Memorial
Felix W. Motlow 1905
Cullum No. 4436 • Nov 09, 1954 • Died in Tullahoma, TN
The son of a Confederate soldier, Felix W. Motlow, and Finette Josephine Daniel Motlow, my husband was born March 18, 1881, at Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee.
In this article, I shall show briefly the lineage of the Motley family, of Rappahannock Valley, Virginia, one of the predecessors of the Motlow family, of which my husband was so proud.
The progenitor of this family was John Motley, one of the early settlers of the United States, who came to this country from England in 1666. Of the John Motley family, only one survived an Indian massacre in South Carolina to carry on the family name.
That one survivor was John Motlow (1757-1812) a Revolutionary War soldier, who was the progenitor of all who spell their name Motlow, and a great-grandfather of my husband.
Felix was the family historian, and compiler of the Motley-Motlow records. He received his early education at Mulberry, Lincoln County, Tennessee: high school at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee; and prior to entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he attended Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
My husband was graduated from the Academy in 1905, and in the fall of that year went to the Philippines with several of his classmates to join their regiment, the 20th Infantry. In the spring of the following year, the regiment returned to the Presidio of Monterey, California.
He and some of his intimate classmate friends hunted together, and corresponded with each other throughout the years. He cherished his classmates' friendships; and friends made during his tour at the Academy always referred to him as being generous as well as kind and gentle.
After his retirement on May 22, 1913 as a First Lieutenant, he operated for several years a livestock farm, stocked with Shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs, at his birthplace in Moore County.
My husband, a life-long Democrat, took a keen interest in the political affairs of his country. He frequently contributed political news articles to the Nashville Banner and other area newspapers. He also wrote a book of 50,000 words, entitled "The Cause of the Ten Years’ Depression, and Other Topics."
On the day he entered the hospital, immediately prior to his passing, I remember he having quoted from memory Edward Carmack’s Pledge to the South:
The South is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust, and moistened it with tears.
"A land scarred and riven by the plowshare of war, and billowed with the graves of her dead: but a land of legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.
"To that land, every drop of my blood, every fiber of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is consecrated forever.
"I was born of her womb, I was nurtured at her breast, and when my last hour shall come, I pray God, that I may be pillowed upon her bosom, and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms."
My husband had somewhat the same sentiment toward his native section that is expressed in Senator Edward Carmack's Pledge to the South.
He was never more inspired than he was after the reading of the Assembly. He had attended several of the reunions and was making plans to attend his class reunion in June, for he loved and cherished the name and grounds of West Point.
My sweetheart’s unexpected passing came as a shock to both me and his many friends. He was only in the hospital four days after an attack of bronchitis followed by a stroke, which called him to rest. It was a bright November day, when the ground was covered with golden and red leaves, that he loved so much, that he passed on.
He was a member of First Methodist Church, Tullahoma, where he and I had resided.
Felix had always enjoyed life, and had a fine sense of humor along with it. He appreciated the fine arts and was interested especially in music and art. He often remarked how glad he was to have married one with a musical and artistic background.
One of his classmates, I believe it was Colonel Clifford C. Early, taught him to play the mandolin while in the army, and he played it until the day be became ill. He cherished the West Point tunes, and many of his favorite selections were those of Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert. Another hobby of his was a good game of bridge. He and I won a silver trophy in a recent tournament.
He enjoyed the spring time and his beautiful garden, where he specialized in raising tulips and twenty-four varieties of beautiful iris. He often wondered why more people could not enjoy more beautiful things in God’s own universe.
My husband also is survived by two brothers, Jesse B. Motlow, who operates a farm, and Thomas G. Motlow, president of the Farmers Bank, both of Lynchburg; and a sister, Mrs. Mamie Thomas, of Gallatin.
During the funeral services, two of my husband’s favorite hymns, “Lead Kindly Light,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross,” were presented by a very able soloist.
Felix’s life is summed up by the Rev. Marquis J. Triplett, former pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church, and now pastor of First Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who conducted funeral services in conjunction with the Rev. Farris F. Moore, present pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church. The Rev. Triplett's remarks follow:
"Standing here just now in this lovely church that Felix Motlow loved, and served so faithfully, I am reminded of an Easter service that we shared in the darkest days of World War II. It was Easter morning, and a young enlisted man stood before the altar and sang:
"For all the saints who from their labors rest
"Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
"Thy name, O Jesus be forever blessed.
"Alleluia!
"Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
"Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought Fight;
"Thou, in the darkness drear, the one true Light.
"Alleluia!
"O May Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
"Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
"And win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
"Alleluia!
"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
"Steals on the ear the distant truimph-song,
"And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
"Alleluia!
"The golden evening brightens in the west;
"Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest;
"Sweet is the repose of Paradise the blest.
"Alleluia!
"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
"The saints triumphant rise in bright array,
"The King of Glory passes on His way.
"Alleluia!
"Neither of us ever forgot that moment of assurance that came in the time of darkness and fear. Thank God! There is a conquering spirit that God gives to his faithful soldiers.
"Felix Motlow loved his country. He was faithful to his pledge to defend her and her ideal with his very life. His love went beyond the patriotism that most know in time of war—with deep insight and wisdom he loved and served her in times of peace and political and economic upheaval. He was a good citizen who made his community better for his residence here.
"Felix Motlow loved everything beautiful. His and Mrs. Motlow's art collection was a constant joy, which he loved to share with his friends. Music always brought him deep spiritual satisfaction, and in the beauty of his lovely home, with the wife he loved so devotedly, he found a rest and calm from the battles of life.
"His flower garden was a source of joy to Felix, and to all who visited him there. He remarked many times of the Divine Providence that cared for the brown, apparently lifeless, bulbs that after burial in the brown earth; after the chill snows of winter; lost their identity in a new life of bloom and beauty. He humbly and thankfully knew that the God who cared for the flowers, cared for him, that;
"Nothing lovely ever dies
"But passes into other loveliness.
"In a time when a dreadful desire for 'sameness' has filled our culture, Felix Motlow dared to be himself. He was an individualist who was always himself. He had deep convictions, and he lived by his convictions, in his love for his family, and through his faith in God."
—Mrs. Alma Kirk Motlow
Felix W. Motlow 1905
Cullum No. 4436 • Nov 09, 1954 • Died in Tullahoma, TN
The son of a Confederate soldier, Felix W. Motlow, and Finette Josephine Daniel Motlow, my husband was born March 18, 1881, at Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee.
In this article, I shall show briefly the lineage of the Motley family, of Rappahannock Valley, Virginia, one of the predecessors of the Motlow family, of which my husband was so proud.
The progenitor of this family was John Motley, one of the early settlers of the United States, who came to this country from England in 1666. Of the John Motley family, only one survived an Indian massacre in South Carolina to carry on the family name.
That one survivor was John Motlow (1757-1812) a Revolutionary War soldier, who was the progenitor of all who spell their name Motlow, and a great-grandfather of my husband.
Felix was the family historian, and compiler of the Motley-Motlow records. He received his early education at Mulberry, Lincoln County, Tennessee: high school at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee; and prior to entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he attended Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
My husband was graduated from the Academy in 1905, and in the fall of that year went to the Philippines with several of his classmates to join their regiment, the 20th Infantry. In the spring of the following year, the regiment returned to the Presidio of Monterey, California.
He and some of his intimate classmate friends hunted together, and corresponded with each other throughout the years. He cherished his classmates' friendships; and friends made during his tour at the Academy always referred to him as being generous as well as kind and gentle.
After his retirement on May 22, 1913 as a First Lieutenant, he operated for several years a livestock farm, stocked with Shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs, at his birthplace in Moore County.
My husband, a life-long Democrat, took a keen interest in the political affairs of his country. He frequently contributed political news articles to the Nashville Banner and other area newspapers. He also wrote a book of 50,000 words, entitled "The Cause of the Ten Years’ Depression, and Other Topics."
On the day he entered the hospital, immediately prior to his passing, I remember he having quoted from memory Edward Carmack’s Pledge to the South:
The South is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust, and moistened it with tears.
"A land scarred and riven by the plowshare of war, and billowed with the graves of her dead: but a land of legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.
"To that land, every drop of my blood, every fiber of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is consecrated forever.
"I was born of her womb, I was nurtured at her breast, and when my last hour shall come, I pray God, that I may be pillowed upon her bosom, and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms."
My husband had somewhat the same sentiment toward his native section that is expressed in Senator Edward Carmack's Pledge to the South.
He was never more inspired than he was after the reading of the Assembly. He had attended several of the reunions and was making plans to attend his class reunion in June, for he loved and cherished the name and grounds of West Point.
My sweetheart’s unexpected passing came as a shock to both me and his many friends. He was only in the hospital four days after an attack of bronchitis followed by a stroke, which called him to rest. It was a bright November day, when the ground was covered with golden and red leaves, that he loved so much, that he passed on.
He was a member of First Methodist Church, Tullahoma, where he and I had resided.
Felix had always enjoyed life, and had a fine sense of humor along with it. He appreciated the fine arts and was interested especially in music and art. He often remarked how glad he was to have married one with a musical and artistic background.
One of his classmates, I believe it was Colonel Clifford C. Early, taught him to play the mandolin while in the army, and he played it until the day be became ill. He cherished the West Point tunes, and many of his favorite selections were those of Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert. Another hobby of his was a good game of bridge. He and I won a silver trophy in a recent tournament.
He enjoyed the spring time and his beautiful garden, where he specialized in raising tulips and twenty-four varieties of beautiful iris. He often wondered why more people could not enjoy more beautiful things in God’s own universe.
My husband also is survived by two brothers, Jesse B. Motlow, who operates a farm, and Thomas G. Motlow, president of the Farmers Bank, both of Lynchburg; and a sister, Mrs. Mamie Thomas, of Gallatin.
During the funeral services, two of my husband’s favorite hymns, “Lead Kindly Light,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross,” were presented by a very able soloist.
Felix’s life is summed up by the Rev. Marquis J. Triplett, former pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church, and now pastor of First Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who conducted funeral services in conjunction with the Rev. Farris F. Moore, present pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church. The Rev. Triplett's remarks follow:
"Standing here just now in this lovely church that Felix Motlow loved, and served so faithfully, I am reminded of an Easter service that we shared in the darkest days of World War II. It was Easter morning, and a young enlisted man stood before the altar and sang:
"For all the saints who from their labors rest
"Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
"Thy name, O Jesus be forever blessed.
"Alleluia!
"Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
"Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought Fight;
"Thou, in the darkness drear, the one true Light.
"Alleluia!
"O May Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
"Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
"And win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
"Alleluia!
"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
"Steals on the ear the distant truimph-song,
"And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
"Alleluia!
"The golden evening brightens in the west;
"Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest;
"Sweet is the repose of Paradise the blest.
"Alleluia!
"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
"The saints triumphant rise in bright array,
"The King of Glory passes on His way.
"Alleluia!
"Neither of us ever forgot that moment of assurance that came in the time of darkness and fear. Thank God! There is a conquering spirit that God gives to his faithful soldiers.
"Felix Motlow loved his country. He was faithful to his pledge to defend her and her ideal with his very life. His love went beyond the patriotism that most know in time of war—with deep insight and wisdom he loved and served her in times of peace and political and economic upheaval. He was a good citizen who made his community better for his residence here.
"Felix Motlow loved everything beautiful. His and Mrs. Motlow's art collection was a constant joy, which he loved to share with his friends. Music always brought him deep spiritual satisfaction, and in the beauty of his lovely home, with the wife he loved so devotedly, he found a rest and calm from the battles of life.
"His flower garden was a source of joy to Felix, and to all who visited him there. He remarked many times of the Divine Providence that cared for the brown, apparently lifeless, bulbs that after burial in the brown earth; after the chill snows of winter; lost their identity in a new life of bloom and beauty. He humbly and thankfully knew that the God who cared for the flowers, cared for him, that;
"Nothing lovely ever dies
"But passes into other loveliness.
"In a time when a dreadful desire for 'sameness' has filled our culture, Felix Motlow dared to be himself. He was an individualist who was always himself. He had deep convictions, and he lived by his convictions, in his love for his family, and through his faith in God."
—Mrs. Alma Kirk Motlow
Memorial
Felix W. Motlow 1905
Cullum No. 4436 • Nov 09, 1954 • Died in Tullahoma, TN
The son of a Confederate soldier, Felix W. Motlow, and Finette Josephine Daniel Motlow, my husband was born March 18, 1881, at Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee.
In this article, I shall show briefly the lineage of the Motley family, of Rappahannock Valley, Virginia, one of the predecessors of the Motlow family, of which my husband was so proud.
The progenitor of this family was John Motley, one of the early settlers of the United States, who came to this country from England in 1666. Of the John Motley family, only one survived an Indian massacre in South Carolina to carry on the family name.
That one survivor was John Motlow (1757-1812) a Revolutionary War soldier, who was the progenitor of all who spell their name Motlow, and a great-grandfather of my husband.
Felix was the family historian, and compiler of the Motley-Motlow records. He received his early education at Mulberry, Lincoln County, Tennessee: high school at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee; and prior to entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he attended Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
My husband was graduated from the Academy in 1905, and in the fall of that year went to the Philippines with several of his classmates to join their regiment, the 20th Infantry. In the spring of the following year, the regiment returned to the Presidio of Monterey, California.
He and some of his intimate classmate friends hunted together, and corresponded with each other throughout the years. He cherished his classmates' friendships; and friends made during his tour at the Academy always referred to him as being generous as well as kind and gentle.
After his retirement on May 22, 1913 as a First Lieutenant, he operated for several years a livestock farm, stocked with Shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs, at his birthplace in Moore County.
My husband, a life-long Democrat, took a keen interest in the political affairs of his country. He frequently contributed political news articles to the Nashville Banner and other area newspapers. He also wrote a book of 50,000 words, entitled "The Cause of the Ten Years’ Depression, and Other Topics."
On the day he entered the hospital, immediately prior to his passing, I remember he having quoted from memory Edward Carmack’s Pledge to the South:
The South is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust, and moistened it with tears.
"A land scarred and riven by the plowshare of war, and billowed with the graves of her dead: but a land of legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.
"To that land, every drop of my blood, every fiber of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is consecrated forever.
"I was born of her womb, I was nurtured at her breast, and when my last hour shall come, I pray God, that I may be pillowed upon her bosom, and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms."
My husband had somewhat the same sentiment toward his native section that is expressed in Senator Edward Carmack's Pledge to the South.
He was never more inspired than he was after the reading of the Assembly. He had attended several of the reunions and was making plans to attend his class reunion in June, for he loved and cherished the name and grounds of West Point.
My sweetheart’s unexpected passing came as a shock to both me and his many friends. He was only in the hospital four days after an attack of bronchitis followed by a stroke, which called him to rest. It was a bright November day, when the ground was covered with golden and red leaves, that he loved so much, that he passed on.
He was a member of First Methodist Church, Tullahoma, where he and I had resided.
Felix had always enjoyed life, and had a fine sense of humor along with it. He appreciated the fine arts and was interested especially in music and art. He often remarked how glad he was to have married one with a musical and artistic background.
One of his classmates, I believe it was Colonel Clifford C. Early, taught him to play the mandolin while in the army, and he played it until the day be became ill. He cherished the West Point tunes, and many of his favorite selections were those of Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert. Another hobby of his was a good game of bridge. He and I won a silver trophy in a recent tournament.
He enjoyed the spring time and his beautiful garden, where he specialized in raising tulips and twenty-four varieties of beautiful iris. He often wondered why more people could not enjoy more beautiful things in God’s own universe.
My husband also is survived by two brothers, Jesse B. Motlow, who operates a farm, and Thomas G. Motlow, president of the Farmers Bank, both of Lynchburg; and a sister, Mrs. Mamie Thomas, of Gallatin.
During the funeral services, two of my husband’s favorite hymns, “Lead Kindly Light,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross,” were presented by a very able soloist.
Felix’s life is summed up by the Rev. Marquis J. Triplett, former pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church, and now pastor of First Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who conducted funeral services in conjunction with the Rev. Farris F. Moore, present pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church. The Rev. Triplett's remarks follow:
"Standing here just now in this lovely church that Felix Motlow loved, and served so faithfully, I am reminded of an Easter service that we shared in the darkest days of World War II. It was Easter morning, and a young enlisted man stood before the altar and sang:
"For all the saints who from their labors rest
"Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
"Thy name, O Jesus be forever blessed.
"Alleluia!
"Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
"Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought Fight;
"Thou, in the darkness drear, the one true Light.
"Alleluia!
"O May Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
"Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
"And win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
"Alleluia!
"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
"Steals on the ear the distant truimph-song,
"And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
"Alleluia!
"The golden evening brightens in the west;
"Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest;
"Sweet is the repose of Paradise the blest.
"Alleluia!
"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
"The saints triumphant rise in bright array,
"The King of Glory passes on His way.
"Alleluia!
"Neither of us ever forgot that moment of assurance that came in the time of darkness and fear. Thank God! There is a conquering spirit that God gives to his faithful soldiers.
"Felix Motlow loved his country. He was faithful to his pledge to defend her and her ideal with his very life. His love went beyond the patriotism that most know in time of war—with deep insight and wisdom he loved and served her in times of peace and political and economic upheaval. He was a good citizen who made his community better for his residence here.
"Felix Motlow loved everything beautiful. His and Mrs. Motlow's art collection was a constant joy, which he loved to share with his friends. Music always brought him deep spiritual satisfaction, and in the beauty of his lovely home, with the wife he loved so devotedly, he found a rest and calm from the battles of life.
"His flower garden was a source of joy to Felix, and to all who visited him there. He remarked many times of the Divine Providence that cared for the brown, apparently lifeless, bulbs that after burial in the brown earth; after the chill snows of winter; lost their identity in a new life of bloom and beauty. He humbly and thankfully knew that the God who cared for the flowers, cared for him, that;
"Nothing lovely ever dies
"But passes into other loveliness.
"In a time when a dreadful desire for 'sameness' has filled our culture, Felix Motlow dared to be himself. He was an individualist who was always himself. He had deep convictions, and he lived by his convictions, in his love for his family, and through his faith in God."
—Mrs. Alma Kirk Motlow
Felix W. Motlow 1905
Cullum No. 4436 • Nov 09, 1954 • Died in Tullahoma, TN
The son of a Confederate soldier, Felix W. Motlow, and Finette Josephine Daniel Motlow, my husband was born March 18, 1881, at Lynchburg, Moore County, Tennessee.
In this article, I shall show briefly the lineage of the Motley family, of Rappahannock Valley, Virginia, one of the predecessors of the Motlow family, of which my husband was so proud.
The progenitor of this family was John Motley, one of the early settlers of the United States, who came to this country from England in 1666. Of the John Motley family, only one survived an Indian massacre in South Carolina to carry on the family name.
That one survivor was John Motlow (1757-1812) a Revolutionary War soldier, who was the progenitor of all who spell their name Motlow, and a great-grandfather of my husband.
Felix was the family historian, and compiler of the Motley-Motlow records. He received his early education at Mulberry, Lincoln County, Tennessee: high school at Fayetteville, Lincoln County, Tennessee; and prior to entering the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, he attended Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, where he was a member of Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, and the Sons of the American Revolution.
My husband was graduated from the Academy in 1905, and in the fall of that year went to the Philippines with several of his classmates to join their regiment, the 20th Infantry. In the spring of the following year, the regiment returned to the Presidio of Monterey, California.
He and some of his intimate classmate friends hunted together, and corresponded with each other throughout the years. He cherished his classmates' friendships; and friends made during his tour at the Academy always referred to him as being generous as well as kind and gentle.
After his retirement on May 22, 1913 as a First Lieutenant, he operated for several years a livestock farm, stocked with Shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs, at his birthplace in Moore County.
My husband, a life-long Democrat, took a keen interest in the political affairs of his country. He frequently contributed political news articles to the Nashville Banner and other area newspapers. He also wrote a book of 50,000 words, entitled "The Cause of the Ten Years’ Depression, and Other Topics."
On the day he entered the hospital, immediately prior to his passing, I remember he having quoted from memory Edward Carmack’s Pledge to the South:
The South is a land that has known sorrows; it is a land that has broken the ashen crust, and moistened it with tears.
"A land scarred and riven by the plowshare of war, and billowed with the graves of her dead: but a land of legend, a land of song, a land of hallowed and heroic memories.
"To that land, every drop of my blood, every fiber of my being, every pulsation of my heart, is consecrated forever.
"I was born of her womb, I was nurtured at her breast, and when my last hour shall come, I pray God, that I may be pillowed upon her bosom, and rocked to sleep within her tender and encircling arms."
My husband had somewhat the same sentiment toward his native section that is expressed in Senator Edward Carmack's Pledge to the South.
He was never more inspired than he was after the reading of the Assembly. He had attended several of the reunions and was making plans to attend his class reunion in June, for he loved and cherished the name and grounds of West Point.
My sweetheart’s unexpected passing came as a shock to both me and his many friends. He was only in the hospital four days after an attack of bronchitis followed by a stroke, which called him to rest. It was a bright November day, when the ground was covered with golden and red leaves, that he loved so much, that he passed on.
He was a member of First Methodist Church, Tullahoma, where he and I had resided.
Felix had always enjoyed life, and had a fine sense of humor along with it. He appreciated the fine arts and was interested especially in music and art. He often remarked how glad he was to have married one with a musical and artistic background.
One of his classmates, I believe it was Colonel Clifford C. Early, taught him to play the mandolin while in the army, and he played it until the day be became ill. He cherished the West Point tunes, and many of his favorite selections were those of Irving Berlin and Victor Herbert. Another hobby of his was a good game of bridge. He and I won a silver trophy in a recent tournament.
He enjoyed the spring time and his beautiful garden, where he specialized in raising tulips and twenty-four varieties of beautiful iris. He often wondered why more people could not enjoy more beautiful things in God’s own universe.
My husband also is survived by two brothers, Jesse B. Motlow, who operates a farm, and Thomas G. Motlow, president of the Farmers Bank, both of Lynchburg; and a sister, Mrs. Mamie Thomas, of Gallatin.
During the funeral services, two of my husband’s favorite hymns, “Lead Kindly Light,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross,” were presented by a very able soloist.
Felix’s life is summed up by the Rev. Marquis J. Triplett, former pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church, and now pastor of First Methodist Church, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, who conducted funeral services in conjunction with the Rev. Farris F. Moore, present pastor of Tullahoma First Methodist Church. The Rev. Triplett's remarks follow:
"Standing here just now in this lovely church that Felix Motlow loved, and served so faithfully, I am reminded of an Easter service that we shared in the darkest days of World War II. It was Easter morning, and a young enlisted man stood before the altar and sang:
"For all the saints who from their labors rest
"Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
"Thy name, O Jesus be forever blessed.
"Alleluia!
"Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress, and their Might;
"Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well-fought Fight;
"Thou, in the darkness drear, the one true Light.
"Alleluia!
"O May Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold,
"Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
"And win, with them, the victor's crown of gold.
"Alleluia!
"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
"Steals on the ear the distant truimph-song,
"And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
"Alleluia!
"The golden evening brightens in the west;
"Soon, soon, to faithful warriors cometh rest;
"Sweet is the repose of Paradise the blest.
"Alleluia!
"But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
"The saints triumphant rise in bright array,
"The King of Glory passes on His way.
"Alleluia!
"Neither of us ever forgot that moment of assurance that came in the time of darkness and fear. Thank God! There is a conquering spirit that God gives to his faithful soldiers.
"Felix Motlow loved his country. He was faithful to his pledge to defend her and her ideal with his very life. His love went beyond the patriotism that most know in time of war—with deep insight and wisdom he loved and served her in times of peace and political and economic upheaval. He was a good citizen who made his community better for his residence here.
"Felix Motlow loved everything beautiful. His and Mrs. Motlow's art collection was a constant joy, which he loved to share with his friends. Music always brought him deep spiritual satisfaction, and in the beauty of his lovely home, with the wife he loved so devotedly, he found a rest and calm from the battles of life.
"His flower garden was a source of joy to Felix, and to all who visited him there. He remarked many times of the Divine Providence that cared for the brown, apparently lifeless, bulbs that after burial in the brown earth; after the chill snows of winter; lost their identity in a new life of bloom and beauty. He humbly and thankfully knew that the God who cared for the flowers, cared for him, that;
"Nothing lovely ever dies
"But passes into other loveliness.
"In a time when a dreadful desire for 'sameness' has filled our culture, Felix Motlow dared to be himself. He was an individualist who was always himself. He had deep convictions, and he lived by his convictions, in his love for his family, and through his faith in God."
—Mrs. Alma Kirk Motlow
Family Members
Siblings
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Lemuel Oscar Motlow
1869–1947
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Jasper Frank Motlow
1871–1906
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Lillian Bettie "Lillie" Motlow Tolley
1872–1945
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Jess Butler Motlow
1875–1957
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Thomas Gregory Motlow
1877–1969
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William Goodlett Motlow
1878–1911
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Mary Lou "Mamie" Motlow Thomas
1883–1959
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Ethel Motlow Edmonds
1885–1954
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Jack Daniel Motlow I
1889–1953
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