Brunswick county lost one of its leading citizens Monday morning when Mr. W.O. McKeithan died at his home in Bolivia. From The Wilmington Morning Star the News Reporter clips the following account of his death:
“W.O. McKeithan, one of the most prominent citizens of Brunswick county, died suddenly at 8:30 o’clock at his home in Bolivia. He arose early and opened the freight and express office, of which he is agent for the Wilmington, Brunswick and Southern railroad, and also went to his planing mill and lumber plant in the village and started up operations there. He then went home to breakfast and complained of feeling ill. He lay down on a bed and Dr. W.R. Goley was hastily summoned from Shallotte. The physician reached the McKeithan home in a few minutes, but Mr. McKeithan had passed away before the doctor reached him. He performed the usual depot duties when the morning train passed for Wilmington, and when he went home from his mail, he had hardly been in the house more than 10 minutes till death called him away.
Mr. McKeithan’s sudden death will be a great shock to Bolivia where he was greatly beloved by its people as the leading citizen of the county. He had served the village as mayor and up to about a year ago he had conducted a large mercantile business. He conducted at Bolivia the largest planing mill and lumber plant in Brunswick county, and was one of the most successful lumbermen on the lower Cape Fear. He was a progressive citizen and was greatly esteemed for his community leadership and public spirit. He was known from one end of his county to the other. Early in his life he carried on a mercantile business at Supply, but removed to Bolivia 12 years ago to go into the lumber business and enlarge his mercantile operations. About a year ago he retired from his mercantile-merchandising interests and was succeeded by is son-in-law, C.B. Aycock, the present mayor of Bolivia.
Business men in Wilmington have had dealings for years with Mr. McKeithan and his death will be greatly deplored here. His death will be an irreparable loss to his county, as he was one of the foremost men of Brunswick. For many years he has conducted the W.B. and S. railroad’s business at Bolivia and has served the company with great efficiency. He was greatly interested in that service and has always made it part of his duty to take care of the interests of the patrons of the railroad.
The deceased was 54 years of age. He was born in the vicinity of Bolivia and was the son of the venerable R.W. McKeithan of Supply, who survives his son at the ripe old age of 84. The death of Mr. McKeithan bereaves a widow and five children, who are W.O. McKeithan Jr., Mrs. C.B. Aycock, Miss Annie May McKeithan, Guy McKeithan and Kenneth McKeithan, all making their home in Bolivia.
The funeral will take place at Supply this afternoon at 3 o’clock and the interment will be made in the family burying ground there.”
From the front page of The News Reporter, Whiteville, N.C., Thursday, Jan. 17, 1924
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