Abner Alexander "A.A." Wilson (1821 -1901)

WILSON

Posted By: Caleb G. Teffeteller (email)
Date: 11/19/2005 at 15:27:41

Maryville Times, (Blount Co. TN) Saturday, December 6, 1901:

"[Maryville]College Notes---For the second time this college year the students have surrounded the open grave of an aged friend. At the breakfast hour Saturday morning it was announced that Mr. A.A. Wilson had passed away.

Mr. Wilson had been in failing health for the past two years and more, and the students who are now on the hill have always known him as an aged and feeble man. Some weeks age he seemed to be nearing the end and his son, Clem, who was in Buffalo, was called home. For the past several days he had been slowly sinking until at seven o’clock Saturday morning he breathed his last.

The funeral was held at two o’clock Sunday afternoon in the parlor of Baldwin Hall, the services being conducted by Dr. [G.D.] McCulloch, assisted by Prof. Waller and Dr. [S.T.] Wilson. The remains was interred in Magnolia Cemetery. The deceased leaves a faithful wife, a dutiful son and a host of friends to mourn him. To Mrs. Wilson, who has endeared herself to every student, and to her son, we extend our deepest sympathy.

Abner Alexander Wilson was born in Iredell Co., N.C., July 9, 1821. While yet a boy he moved with his parents to Indiana. He was fond of books and spent some time as a student in the Indiana State University located at Bloomington, Ind. The long continued illness of his father, together with pecuniary difficulties incident there, compelled him to discontinue the study of medicine, his chosen profession, and to take work in the office of the Indiana State Journal Co., where he remained until he became one of the proprietors of that paper. He afterwards moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he was engaged in mercantile business until the fall of 1878 when he moved with his family to Tennessee. After spending a few years on a farm in the vicinity of Knoxville, he purchased the Mt. Nebo Springs property but on account of feeble health has not been able to visit that place for over two years. The past few years Mr. & Mrs. Wilson have resided on College Hill. His last words were “I do want to go home.”