Solomon Murphree The Blount County Journal, 5 Jul 1918 In Memory of Solomon Murphree Loving hearts were chilled and tongues were silenced with grief, when the sad message came on the 14th that Solomon Murphree was dead. The latter part of his life was spent in Winston county, where he had lived when he received the call from the eternal world where he went to live with the redeemed of the earth. He was reared in Blount county and lived an honorable, upright life. He has exchanged his earthly task for a heavenly one. Cousin Solomon was full of good cheer, scattering sunshine wherever he went. He possessed a sweet voice and was ever ready to help in church and Sunday school work. He loved music and loved to sing. As I pen these lines I imagine that he is singing in the celestial choir, watching and waiting for the “home gathering” of the loved ones as one by one they shall cross the silver strand. Cousin Solomon will never grow weary or tied any more. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hat entered into the heart of man the glories that shall be to those who love God. We will not see Solomon any more as we saw him last; he will not be pale in death nor withered under the hand of disease. But, thanks be to God, in the morning of the resurrection he will come forth with a body fashioned like unto our Lord’s. Oh, we miss his smiling face and his words of cheer, but it will be only be for a little while. He will be waiting just beyond the river for our coming, and some sweet day, if faithful, we will see Solomon again in that land where no storm clouds ever rise, for he has left the gates ajar for our coming. So far as I know the only regret that he expressed was that he had not lived closer to God. He told the doctor to tell his loved ones who were not permitted to be with him that he would sing his way into the glory world, and would be singing when they come. We silently, reverently mingle our tears of sympathy with those who mourn. Looking through the mist we can with the eye of faith see a happy reunion “by and by.”