THE LATE COLONEL SHAW - 1896
Published in Fayetteville Observer [Fayetteville, North Carolina] 5 Feb. 1896
Contact:  Myrtle Bridges

	Seventy-First, Feb. 4
"Sunset and the evening star are here; And that clear call has come
Whereof he spoke; his work completed. He hath taken ship for home."
	Col. Duncan Shaw, died on Sunday, Feb. 2nd, at 2:30 o'clock, a.m. He was born on Nov. the 9th, 1815, and was, therefore in his 81st year. 
He came of sturdy Scotch ancestry. His great grandfahter, on his mother's side, Alexander McNaughton, came from Isla, in 1769; his maternal 
grandfather, Duncan Ray, came from Jura, sometime between 1740 and 1750; his father, Gilbert Shaw, came from Jura in 1792, and his 22nd year.
	Mr. Shaw was possessed of a clear, strong intellect, sound judgment, with common sense to an unusual degree, and, although not college 
bred, he had a good English education. He often remarked that "a man or woman might get a good education by reading the newspapers." He 
cultivated this possibility, and was well-informed on most subjects.
	He joined the church in his 19th or 20th year, at Longstreet, during the ministry of Rev. Evander McNair, and was one of the building 
committee through whose efforts the present church at Longstreet was built. He afterwards moved his membership to Galatia, where he was 
elected to the ofice of ruling elder, under the ministry of Rev. Daniel Johnson, about 1850, in which capacity he served the church well 
and faithfully.
	Mr. Shaw was elected to the House of Commons of North Carolina, with B.F. Atkins, in 1844, and again in 1846, with Geo. W. Pegram; he 
also represented Cumberland County in the State Senate in 1860 and '65. By reason of his familiarity with parliamentary law, he was often 
called upon to preside over our country's conventions, etc. For a number of years he was chairman of the County Board of Education, and was 
a member of the same until the recent school law abolsihed the body. One of your townsmen says of him: "I have never heard his integrity 
questioned."
	In 1846 Mr. Shaw married to Miss Catharine Gillis, daughter of Col. David Gillis; she died in 1881. Seven children survive them-Messrs 
J.A., Colin, John G. and Duncan; and Mrs. J.G.Brown, Mrs. Colin McRae and Miss Kittie Shaw, all of whom are married except two.
	Perhaps the most prominent traits of Mr. Shaw's character were his liberality to the church and the poor, his kindness as a neighbor, 
his unswerving devotion to the principles of Democracy, his chivalrous courtesy to women, his strong attachment to friends and fondness for 
children. The children of the neighborhood all liked him; he always had a pleasant, cheery greeting for them, and they manifested deep interest 
in him during his illness.
	His last days of pain and suffering were brightened by the glory of the christian's hope; to those around him he said: "My feet are 
firmly planted on the Rock," and repeated the hymn, which was his favorite, "How firm a foundation you saints of the Lord, Is laid for your 
faith in His excellent word."
	He spoke of the gracious promises as his comfort, and the merits of Christ as his sufficiency-and so he came to the end of the toilsome 
journey over hills of difficulty, through valleys of humiliation and all the varied scenes through which we must pass, before the balmy breezes 
of the land of Beulah play over our tired features. To him was verified the promises, "Thou shal come to thy grace in a full age, like as a 
shock of corn cometh in his season," and "With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation."
	He was laid to rest a Galatia church on Monday afternoon, in the presence of a large concourse of relatives, friends and acquaintances. 
Rev. A.J. McKelway conducted the exercises.
	Your correspondent is aware that this sketch is very imperfectly written, by no means doing justice to the subject, and hopes that an 
abler and more practiced hand will give the public an obituary worthy of 71st's honored son. SCOTCH LASSIE.

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©Copyright January 23, 2017
Last up-dated September 3, 2022 by Myrtle N. Bridges