Extracted from The Butler Herald (Butler, GA)
Thursday, February 7, 1935

Prominent Cuthbert Citizen And Native of Taylor Co. Succumbs to Long Illness

From The Cuthbert Leader:

Charles Taunton was born at Reynolds, Ga., April 17, 1856, and died at his home in Cuthbert Jan. 30, 1935, after a lingering illness, and in failing health for more than two years, during which every possible attention from devoted members of the family and relatives gave abundant evidence of their love, his end was peaceful.

He was the oldest child of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. W. Taunton. His father died when he was a young man and he assumed the task of being head of the family and no son or brother could have been more exceeding kind and provident than he until his health failed him. His devotion to his mother while she lived was beautiful beyond words to express. His love for his sisters, his brother and the nieces and nephews was such that he counted it his greatest joy to do for tehm [sic them] everything possible to add to their happiness.

He was never married, and his active long life was engaged in varied business interests. He was employed as clerk by Wm. B. Dixon; was many years engaged in the mercantile business, was successful as a fruit grower on a [s]mall farm; operated an ice house and a coal business; but his greatest success was as a city officer. For 28 years he was chief of police; was engineer and superintendent of the city water and light plant for some years during his services as chief of police. It can be said that no city ever had a more loyal employe or one who watched every interest with more diligent and frugal care.

Fearless and prompt to every call as an officer of the city he was a true friend to everyone, white or colored, and with firm and friendly counsel kept many out of more serious trouble. In his dealings with others, he kept his word, was generous to a fault, true to his friends and fair to a foe.

Early in manhood he was inducted into the tenents of Masonry and became a member of Washington Lodge No. 19 F. and A. M. of Cuthbert, and lived a good Mason.

He spent his life working for Cuthbert and Randolph county -- his family and his friends.