Descendants of Robert Edward Merrill

Generation No. 5

COLONEL ROBERT EDWARD MERRILL (JOSEPH BELL, JAMES JOSEPH MERRELL, CHARLES MERRILL, CAPTAIN BENJAMIN MERRILL and JEMIMA SMITH) was born 05 Jan 1855 in Carroll County, Georgia, and died 12 Dec 1897 in Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama.  He married ELIZABETH H AUSTIN 06 Dec 1874.  She was born 13 May 1855 in Galina, Fayette County, Georgia, and died 04 Sep 1927 in Cleburne County, Alabama.

Notes for COLONEL ROBERT EDWARD MERRILL:

DEATH OF Mr. R.E. MERRILL

The people of this community heard with much regret of the death of Mr. R.E. Merrill which occurred at  his home in Heflin on Sunday morning last, after a long illness.  Mr. Merrill was a son of Mr. J.B. Merrill, a nephew and namesake of Mr. Robert E. Merrill of this vicinity and first cousin of Mrs. W.W. Dobson.  He was born in Georgia but was brought up principally in Randolph County and was known to almost every one in the county.  He was a man of signal ability and a most liberal mental endowment.  He early esponsed the cause of the common people as represented in the People's Party organization, and some five or six years ago edited at this place The Reformer, a brilliant exponent of Populists principles, of which The Toiler became successor, under the editorial management of Captain Guinn and sons.  He was an eloquent, logical and persuasive orator as well as writer and did much to awaken the people to a sense of the dangers then threatening and now overtaking them. Retiring then from editorial work and in great measure from political life, he moved to Heflin and devoted himself to mineral development but remained true to the cause of the people.  Mr. Merrill was perhaps 45 to 48 years of age at the time of his death.

NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, May 11, 1893

Col. R.E. Merrill of the Pinetucky Gold Mining Co. was among us this morning. Mr. Merrill is an experienced miner and says htat the gold mines are doing all that could be wished for them. He also states that experts that are now at the mines say they are the richest they have ever seen, California not excepted.The Pinetucky district is located in the extreme north of Randolph county and is named after the principal mine in active operation. The Pinetucky mine shows good returns of free gold from panning tests.  The Pinetucky was discovered in 1843 and worked in several places to water level by inexperienced miners. The vein is a true fissure in a granite formation and can be traced by the outcrop for a distance of two miles from north to south. At the surface it shows an average thickness of about three inches but showing increase as it goes down. The president of the Pinetucky Mining and Mineral Land company, Col. James B. Merrill of Edwardsville, Alabama says the company will soon add a plant for the treatment of concentrates.

The Crown Point Gold Mines, sitting just a short distance from the Pinetucky mines are equally as rich as the Pinetucky mines. There is a six foot vein and is increasing in size and is said to be several miles long but only one mile of it is located on the Crown Point property. The veing extends on to Arbacoochee which is another rich mining town.

IN MEMORIAM of ROBERT EDWARD MERRILL

On Sunday morning, December 12th, Robert Edward Merrill died at his home on Evans street, in this city, after a long illness of Hepatic Sclerosis. He was born in Carroll County, Georgia on the 5th day of January 1855. He married Miss Bettie Austin of Fayette county, Georgia on the 6th of December 1874. He was admitted to the bar at Fayetteville, GA about 1882 and moved to Edwardsville in this county in 1884; he has since resided in this and Randolph counties. About six years ago, feeling impressed with a sense of duty, he took ministerial orders in the Congregational church and entered upon the work of the ministry. For several years past he has been largely engaged in developing the mineral interests of this county. He was a member of Caldwell Lodge A.F. and A.M. in this city, and was buried in Heflin cemetery with masonic honors after a funeral service at the Methodist Church, conducted by Rev. W.P. Weston, attended by a large concourse of relatives and friends.

As a husband and father he was ever kind, indulgent and affectionate; as a lawyer he was true to his clients and ever ready to defend the causes of the weak and oppressed against the strong oppressor; as an active agency in the upbuilding and development of the county's resources, he was energetic and diligent, much of the great enterprise begun within the past few years was due to his efforts. As a minister he was earnest, devout and untiring; and as a Mason, bright, true and exemplary. But because of the relentless hand of death, the husband and father has crossed the threshold of his earthly home the last time; the lawyer has appeared for his clients in early courts with his last appeal; as a developer he has left the field that he so oft explored, leaving whatever he has built for the good of those who shall reap his sowing; his voice as minister has sounded it's last warning to dying man; the true mason has left the mystic temple of earth to enter the mysterious temple above whose worshipful master is god. All of him that was mortal is past.....

With those who are bereft we can only weep; being touched with their grief by our sympathies and say to the sad hearts of the bereaved wife and orphaned children, we would not bid you cease to weep, for how should hearts thus burdened with grief find a solace save in tears, but we would weep with you, for they comfort you most who weep with you in your hours of supreme distress......

More About COLONEL ROBERT EDWARD MERRILL:

Census: 1880, Fayette County, Georgia

Occupation: Attorney

Notes for ELIZABETH H AUSTIN:

NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, July 30, 1896

LOCAL NEWS

Mrs. R.E. Merrill became overheated yesterday and is quite sick. May she soon recover.

FINAL RITES FOR MRS. MERRILL (Cleburne News, Thursday, September 8,1927)

Mrs. Elizabeth Merrill, age 73, widow of the late Robert E. Merrill, and a pioneer resident of Cleburne county, died at her home in Arbacoochee Saturday night following a short illness.  Burial was in the Heflin Cemetery Sunday afternoon.  Surviving are three sons, Cliff, Charlie and Paul Merrill of Arbacoochee and one daughter Mrs. Oliver Gaston of Corinth, Randolph County, Ala.,  four brothers, James Austin of Ginwood, Georgia; Charlie, Joe and William Austin of Altanta;  three sisters, Mrs. Carrie Graves of East Point, GA;  Mrs. Maggie Carter and Mrs. Mammie Cook of Atlanta, GA.  Mrs. Merrill was an aunt of Judge Hugh D. Merrill of Anniston and W.B. Merrill of Heflin, Ala.  Mrs. Merrill was preceded to the grave by her husband about 30 years ago, he being buried in the Heflin cemetery.

Children of ROBERT MERRILL and ELIZABETH AUSTIN are:

Child	Name	Birth	Death	Spouse Name	Marriage	Spouse Birth	Spouse Death
i.	JOSEPH B. MERRILL	15 Feb 1876, Georgia	30 Nov 1892
ii.	ROBERT EDWARD MERRILL	20 Sep 1878, Cleburne County, AL	09 Jul 1918	SARA LOLA SEARS	Dec 1900, Micaville, Alabama	Abt. 1881, Alabama	30 May 1924, Birmingham, Alabama
iii.	ANNIE LEE MERRILL	03 Mar 1881, Georgia	26 Apr 1954, Birmingham, AL	HENRY OLIVER GASTON	24 Feb 1901, Randolph County, AL	10 Oct 1877	12 Oct 1950
iv.	JAMES A. MERRILL	13 Oct 1883	05 Sep 1884
v.	THOMAS CALEB MERRILL	21 Jul 1885, Alabama	27 Nov 1926	LEA DENHAM	Dec 1916, Cleburne County, AL	28 Oct
vi.	CLIFFTON PARKER MERRILL	17 Mar 1888, Alabama	25 May 1934
vii.	PAUL A MERRILL	03 Aug 1890, Alabama	04 Dec 1937	METTIE ROOKS	Jul 1914, Micaville, AL
viii.	WILLIAM H. MERRILL	09 Nov 1892	10 Mar 1895
ix.	CHARLES EMMITT MERRILL	30 May 1895, Heflin, Cleburne County, AL	29 Jul 1948	ETHEL LUCILLE GREGORY	04 Nov 1926, De Kalb County, Georgia	13 May 1893, Newnan, Coweta County, GA	07 Oct 1970
x.	FRED A. MERRILL	12 Mar 1898	29 Sep 1899