whom he loved and cared for with the abandon and ten- derness of one who lived most truly in the lives of those most dear to him. As they bow in dutiful submission this day to the will of God, may they feel some measure of compensation for the temporary loss of his bodily presence in the enrichment of their lives by his godly example through the years gone by, and the unstinted, joyous bestowment upon them of his unwavering affection and devotion. "Upon the brave, devoted companion of his cares and sorrows, his joys and happiness, extending over so many golden years, and who now sits in the shadow of bereavement and feels so keenly the shock of an interrupted companionship which has brought such lasting peace and happiness into both their lives — upon her, 0 Lord, bestow the choicest gift of Thy comforting grace. We commend her to Thee and to Thy care and consideration, praying that she may experience the reality of Thy presence and the sustaining power of Thy fellowship to bear her up and give her strength and courage in anticipation of a morning's joy with him and with Thee when the day is done. -[9]- "We beseech Thee to give to these stalwart sons and to this daughter who now fill their places in life and in the church of God with such useful- ness, a double portion of his spirit to guard and inspire and sustain them through all the way along which they still shall walk in coming days, and, through them, to their own households and loved ones to the end of the journey. "May these brothers and sisters who are filled with grief over their loss today, thank God for the life and example of him whom they trusted and loved, and find Thee able to sustain and keep them in this hour of their need. "And upon us all, 0 Lord, who have known him and felt the uplift of his great heart and life, may Thy grace be given to profit by his example and to walk a little nearer Thee because he has lived among us. "And now, 0 Lord God, hear our prayer and give us peace. Vouchsafe unto us strength for whatever battles may yet intervene between us and the close of the day. And in the resurrection morn, when we shall all stand before Thee, give us the kind of meeting with our loved ones for which we yearn, the clear vision of the faces that now fade before our eyes across the mists of the valley until we behold them no more among us. Watch the sleeping places of our loved ones, till, over the hills of time, the angel of Thy glory shall come again and crown Thy saints with everlasting life For Jesus' sake — Amen/' The Reverend J. W. Smith, D.D. "I cannot say, alnd I will not say That he is dead. He is just away! With a cheery smile, and a wave of the hand, He has wandered into an unknown land, And left us dreaming how very fair It needs must be, since he lingers there." (James Whitcomb Riley) "I know not where His islands lift Their fronded palms in air; I only know I cannot drift Beyond his love and care." (John Greenleaf Whittier) "Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar When I put out to sea. -[10]- But such a tide as moving seems asleep. Too full tor sound and foam. When that which drew from out the boundless deep, Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell. When I embark. For tho' from out our bourne of time and place. The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar." (Alfred Tennyson) THE CHOIR SANG: "JESUS, LOVER OF MY SOUL" "Jesus, Lover of my soul, Let me to thy bosom fly, While the nearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high! Hide me, 0 my Saviour, hide, Till the storm of life be past; Safe into the haven guide, 0 receive my soul at last! "Other refuge have I none; Hangs my helpless soul on thee: Leave, ah! leave me not alone, Still support and comfort me: All my trust on thee is staved, All my help from thee I bring; Cover my defenseless head With the shadow of thy wing. "Thou, 0 Christ, art all I want; More than all in thee I find; Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is thy name, 1 am all unrighteousness; False and full of sin I am. Thou art full of truth and grace." (Charles Weslet) -fill- ADDRESS: "THE MAN" The Reverend R. M. Courtney "As we turn to this Book that meant so much to brother Lambeth we find a man with his face uplifted to God and asking this question, "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" This questioner with his perplexing question finds the answer as he looks at man in the presence of God. There it is that he discovers the nature of man and the possibilities of his nature. There he discovers that there is a kinship between God and man. Having made this discovery it would be surprising if God did not think of man and visit him and enter into fellowship with him. Along with the question raised by the Psalmist, there is another question that rises in our minds this afternoon, and that is, what is it that causes one man to mean so much to other men? This afternoon there are thou- sands of hearts that are turning this way. There are thousands who have a sense of personal loss because brother Lambeth has gone away. Men of all classes were drawn to him and loved him. There was something about him that made his life full of meaning to black and white, rich and poor, educated and uneducated, old men and women, young people and little children. These streets lined as they were by the sorrowing multitudes of this city as we came to the church speak more eloquently than any words of the place he occupied in the hearts of those among whom he has lived his whole life. "Why did he mean so much to so many? The answer to this question is found in the character and life of the man. His character was formed and his life was lived with emphasis on the essential verities of life. He was a business man who did not allow the pressure of the material things to dwarf his spiritual nature or narrow his sympathies. He used his business as a means to develop character and enrich his own life and the lives of others. Thus he became a man whose character was a constant inspi- ration to multitudes of men who came into contact with him. "Since the emphasis in his life was on the spiritual the passing of the years brought to him a constant deepening and enrichment. The outward or physical man might become weakened as the years passed, but the inward or spiritual man was renewed day by day. His interest in the welfare of men and in good causes deepened as time passed and his sympathies were more tende: and wider in the last years of his life than ever before. Measured hy interests and responses his was a great soul. I think I have never known a man who seemed to enjoy more than he hearing the truths of the Gospel proclaimed. He was indeed a fine listener and helped his pastor by listening sympathetically. "It seems to me that the significance of his life is found in the greatness and goodness of his soul. Does not this answer the question as to why he —[12]— meant so much to so many? Truly a good man has lived among us. The inspiration and influence of that life abide and will abide with us. We shall not forget this good man." ADDRESS: "THE CITIZEN" The Reverend M. L. Kesler, D.D. There are two floral offerings in this great array of flowers that are symbolic and very suggestive. They are a chair given by the superintendent and foremen of the Standard Chair Company, and an anchor given by the men who stand by the machines. The chair symbolizes a great industry and also suggests the first empty chair in the long life of this remarkable family. The anchor symbolizes how our friend, Colonel Lambeth, is an- chored in the esteem and affection of his employees. But he lived far beyond the bounds of his own interests. He was a life force felt over every foot of this town and surrounding territory during a period of many years. By nature endowed with qualities of leadership, he easily marched at the head of the column. Every form of welfare felt his touch. For many years he was the chairman of the school board of Thomasville, and was always at the front in every movement for the betterment of the community, materially, intellectually and morally. His friendships and benefactions knew no class or color lines. He knew and loved people as such, and was gloriously human in all his contacts. No man has meant more to the industrial progress of our town. Not the first to make chairs, but he was the founder of the larger enterprise that has made us known far and wide as the "Chair Town," and the builders of the largest chair in the world. He was one of the prime movers in securing the belt line from the Southern Railway, which was in reality the advance guard of a zoning system, making possible the development of large manufacturing in- dustries. In all this we must recognize large spiritual values. They give whole- some progress to the community, for if the community goes down the school and the churches cannot go up. So the life force of this captain of industry in benevolent and constructive influence has reached out through the life of the community and on through the commerce of our time to its trail's end, and thus he becomes a citizen of the world. —I 13 ]- ADDRESS: "THE CHURCHMAN The Reverend C. S. Kirkpatrick "If there was any church enterprise in which he was not interested, I never found it out. He has had a big hand in putting over more different church enterprises than any layman I know. He was interested in Greens- boro College, Rutherford College, Duke University, and all else we are doing for education. He helped locate our Assembly Ground at Lake Junaluska. For years he has supported generously our Children's Home at Winston-Salem. He has thousands of dollars in China doing mission work. His great heart responded generously to the needs of our worn-out preach- ers. He said to me recently that if he got well he would go with me to some of the churches in the interest of superannuate endowment. This would be nothing new, since he aided this cause in the past by donations and personal effort. "His success in business he attributed to the Lord's help. 'In part- nership with the Lord' is the way he expressed it. This was no meaningless phrase, as he from time to time put thousands of dollars to working for the purposes of the Kingdom of God. "He loved his church devotedly. He was a regular attendant upon the sessions of the Annual Conference. Many missed his kindly face from our midst this year and inquired the reason. We shall miss him sorely in our local church. We turned to him for counsel and advice and he never failed vis once. No pastor ever had a better friend. "His home life was ideal. One could but be impressed by his solicitude for the welfare of wife, children and grand-children. It gave him great satisfaction that every child is a Christian and church worker, and one the pastor of one of our great churches. The family altar dated back fifty years to the day of his marriage. What a happy occasion the observance of the golden wedding, October 15, 1928. "His last message to us in the church was memorable. Many of us felt it was his parting instruction, as in weakness he stood and spoke of the deep things of God. He directed us how to go and what to do. Then he commended us to the tender mercies of a gracious and loving Heavenly Father. We were reminded of St. Paul's: 'I have fought a good light.' "Heaven was as real to him as Thomasville. He spoke ol his departure as one who anticipated a happy journey. "He maintained his sunny spirit to the end. The discomforts of the last weeks brought no clouds to his skies. His love of flowers, little children and all else beautiful, remained to the end. A little neighbor girl when told of his going, asked: 'Will I not get to see him smile again?' We shall all miss his cheery smile and his Christian sympathy and counsel." -[14]— ADDRESS: "THE IMMORTAL SPIRIT' Bishop Collins Denny, D.D. While it is a matter of revelation it is a perfectly palpable fact with- out revelation that it is appointed unto man once to die. Every man of every preceding generation has kept the appointment, every man of this generation will keep it, and every man of succeeding generations through- out this dispensation will keep it. It is an appointment that nobody can fail to meet. It is appointed to man once to die, and are we to understand that man, the head of God's creation, is the most miserable failure of Almighty God? That when you come to death you reach the ultimate end of man? But if you pay attention to the advance of knowledge you know that that is not the case with anything else, and yet men are busying them- selves with this question of the immortal spirit. "Through the centuries moans the old question, If a man die, shall he live again? While so much else is immortal, is man, God's highest work, His greatest failure? That would really mean not simply that man is a failure; it would mean that God Himself is a failure. The only creation of Almighty God in which righteousness can find its fruition, where the ap- preciation of beauty can awaken its truest response, where goodness can grow to its highest height, could not possibly be God's greatest creative work if death be man's end. So Jesus stood beside the grave, and beside those who sorrowed, saying T am the resurrection and the life.' He stood before the scorners of his day, who denied the existence of any resurrection and of any spirit whatever, and said, 'Have you not read that God is the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?' He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; and this spark of life kindled by the creative power of Almighty God in human personality is an indestructible spark of life. Death cannot quench it; and while the apostle in his great song of triumph and praise speaks oi death as the last enemy, he doesn't deny that it is an enemy. He does deny that it is a conquering enemy, and over it and its ways and all its destruction he leaves a hope, indeed an assurance, and magnifies the cry of the prophet who centuries before had preceded him, and said, '0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?' "Now, I thank God lor a gospel that brings to us the knowledge of the triumph of the Son of God over the entire personality, body, soul, and spirit. Whatever may be included rightly in any of them, none of it is wasted. What is man, inch high above the grave/ whose earthly life is quenched by the smallest microbe that may float his way? What is man as you compare him with the great universe in which we live, whose extension is being constantly shown to us not only in new worlds but in new systems of worlds? Not only is our own earth contracted into a very small portion of this solar system, but our solar system, as we are taught by the rapidly increasing knowledge of our modern day, dwarfed itself, as well as the earth which is but a comparatively small speck. — i 151- "What then is man that God is mindful of him? He is only a little lower than the angels, and only God knows what that may mean, only a little lower than the angels. He has a destiny that is so great that in order to achieve it and to perfect it the Son of God came down to take our life, lived through our experience, sin alone excepted, suffered whatever pain and poverty and sorrow could come to man and a terrible and ignominious death could bring, in order that He might lift us as an immortal soul, as a son. You could blot out all this material universe, 'Star after star irom heaven's high arch may rush, Suns sink on suns, and systems on systems crush; Headlong, extinct to one dark center fall, And death and night and chaos mingle all,' and there would not be a flash of consciousness in it all. "But this little thing called man, a personality only inch high above the grave, whose very life is almost always limited to the narrow sphere of three score years and ten, and if by reason of strength it should go to four score years, yet that strength is still accompanied by labor and sorrow. Man does not live a day, not a moment without the flash of consciousness. He knows pleasure, he knows pain, joy and sorrow, hope and depression, and best of all the love that serves. He can stand up before the face of all the systems of suns and worlds in the great unlimited space, and say without fear of contradiction, 'I am greater than all, for I am made in God's image' and the spark of his deity breathes in my soul. The immortal spirit! Thank God it is an immortal spirit that death cannot touch. It is a very interesting thing to me that it is said to have been an old, old custom, so old that nobody has been able to trace it to its origin, that among the Asiatic people, particularly among the Jews, when they laid away a man they struck the ground three times and called his name and received no answer. So they called it shaal out of which we get sheol — place of departed spirits! The man is there, he has departed from us, he answers us not, but he has not ceased to exist. "The Greeks took a different sense, the sense of sight. There was something dark about death to them. They looked into the gathering gloom and caught not the object. He has gone into hades, which comes from their word 'to look.' But when Jesus came, and thank God he did come and live and kindled a fire that has never gone out and will not go out, He brought life and immortality to life. Jacob said 'I shall go down to Sheol to my son. When I get there he will be there, and he will be my son.' David said of the dead babe, T shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.' T, a person, 'him,' a person. Death is not the end. "Yes, the spirit is immortal, and, my brother, you and I are not going to be conquered by death. There will be some shadow on death when it surprises us, for death almost or possibly always surprises us when it comes, in spite of its inevitability. It won't put out our light, it won't quench our goal, it won't obliterate our existence. "For a good many years I had the privilege of quite an intimate -[ 16]- acquaintance with our brother in whose respect we are gathered here. To recognize his high, true, pure character we have gathered here today. Selecting from many attractive features of his life, I take this one, he always saw the best that was in his range of vision. His mind was not taken up with his disgusts, but with his pleasures and his joys. There is plenty in the world to disgust us. There is plenty to make us pessimistic, but, my friends, there is plenty that will kindle the best in the soul of any man, and it is to be found by the one who will look for it. There was always a smile with which he greeted you, and when you paid him a visit his attitude was that you were conferring a favor on him, rather than that he was conferring a favor on you by extending his hospitality. We knew his gracious spirit here, and shall, through that faith which he exemplified, as he passed on towards his eternal home, know him there. Thank God for the privilege and the ground of believing, and how I pity those who fail to accept the truth and to enjoy and to look forward to a future life to be spent with God and all His saints. We have not forever parted with those we love. We shall meet them again. We may have our sorrows, our tem- porary parting with our friends and loved ones, but we shall ultimately reach a land which pours over memory only repose and takes from it only regret. We shall meet again with those with whom we have held high fellowship, and with the choice spirits who have blessed the world. Let the characters they have developed, the faith they have manifested, the good they have done, the service they have rendered, the marks they have left that others may be able to see the way along which they took their journey, and to follow in it, encourage us that we may also come into the land of light where no sorrow ever comes and no tears are ever shed, and where death never enters." draper The Reverend J. K. Pfohl, D. D. "It all comes from Thee, O Father, all the good that this servant of Thine has wrought. All that has been said of him as a man, as a citizen, as a churchman and as an immortal spirit was made possible by Thee. Thou, the giver of every good and perfect gift, didst grant him wisdom, grace and strength for the service which has been recounted in our hearing today; and, while we are in the midst of sorrow and grief over his going, yet we do not sorrow as those who have no praise in their hearts for Thee and what Thou hast wrought through him. It was in Thee that he lived and moved and had his being/ even as it is with us. Thou, the great Creator- God, didst make possible man, with his great possibilities for service and blessing and we thank Thee, with grateful hearts, for what Thou didst do for him and through him who has now gone from us. We are glad to believe that, though we shall see him here no more, yet, much of the influence of his life and labor will abide to bless this and other generations; and, tor this, too, we thank and praise Thee. —[17]— "Then, Father, remember, we pray Thee, with comfort and grace, those who feel most keenly the loss which this death has occasioned. We pray especially for her, the faithful companion of our brother, who for fifty years of his pilgrim way walked by his side, sharing his joys and sor- rows and encouraging him in his Christian endeavors. Comfort her with Thine own comfort and sustain her by Thy grace; yea, do Thou give to her a double portion of the comfort with which Thou dost comfort those who mourn. "We pray, too, for the sons and the daughter, so tenderly loved and cherished by their father. May they always prize as their choicest heritage, the godly life and example which he set before them and may father's God be their God. May it be their purpose, too, to carry on, as best they can, the unfinished work which he has left them. "Upon these grand-children, we also ask Thy tender and loving bless- ing. May they grow to be godly men and women, seeking to do their full part in life and emulating the example of their diligent and faithful grand- sire. "We would pray for this congregation, which has lost one of its ablest and most devoted leaders. We would pray, too, for this Church, the great Methodist Church of our southland, which will be deprived of the counsel and enthusiastic help of one who had been for long an earnest supporter of all her efforts. Raise up those who will fill the places made vacant in the ranks of active workers and let Thy cause not suffer loss. "Then, Lord, we pray for ourselves, for each one of the many hundreds gathered for this funeral hour. Remind us how true it is that Tt is ap- pointed unto all men to die;' yet, let us not be dismayed by the thought. Through death Thou art prepared to open up for us a life of wider and fuller opportunity than that which we have known here. These immortal spirits of ours made in Thine own image and made but 'a little lower than the angels,' are destined for greater things than we have yet dreamed of, if we but love Thee and seek to do Thy will. Oh, help us today to glimpse Him who once said, T am the way, the truth and the life.' Enable us to lay hold of His gracious words, '1 am the resurrection and the life,' and may we see the demonstration of the great truth in the triumph of that glad Easter day when He burst the bonds of death and the grave and came forth victorious. We know that if we are securely anchored in Him by faith, we too shall rise from the death which awaits us and, in the glory that lies beyond shall serve Him throughout the endless ages of eternity. "We mourn today, but not as those who have no hope. We sorrow, yet we are not cast down. We hold together a solemn and tender funeral service, yet we celebrate a victory. Thou didst give to this husband and father and brother, in the hour of his going, a great victory and Thou wilt give it to us, too, if we are faithful and true. Today we say with new and fuller meaning and with greater praise, 'Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' "So, we press on, encouraged and strengthened, determined to run -[ 18]- our race, to accomplish our task, and then to go to receive the crown which Thou hast laid up for those who love Thee. "Hear us, 0 Father, help us, bless us; for we ask all these things in the name of Jesus. Amen." THE CHOIR SANG: "HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION" "How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in his excellent word! What more can he say than to you he hath said. To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled? "In every condition— in sickness, in health; In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad; on the land, on the sea — As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be. "Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed, For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid; I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow; For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress." (George Keith) ORGAN RECESSIONAL -[19]- Hit tfje #rabe Bishop Collins Denny, D.D. "Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down : he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. "In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succor, but of thee, 0 Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? "Yet, 0 Lord God most holy, 0 Lord most mighty, 0 holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. "Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts: shut not thy merciful ears to our prayers, but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee. "Forasmuch as the spirit of our deceased brother hath returned to God who gave it, we therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; looking for the general resurrection in the last day, and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose second coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the earth and the sea shall give up their dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made like unto his own glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself. "I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. "0 merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth and believeth in him, shall not die eternally: we meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness; that when we shall depart this life we may rest in him; and at the general resurrection on the last day may be found accept- able in thy sight, and receive that blessing which thy well-beloved Son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear thee, saying, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the -[ 20]- foundation of the world. Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen." The remaining service at the grave was conducted by the Masonic Fraternity, Doctor Charles A. Julian, Past Worshipful Master, officiating. Doctor Julian "The last offices paid to the dead are only useful as lectures to the living: from them we are to derive instruction and to consider every solemnity of this kind as a summons to prepare for our approaching dis- solution. "Notwithstanding the various mementoes of mortality with which we daily meet; notwithstanding Death has established his empire over all the works of nature, yet, through some unaccountable infatuation, we forget that we are born to die; we go on from one design to another, add hope to hope and lay our plans for the employment of many years, till we are suddenly alarmed at the approach of Death, when we least expect it, and at an hour which we probably conclude to be the meridian of our existence. "While we drop the sympathetic tear over the grave of our deceased friend, let Charity incline us to throw a veil over his foibles, whatever they may have been, and not withhold from his memory the praise that his virtues may have claimed. Suffer the apologies of human nature to plead in his behalf. Perfection on earth has never been attained. The wisest, as well as the best of men, have erred. "Let the present example excite our most serious thoughts and strengthen our resolutions of amendment. As life is uncertain and all earthly pursuits are vain, let us no longer postpone the all important con- cern of preparing for Eternity, but embrace the happy moment, while time and opportunity offer, to provide against the great change, when all the pleasures of this world shall cease to delight, and the reflections of a virtuous and holy life yield the only comfort and consolation. Thus, our expectations will not be frustrated, nor we be hurried unprepared into the presence of an All-Wise and Powerful Judge, to whom the secrets of all hearts are known. "Let us, while in this state of existence, support with propriety the character of our profession, advert to the nature of our solemn ties, and pursue with assiduity the sacred tenets of our Order. Then, with becoming reverence, let us seek the favor of the Eternal God, so that when the awful moment of death arrives, be it soon or late, we may be enabled to prosecute our journey without dread or apprehension, to that far distant country whence no traveler returns. "This Lamb Skin, or white leather Apron, is an emblem of Innocence -[21 ]- and the badge of a Mason : more ancient than the Golden Fleece or Roman Eagle; more honorable than the Star and Garter, when worthily worn. "This emblem I now deposit in the grave of our deceased Brother. By this we are reminded of the universal dominion of Death. The arm of friendship cannot oppose the King of Terrors, nor the charm of innocence elude his grasp. This grave, that coffin, this circle of mourning friends, remind us that we, too, are mortal: soon shall our bodies moulder to dust. "This evergreen is an emblem of our faith in the immortality of the soul. By this we are reminded that we have an immortal part within us which shall survive the grave, and which shall never, never, never die." All Members in Unison: "The will of God is accomplished. So mote it be. Amen. We cherish his memory here, we commend his spirit to God who gave it, and commit his body to the tomb." Doctor Julian: "From time immemorial, it has been the custom among the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, at the request of a Brother, to accompany his remains to the place of interment and there to deposit them with the usual formalities. "In conformity to this usage, we have assembled in the character of Masons, to offer up to his memory before the world, the last tribute of our affection, thereby demonstrating the sincerity of our past esteem for him and our steady attachment to the principles of the Order. "The Great Creator having been pleased, out of His infinite mercy, to remove our Brother from the cares and troubles of a transitory existence to a state of eternal duration and thereby to weaken the chain by which we are united, man to man, may we who survive him anticipate our ap- proaching fate, and may we be more strongly cemented in the ties of union and friendship, that during the short space allotted to our present existence we may wisely and usefully employ our time, and in the reciprocal inter- course of kind and friendly acts, mutually promote the welfare and happi- ness of each other. "Unto the grave we have resigned the body of our deceased Brother. Earth to earth, dust to dust, ashes to ashes — there to remain until the Trumpet shall sound on the Resurrection Morn. "To those of the immediate relatives and friends who are most heart stricken at the loss they have sustained, we have but little of this world's consolation to offer. We can only sincerely, deeply and most affectionately sympathize with them in their afflictive bereavement and remind them that He who tempers the wind to the Shorn Lamb looks down with infinite compassion upon the bereaved in the hour of their desolation and will fold the arms of His love and protection around those who put their trvist in Him. "We can cheerfully leave him in the hands of a Being who has done all things well, who is glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Then let us all so improve this solemn warning, that on the great day of accounting we may receive from the Compassionate Judge the welcome -[22]- invitation: 'Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.' " MASONIC PRAYER READ BY DOCTOR JULIAN "Almighty and Eternal God, in whom we live and move and have our being, and before Whom all men must appear in the Judgment Day, to give an account of their deeds in life, we who are daily exposed to flying shafts of death and who now surround the grave of our fallen Brother, most earnestly beseech Thee to impress deeply on our minds the solemnities of this day, as well as the lamentable occurrence that has occasioned them. Here may we be forcibly reminded that in the midst of life we are in death, and that whatever elevation of character we may have attained, however upright and square the course we have pursued, yet shortly must we all submit as victims of its destroying power, and endure the humbling level of the tomb, until the last loud trump shall sound the summons of our resurrection from mortality and corruption. "May we have Thy divine assistance, 0 Merciful God, to redeem our misspent time; and in the discharge of the important duties Thou hast assigned us in the erection of our moral edifice, may we have wisdom from on High to direct us, strength commensurate with our task to support us, and the beauty of holiness to adorn and render all our performances ac- ceptable in Thy sight. And when our work is done and our bodies mingle with the Mother Earth, may our souls, disengaged from the cumbrous dust, flourish and bloom in Eternal Day and enjoy that rest which Thou hast prepared for all good and faithful servants in that spiritual house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Amen." -123]- The Reverend C. S. Kirkpatrick read the following hymn and pronounced the benediction: "Now the labourer's task is o'er; Now the battle day is past; Now upon the farther shore Lands the voyager at last. Father, in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now Thy servant sleeping. "There the tears of earth are dried; There its hidden things are clear; There the work of life is tried By a juster Judge than here. Father, in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now Thy servant sleeping. " 'Earth to earth, and dust to dust;' Calmly now the words we say; Left behind, we wait in trust For the Resurrection day. Father, in Thy gracious keeping Leave we now Thy servant sleeping." (John Ellerton) "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen/' "The abundant life is determined not so much by what one has but rather by what one does. Frank Simmons Lambeth truly enjoyed the abundant life in that he gave to his community that indefinable something called personality. For more years than most people like to think about, the life of Thomasville, North Carolina, was interwoven with his life in an inextricable way — they were one and inseparable. To think of Thomas- ville was to think of Colonel Lambeth, who in his quiet yet forceful manner, exercised the most wholesome type of leadership in the life of a growing industrial community. Not only was he a pioneer of industry, a successful builder of enterprise, but a staunch layman and advocate of a higher social order. Fairness and justice characterized his every act, and he so lived as to radiate a warmth of friendship that was the outpouring of a great and noble heart. "Frank Simmons Lambeth was born August 20, 1857, near Thomas- ville, the son of David T. and Caroline Simmons Lambeth. His boyhood was spent on his father's farm, where he performed the chores that con- tributed much toward his physical development and sturdiness of char- acter. He was tutored by the late Professor I. L. Wright and entered Trinity College in 1877, where he came under the guidance of the illustri- ous Braxton Craven, then president of Trinity College. Although his so- journ at Trinity was for only one year, he imbibed the spirit of the insti- tution and went forth to attain his place in life. During the years of struggling under Craven, Trinity College had the support of this loyal son, and he easily and readily grasped the opportunities for service and progress in behalf of Alma Mater. He was one of the few alumni whose lives span the entire period of Alma Mater's progress — from a small college in Randolph County, to a larger college at Durham, linked up with the industry, and now a great University properly endowed and equipped. He delighted much in the work of Alma Mater and was on hand for Com- mencement and other occasions, whenever his health permitted. "On October 15, 1878, Frank S. Lambeth married Miss Ella Arnold of Randolph County. Mr. and Mrs. Lambeth shortly thereafter took up their residence at Thomasville and were actively identified with the life of that community in every way. Their golden wedding anniversary was a scene of happiness and charm, indicating their wholesome manner of living and the goodwill of people from all walks of life and every section of the state — a great multitude of friends called during the evening to wish them well and to pay homage to a couple whose lives had been a blessing and a joy to mankind. "Three sons and a daughter, together with his widow, survive Colonel Lambeth. William A. Lambeth, of the Class of 1901, is pastor of Mount — [ 25 1— Vernon Place Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Washington, D. C. Charles F. Lambeth, of the Class of 1903, a member of the Board of Trustees of Duke University, and James E. Lambeth of the Class of 1906 were associated with their father in the management of the Standard Chair Company of Thomasville. Mrs. W. W. Rankin, Jr., a graduate of Salem, is the wife of a professor of Mathematics in Duke University. Colonel Lam- beth was a true patron of Trinity College and Duke University and always interested in her welfare. "After leaving Trinity College, Frank Lambeth was engaged in the mercantile business at Thomasville with his father. In 1898 he, together with his brother John W. Lambeth, E. W. Cates and John W. Pope, founded the Standard Chair Company, which started operations in a building 40 by 60 feet, with a force of thirteen and a capacity of two hundred chairs daily. Colonel Lambeth later bought out the interests of these men and operated the business for himself and family, taking his two sons into the business as they finished college. He was a pioneer in the furniture industry and lived to see this flourishing enterprise rated high among the industrials of Piedmont Carolinas. The Standard Chair Com- pany has grown apace with the demands of the trade and today operates on a large scale under the direction of Charles F. and James E. Lambeth; the plant now employs over 250 workmen in the shop and 500 weavers of seat bottoms in homes, and has a capacity of two thousand chairs a day. "Colonel Lambeth was appointed to the Governor's Staff by Locke Craig, and was for a time director of the North Carolina Railroad. He was always actively interested in the political life of Davidson County and was tendered office on several occasions, but declined to accept. He served as a member of the county board of charities and public welfare for many years, and was the first chairman of the Thomasville School Board. He was devoted to the interests of the Methodist Church and served the church in many ways— as local lay leader, as delegate to conferences, as member of conference boards, trustee of Greensboro College, and patriarch. As a Mason and Rotarian he occupied a prominent place in fraternal and civic affairs; for six years he was a 100 per cent Rotarian. He touched life at many places and made life richer and fuller by his touch." — (The Alumni Register of Duke University, January, 1929.) "Col. Frank S. Lambeth, a leading citizen and successful business man of Thomasville and also, a prominent Methodist layman of North Carolina, died at his home in Thomasville, N. C, Thursday afternoon, November 22. "For a year and three months he had been almost constantly in con- sultation with the best physicians that could be obtained, but it was learned a few months ago that his days were almost numbered. He was seventy-one years of age. "The funeral services were held Saturday afternoon, November 24, -I 26 J— at Main Street Methodist Episcopal church. The immense crowd over- taxed the capacity of the building including the annex and other space made available by adjoining rooms to the auditorium. The crowd was said to be the largest that has been known to assemble for a funeral service at this church in its long history. "Active pallbearers were J. R. Blair, J. H. Donnell, E. F. Pepper, H. B. Shoaf, L. E. Teague, J. T. Yarbrough, F. B. Gray, R. C. Rapp. Honorary pallbearers were Dr. W. P. Few, Dr. R. L. Flowers, Dr. Frank C. Brown, all of Durham; Dr. Dred Peacock, Fred N. Tate, O. E. Kearns, D. A. Stanton, all of High Point; J. A. Green, T. J. Finch, Archibald Johnson, all of Thomasville; J. L. Rankin, Altanta, Ga.; J. A. McAulay, Mt. Gilead; Col. Wade Harris, Charlotte; Robert N. Page, Aberdeen; Geo. W. Mountcastle, Geo. L. Hackney, Lexington; John Wischebrink, New York; Dr. C. S. Lawrence, Leon Cash, B. S. Womble, B. B. Walker, Winston-Salem; Dr. S. B. Turrentine, Greensboro; W. R. Odell and D. B. Coletrane, Concord; William C. Hammer, Asheboro; A. E. Tate and Rev. Tom A. Sykes, High Point, and J. B. Akers, Washington, D. C. "The floral offerings about the chancel and pulpit filled the entire front of the church. "The service opened with the familiar strains from the choir singing 'Abide With Me.' Then later in the service 'Jesus, Lover of My Soul.' Scripture reading was by Dr. A. W. Plyler of Greensboro, and prayer was offered by Dr. J. H. Barnhardt. Poems were read by Dr. J. W. Smith of Durham. 'Colonel Lambeth, the Man,' was discussed by Rev. R. M. Courtney of Concord, a former pastor here, 'Colonel Lambeth, the Citizen,' by Dr. M. L. Kesler, manager of the Baptist Orphange here, and 'Colonel Lambeth, the Churchman,' by Rev. C. S. Kirkpatrick, pastor of deceased. " 'The Immortal Spirit' was briefly but effectively spoken by Bishop Collins Denny of Richmond, Va. The closing prayer was by Dr. J. K. Pfohl of Winston-Salem. "Masons then directed in the procession to the city cemetery where the last rites were carried through by that order, of which Colonel Lam- beth was an honored past master. Dr. Charles A. Julian,formerly of Thomas" ville, now of Greensboro, a past master of the local lodge, led in the burial ceremonies. "Surviving are his wife, who was Ella Arnold, daughter of the late Penn Arnold of Randolph County; three sons, Dr. William A. Lambeth, of Washington, Charles and James E. Lambeth of Thomasville, and one daughter, Mrs. W. W. Rankin, Jr., of Durham, all of whom were present when the end came. There are also twelve grandchildren, three brothers, John W. and David Thomas, both of Thomasville, and Robert L. Lam- beth of Thomasville and Greensboro; three sisters, Mrs. George H. Yow and Mrs. John R. Myers of Thomasville, and Mrs. Edgar Dixon of Win- ston-Salem. "Colonel Lambeth had been an outstanding leader in the manufacture of chairs in Thomasville for the past 30 years, filling the place of secretary -[27]- and treasurer of the Standard Chair Company from its beginning in the year 1898. This enterprise prospered under his guiding hand from the start and has had a sure and gradual growth down to the present. Two of his sons, Charles F. and James E. Lambeth, have carried the main re- sponsibility of the business for quite a while in order that their father might be relieved of the burden. "He was a member of the Methodist Board of Publication, a trustee of Greensboro College, member and constant attendant at his annual conferences as well as all services of his church in Thomasville. He was a liberal contributor to every good cause and deeply interested in all the affairs of his church. He loved Methodist preachers and they loved him. Almost half a hundred were present for the funeral services. "To his children and his grandchildren he leaves a rich heritage. His community and his church will miss him. The departure of this genial spirit who magnified the best that was in men and institutions leaves a great vacant space in his household, in his home town of Thomasville, and in the Methodist church of North Carolina. A very large company in every station of society mourns the departure of Col. Frank Lambeth/' — (North Carolina Christian Advocate, November 29, 1928.) "At the death of our esteemed and beloved fellow townsman, Colonel Frank S. Lambeth, press and pulpit have vied with each other in lavishing encomiums upon this worthy man, and none who knew him will doubt but that he deserved all that has been said. He has been praised as a man, a citizen, a churchman, and a pioneer of industry, and in each of these circles he was outstanding. But the people of Thomasville feel that they have lost more than their foremost citizen, more than a leading church- man, more than a captain of industry. The people of this city have been bereft of a true and loyal friend, a man who could always be counted on and who was ever true and faithful. His genial disposition and optimistic view of life won the love of thousands who knew him. He had friends in all walks of life, from the humblest to the wealthiest, to whom his love of humanity appealed and who could not have been reached by the mere man of business enterprise. "Colonel Lambeth was a man who always looked on the bright side of life. Even during the last few months of his life, when his health was broken and he knew that his expectation of life was short, he was always bright and cheerful and his presence in any company was like a ray of sunshine. He was never known to complain over misfortune or illness, but wore a smile at all times and tried to make those around him happy. "The colonel, as he was affectionately known here, will be truly missed in Thomasville, as a man, as a citizen, but mostly as a friend. There was hardly a person in this city who had been here for any length of time but who had come in contact with him on the streets, in his office -[28}- or in his home, and who had not at some time been made to feel better by his cheerful greeting. "Colonel Lambeth was an outstanding man in the community, in the county and in the state, and many of the larger papers of North Carolina have paid tribute to him in their editorial columns since his death. Quota- tions from several of these newspapers are given here, showing his worth as a man and as a citizen. ..." — (The News and TixMES, November 29, 1928.) "Colonel Frank S. Lambeth was patriarch of those who made his town of Thomasville the Chair Town, giving it a distinction before the world that is cherished by an industrious people. He was a power in his community, a man of tremendous influence throughout Davidson county. "The young era of industrialism in the Piedmont, of furniture and textiles, is the product of the initial adventuring of men who, those of them that remain, are no longer young. The contemporaries of Frank S. Lambeth have gone through such experiences as men of the present genera- tion who magnify and carry on these great industries do not have to en- counter; venturers into a new field, whose entrance bore no conspicuous sign of welcome, with neither prestige nor, in many instances, ample reserves of money and credit to support them. Manufacturing still has its lean times with its fat, it still calls for the best a man has to meet crises, and to be in constant preparation for crisis; the most fortunate do not find it all beer and skittles. Nevertheless they of the present reap in com- parative ease where Colonel Lambeth and others sowed in struggle and difficulty. "The honors he had won in the business world and in community life, in the life of the state, were accorded by his community; the place his personality and talents had won was fully recognized. The Chair Town had a proper pride in this pioneer of the chair industry." — (Greensboro News, November 24, 1928.) "If personality were the sort of thing that might be captured by taking thought, our social philosophers would do well to study the career of Frank S. Lambeth, who died in Thomasville last week. He was an in- dustrialist, a large employer of labor, but never in his whole career did he find himself confronting anything that a northern manufacturer would recognize as a labor problem. He had plenty of problems relating to men in his employ; but to him these were not labor problems. They were human problems, because he employed, not labor, but men. "Investigators from other sections have often wondered why it is so difficult to gain a clear understanding of the present state of southern -[ 29 ]- industrialism. The principles they have discovered and the rules they have formulated elsewhere somehow do not seem to apply in the south. Methods that work well elsewhere do not work at all below the Potomac. Neither employees nor employers react in the way one would expect. Labor conditions remain obscure, chaotic and largely unpredictable. "Frank Lambeth was to some extent the answer to this puzzle. He was typical of the best southern employers of the generation of the in- dustrial pioneers. When he founded his concern nobody in North Carolina knew much about manufacturing either from the standpoint of the em- ployer or from that of the workman. They all learned together, and to- gether they achieved their triumphs. Every man in the factory under- stood clearly the interdependence of master and man; each knew that if 'Colonel Frank' succeeded, everybody's job was secure, and that if he failed, all his men would be in a bad fix. They regarded him as a great deal more reliable than any labor union, and they would take his word in pre- ference to that of organizers whom they had never seen before. "On the other hand, he realized keenly the contribution that his men had made to his success, and he accepted responsibilities toward them which would appall an employer born and raised in an industrial com- munity. If he hired John Jones, he was not merely purchasing one more unit of labor costing so many dollars a week; he was making a place for old man Isaac Jones' boy, whom he had known since he was knee high. And he paid John more than his weekly wage — he paid him attention. Many soulless corporations have learned that it is good business to look after their sick or injured employees, but Frank Lambeth looked after his when they were in perfect health, but also in trouble. If John's eldest girl ran off with a married barber, John expected 'Colonel Frank' to do something about it, and he usually did; which was one difference between working for him and working for, say, the Ford Motor Company. "This attitude is possible only when an employer can know all his men personally. As southern industrialism grows larger and more complex, the type represented by Frank Lambeth is bound to disappear. "However, more than mere personal acquaintance is necessary to such a relation. There are plenty of employers of less than a dozen men who inspire no such respect and affection as this man enjoyed. In addition to personal knowledge of his men and their problems, one must have also a profound interest in humanity, a deep and abiding affection for people. "In this quality Frank S. Lambeth was one of the richest men I have ever encountered. He was interested in everything and everybody. He loved people and he loved life. He was bouyant, vibrant, bubbling over with boyish enthusiasm and boyish gayety. His mere presence was as destructive to grouches as a hot flame is to a chunk of ice. It was impos- sible to meet him without coming away thinking better of mankind. "And behind it all, and over it all, he had honor and courage and truth. After all, perhaps it is useless for the social philosophers to study him, be- cause telling us what he was like will never make us like him. A golden -[30]- heart and a strong soul are the gifts of God, and not to be acquired through much study." — (Gerald W. Johnson, in Greensboro News, November 28, 1928.) The death of Colonel Lambeth on Thursday afternoon after a long illness brought deep grief to the citizens of Thomas\ r ille. He was a man of sterling worth to the community and was foremost in everything that had for its object the industrial, moral and religious interest of the town. He was a successful manufacturer and organized the Standard Chair Com- pany, one of the oldest and most prosperous, of the industries of Thomas- ville, but he was a great deal more than that; he was one of the wisest and most useful citizens of the community. He was a genuine leader of men and threw himself with all his power in every enterprise that looked to the growth and development of Thomasville. His counsel was eagerly sought by people who were perplexed and was gladly given to those in doubt or distress. Nobody in the town possessed a keener sense of justice or a finer poise of judgment. The oldest of a large family he was a guide and counseller to his brothers and sisters who valued his wisdom and followed his advice. His four children walked in his footsteps and grew up to honored maturity. Two of his sons succeed him in the fine business he established and developed, another is the pastor of a great church in Washington, D. C, and has become one of the leading pastors in the South, while the youngest is a daughter of glorious womanhood. His wife who was Miss Ella Arnold, of Randolph County, was a helpmate in deed and was always the object of his tender devotion. He was a friend affec- tionate and loyal and true. In short he was a noble Christian man who found his highest joy in the service of his Lord and Master. A great com- pany from this and various other communities gathered on Saturday afternoon to pay their last tribute of respect to his honored memory, around his grave. — (Archibald Johnson, in Charity and Children, Nov. 29, 1928.) "Respected and loved in High Point almost as generally as in his home community was Colonel Frank S. Lambeth, who died yesterday in Thomasville. "He was a pioneer in the furniture industry of this section. In the early day of the industry's development, Colonel Lambeth became secre- tary-treasurer of the Standard Chair Company of Thomasville, and his success was an inspiration to others who entered the furniture manufactur- ing business. "His business duties did not prevent him from taking a large part in the other phases of the life of his community. His very genuinely fraternal spirit found full play among his fellows to the end that he won the affection as well as the admiration of those who knew him. To his neighbors he was infinitely more than a successful business man. -f311- "Perhaps High Point developed its acquaintanceship with Colonel Lambeth more closely than it might have done otherwise because of the relation of one of his sons to this city. Reverend William A. Lambeth, now of Washington, D. C, was pastor for a period of the Wesley Memorial M. E. Church here. The two, father and son, cemented the contacts be- tween this city and the family so that they were never strained or broken. "Colonel Lambeth could enter no gathering of High Point people without being heartily acclaimed. The people here who knew him, and they were numerous, welcomed him on all occasions. There was no reserve in this honest fondness and High Point people are among the sincere mourners because of the death of Thomasville's splendid citizen." — (High Point Enterprise, November 23, 1928.) "In the death of Colonel Frank S. Lambeth, the town of Thomasville lost the pioneer in the furniture manufacturing business that has developed to its existing large proportions. He began the manufacture of chairs about thirty years ago and lived to see his branch of the industry grow into nation-wide reputation. But he was valuable to the community not only as manufacturer, but as citizen, for his hand had an active part in promotion of the various factors that have operated to the making of Thomasville a fine place in which to live. His domestic life was an inspir- ing example. His home was happy and he made all around sharers in this happiness, and in his later years he was surrounded by a family whose devotion to him, born of the model life he lived, was unbounded. Colonel Lambeth was a devoted and a consecrated Methodist and contributed to that denomination one of its most popular and influential of its pulpit leaders. His life was full of good deeds of the kind that will survive to make his name blessed." — (Charlotte Observer, November 24, 1928.) "The pioneer manufacturers of North Carolina laid deep and broad the foundation upon which the State's manufacturing expansion rests. Among the virile men who made possible today's enlargement was Colonel Frank S. Lambeth, who died in Thomasville last week. He was a Chair King and an industrial leader who never lost his interest in religion, in education and in good government. The pioneers in manufacturing, like Mr. Lambeth, remained true to their early political and religious creeds in a shifting day when too many let such convictions go out of the window when wealth comes in at the door. Not so with Colonel Lambeth. It was his steadfastness that made him esteemed and which his sons inherit. "The spirit of the man was seen not only in his devotion to the things that were high in his life and in the precepts and examples he placed be- fore his sons, who worthily wear his mantle, but also in his will. There is no better place to judge a man who has made a competence or more in his life than to read his will. It is here that he discloses the things that he -[32]- held nearest his heart. Mr. Lambeth sought to continue in some way his benevolences to churches, to colleges and to other institutions which are set up for the spread of religion and blessing to mankind." — (The Honor- able Josephus Daniels.) Resolutions, Baraca Class, Main Street Methodist Church, Thomasville, N. C. : "Colonel Frank Simmons Lambeth has gone to his Eternal Home. There was no fear or trembling in his soul as he embarked for the great adventure. As he had lived, so did he die, with a great love in his heart for God, and sublime faith that knew no wavering. He often visited our class; he taught us occasionally, and was deeply interested in our activities and proud of our accomplishments. We shall miss him keenly as we meet in the future to carry on the work of our class and church in which he has for so long a time taken such an important part. His two sons, James and Charles, have also been deeply interested in our class for many years, James as a member since its organization, and Charles as Superintendent of the Sunday School of which we are a part. "And whereas we desire to pay tribute to the memory of our departed brother, and give expression of our love and sympathy to the family, therefore be it resolved: "First — That we lift up our heartfelt praise to God for the life of our esteemed brother, Colonel Lambeth, for the many years of usefulness spent among us, for his fine qualities of Christian manhood, for the benign influence that radiated from his life, and for the beauty of the friendship and fellowship we had with him that leaves to us such a tender and sacred memory. "Second — That we bow in humble submission to the will and purpose of Him whose plan it is to start our spiritual culture here and then trans- plant us to His Eternal Gardens of life where we are not fettered with the temptations and limitations of time and place, but in the light of his presence and the liberty of his love our souls may flourish and bloom and rise to heights unknown to earthly habitation. "Third — That we convey to the family of Colonel Lambeth an ex- pression of our appreciation of his life and work, and our sincere love and sympathy for them in these hours when sadness is in their hearts because of his separation from them, and commend them to the care of our Father, in whom they steadfastly trust, and to the comfort of the words of the Lord Jesus who gives us such certain assurance of reunion with those we love. "Fourth — That a copy of these resolutions be spread upon our minutes and a copy sent to each member of the family of our deceased brother. J. T. Yarbrough J. D. Morgan T. E. Jennings Committee -[33 ]- On October twentieth, 1928, about four in the afternoon, Colonel Lambeth called to see his Aunt Jennie Simmons, at Mrs. Edgar W. Dixon's residence, in Winston-Salem, N. C, and, during the conversation, quoted to her what he said was Charles Wesley's last hymn: "In age and feebleness extreme, Who shall a helpless worm redeem? Jesus, my only hope thou art, Strength of my failing flesh and heart I O could I catch a smile from thee, And drop into eternity!" (This hymn appears in the old hymn book, as No. 835. Doctor W. F. Tillett, in "Our Hymns and Their Authors" [1889], prints the following note with reference to this hymn: " 'A Last Wish' is the title which the author gave to these lines, the last of his poetic utterances. They were written in March, 1788. They were written by the author on his deathbed. He called his wife to him, and she wrote down as he dictated. This fragment is the sweet singer's last song on earth. It was doubtless continued and completed on the other shore. What a noble sentiment with which to close a life that has been consecrated to God!") ■ -[34]- Thames of Choir Who Sang at Colonel Lambeth's Funeral Miss Susie Crowell, Organist Mrs. W. J. Hege Mrs. R. C. Harville Mrs. Myrtle Perry Allred Miss Nell Parkin Mr. Gurney Briggs Mr. M. L. Bales Dr. R. K. Farrington xHr. T. J. Perry -[35]- BARBER-HALL PRINTING COMPANY HIGH POINT - NORTH CAROLINA