City Directories and History: 1908 – Edgar Alexander (Bookkeeper – Joseph Wylie Company) , 1940 – John E. Nunnery, 1958 – Hall F. Nunnery, 1978 – Sherrill Lewis (State Farm Insurance)
Mr. John E. Nunnery after several months of declining health, died at the Pryor hospital yesterday (Wednesday) morning at two-forty-five o’clock. He had been a patient at the hospital for several weeks and while his death was not unexpected it came as a shock to his family and and hundreds of friends throughout the state.
He was a son of the late Joe Nunnery and the late Dorothy McFadden Nunnery and was born in the Wylie’s Mill section of Chester County on April 3, 1877, and would have been seventy-two years of age if he had lived a few days longer. He is the last member of his immediate family.
He received his education in the local schools of his community and graduated at Furman University in the class of 1900. He was a former president of the alumni association. Following his graduation at Furman he returned to Chester County and was engaged in farming for
a time. At the time he lived in the Wylie’s Mill section he was a devoted member of Harmony Baptist church and was superintendent of the Sunday School there for about ten years. In the latter part of 1913 Mr. Nunnery moved to Chester and for a little more than a year was
publisher of The Chester Semi-weekly News, formally The Chester Lantern and now The Chester News. Following this he was with the local freight office of the Southern Railway for some time.
He was a member of First Baptist church in Chester and took an active interest in all church activities, having been moderator of the Chester Baptist association for eight years. He was also state representative of the Baptist Courier and a member of the Baptist general board of the state convention. He was recorded in Who’s Who among the outstanding Baptists of this State. He also was one of the first members of the Chester Evangelistic Club. Prior to coming to Chester Mr. Nunnery served in the state legislator as a representative from Chester County, having been elected to that office by a large majority. He bore the reputation in the legislature as a man of strong convictions and favored those things he felt for the benefit of the people. In matters of public interest no one doubted just where Mr. Nunnery stood. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, were pioneer settlers of east Chester County and were connected with many of the residents of that section and also Chester.
Some twenty-five years ago Mr. Nunnery went into the office of the late William D. Knox, who was superintendent of education of Chester County for forty years, as assistant superintendent of education and immediately became known as one of the leading educators of the State. Following the death of Knox on November 25th, 1928, Mr. Nunnery was appointed to serve out the unexpired term and had been reelected to that office ever since. He put his heart and soul into the work and was known throughout the state as the foremost superintendent of education in the state. During his term of twenty years in office the schools of Chester County have continued to advance, he being the sponsor of numerous movements toward better education for the children of the county. It will be recalled that he resigned his office on March 15th, last.
Mr. Nunnery is survived by his widow, the former Miss Clara McCullough, three sons and a daughter; John E. Nunnery, Jr., of Memphis, Tennessee; W. H. Nunnery of Charlotte: Paul Ferguson Nunnery, student at Clemson College, and Mrs. Sam S. Hicklin of Chester and Richburg; also two grandchildren, Sammy Hicklin and Billy Nunnery. Tentative funeral arrangements have been set for tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon at Three-thirty o’clock at the First Baptist church to be conducted by the pastor, the Rev. Broadus E. Wall Interment will be made in Evergreen cemetery. The offices in the Chester Court House will be closed during the funeral in respect to Mr. Nunnery, whose friends are legend throughout this section and elsewhere.
Information from: The Bulletin – A publication of the Chester District Genealogical Society
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