THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, July 17, 1930

Mrs. George Moody, one of Flagler County's best known and most popular residents, died Sunday morning at the Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, following a very short illness: The news of the end of her long and useful life came as a shock to residents of Flagler County, where she had resided and had been active for so many years.

Being of Christian character, Mrs. Moody possessed many admirable traits. She always evidenced a generous interest in every movement to aid Flagler Beach, where she was a resident for many years.

She was an active member in the Order of Eastern Star, Royal Neighbors Lodge and a member of the Methodist church at Flagler Beach, where she was prominent in church activities.

Besides her husband, George Moody she is survived by three daughters, Mrs. M. B; Fuller, of Bunnell, Mrs. .J. A. Babbitt, of Augusta, Georgia and Mrs. Lige Yelvington, of Flagler Beach; three sons, George Moody, Jr., I. I. Moody and Leonard Moody, of Flagler Beach; three sisters, Mrs. W. C. Pinker, Mrs. Ada Upchurch, Mrs. J. W. Bowen, of Baxley, Georgia.

Funeral services wore conducted at the Methodist church in Bunnell Monday afternoon at three o'clock, Rev. J. B. Culpepper and Rev. J. B. Culpepper, Jr., officiating.

The body was laid to rest at the Espanola Cemetery in the present of many friends of the deceased and the bereaved family.

THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, July 24, 1930

RETROSPECTION
By F. L. Byrd

“Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight”; and the author was retrospecting the days of childhood. He was looking down the backward trail of life to the halcyon days of the long ago.

Young people live in the future, the older live in the past, while the middle age, at frequent intervals look both ways, and the soft music, the sacred scriptures, the tender words, the moistened eye-lids, the dampened kerchiefs and floral tributes were features of the solemn ceremonies over the remains of Mrs. Bettie Moody (Bettie Miles, 1882-1930, daughter of Leonard Miles and Polly Ann Mississippi Deen) a few days ago, we were taken back to the days when similar scenes were thrown on the canvas when others had preceded her.

We remember the genial smile of Isaac Moody (Isaac I. Moody, Jr., 1874-1918), the merry laugh of Robert (Robert Moody, 1876-1918); the generous heart of Crosier Smith (Crozier Alexander Smith, 1879-1921); the jolly moods of Chapperel Heath (W Chapel Heath, 1855-1923); the tender heart of Uncle Bill (?); the glad handshake of Uncle Dan (Daniel Martin Deen, 1857-1930); the sportive spirit of Perry Hall(Sheriff Perry Edward Hall, 1885-1927); the tender youth of Tilton McKnight (Lois Tilton McKnight, 1908-1927); the soften voice of Allen McKenzie (William Allen McKenzie, 1900-1923); the solid mien of Sonny Durrance (Deputy Sheriff George Walter “Son” Durrance, 1893-1927); the placid face of Joshua Geiger (Joshua Cornelius Geiger, 1871-1928); the easy manner of Dr. Brown (?); the loyal friendship of Johnny Choate (John Isaac Choate, 1873-1926); the enthusiasm of Colonel Stewart (?), the later of whom was followed by a few friends who listened to a pretty eulogy by his former comrade, Mr. Warner (Ernest Frederick Warner, 1870-1952) was the only ceremony, as his remains were laid beneath a flowered covered mound.

Mrs. Moody tho’, just in middle of life was truly a pioneer of the little colony coming to it when it was in its infancy, and her loyalty to her church, her devotion to her family, her interest in education, her kindness to her neighbors and the splendid work done in the fraternal orders in which she was state-widely known, endeared her friends to a degree that the vacancy left their hearts will never been filled.

A large circle of friends attended her  funeral and were reminded of the solemn thought that “Every cradle asks us when, and every coffin asks us whither”, and as they rolled over the narrow brick road which she had ridden so often to the shady slopes of Espanola, retrospection was no doubt strangely mixed with a mental scanning of the future, as words when, why and whiter revolved in their quite reflections.

A good women is God’s master piece, and as the ceremonies were led over this one by a father who had trodden the devious road of life ahead of a son who was following in his footsteps, and as gentle hands placed the remains of their departed friend neath the sacred sands it was with hope that the stars would shine more brilliantly, the moon would throw a softer light, the song bird would warble sweetest, and, but the gentlest of zephyrs would blow thro’ the sylvan bowers that covered that solemn place where she must lie, till they would meet again.

NOTE: F. L Byrd who wrote this lovely pierce is Franklin Leroy “Frank” Byrd who was born on 30 May 1872 in Crescent City FL and who died on 21 Jun 1949 in Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach. He assumed that management of the Bunnell Hotel in May 1914 and represented Flagler County in the Florida Legislature in 1923, 1925, 1927 and 1933. He also served as the Mayor of Bunnell for a number of terms.

I have attempted to identify those individuals listed in Representative Byrd’s Retrospection and have put that information in italics.   

Sisco Deen, 08 May 2019