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Saturday, June 28, 2008

It is said

It is said that Civil War veteran Joseph Dark instructed his family to engrave an old Irish poem on his gravestone. It reads something like this:
  Remember, friends, as you pass by,
  As you are now, so once was I;
  As I am now so you must be,
  Prepare for death and follow me.

It is also said that James Burr V Allred (Governor of Texas 1935-1939) sometimes referred to this epitaph in his talks and travels. He added:
  "To follow you I'm not content
  Until I know which way you went."

[Note: Since posting this several years ago, I have found the grave location of Major Dark and added a link.]

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Seems to me that I saw a stone engraved with those words at Bethel church in McMahan, TX when we came down for the SW Texas convention a few years back.

Pete

R. L. Vaughn said...

Interesting. I remember seeing one similar at the Old Shiloh Cemetery here in Rusk County. I think it is basically the same but the last line may be something like "Prepare to meet eternity."

Anonymous said...

The reply was written by William Huntington.
Hoyt D. F. Sparks, SL

R. L. Vaughn said...

Thanks for the information, Hoyt. I guess I shouldn't be surprised at a Texas governor taking credit for something he didn't originate!
;-)