Photo courtesy Janet Hill:

At the advanced age of 92 years, Sidney Floyd Landreth, one of Galax's most prominent citizens dies Sunday, Oct 2, 1977 in Waddell Nursing Home. He was a banker, churchman, lawyer, former State senator, a symbol in the Republican Party for 50 years and a one time candidate for governor of Virginia.

Although he had been in increasingly feeble health in recent years, he apparently had been as well as usual when he died suddenly.
Mr. Landreth had remained active, on a limited basis, as president of the First National Bank of Galax, a post he had held for at least 40 years. He had long been active on the political scene in Virginia, having been elected to the Virginia State Senate in 1944, in which he served a number of terms, representing his senatorial district.


He was chairman of the Republican State Central Committee in 1952, when Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President- a political event that marked the beginning of the Republican party as a viable force in Virginia Politics. In September, 1952, Mr. Landreth traveled on Eisenhower's campaign train when it visited Roanoke, Richmond and possibly other cities in the state.

Mr. Landreth was born in Carroll County March 27, 1885 to the Rev. James J. Landreth and Missouri Phillippi Landreth.

Surviving him are his wife, Mrs. Lola Lintecum Landreth; one daughter ,Kathryn Franke, Galax; one grandson, Walter R. Franke, Austin, Tex.; two great-granddaughters, and four sisters, Mrs. Florida Rickman, Wytheville, and Mrs. Blanche Nelson, Mrs. Helen Leonard and Mrs. Rissie Lineberry, all of Galax.

Services were conducted at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the First Christian Church by the Rev. Larry E. Patterson, pastor of the church.
Interment followed in Felts Memorial Cemetery.

Members of the Galax Rotary Club, of which Mr. Landreth was a charter and loyal member, served as honorary pallbearers.

Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
The body rested at the funeral home until the time for removal to the church at the time for the services.

Senator Landreth was nominated for governor at the Republican state convention held in Roanoke June 30, 1945.

When a young lawyer, he was in the courtroom in Hillsville when the famed "Allen tragedy" occurred there on March 14, 1912. At that time he was a deputy, to the Clerk of the Carroll County Court, the late Dexter Goad.

Mr. Landreth was appointed a special prosecutor for two members of the Allen family, and was the last survivor among the lawyers who partcipated in the celebrated trial, which was held in Wytheville because of high feeling in Carroll County.

Peggy Cornett Greene