THRONG ATTENDS FUNERAL SERVICE

Tribute Paid to Christopher FitzSimons.

AT TRINITY CHURCH

Funeral Party Leaves Columbia Early This Morning—Interment in Magnolia.

Funeral services for Christopher FitzSimons, pioneer in the South in the cottonseed oil industry, who died at his home, 1117 Barnwell street, Columbia, Wednesday afternoon, were held at Trinity Episcopal church yesterday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock. The services were conducted by the Rev. Lewis N. Taylor, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd (Episcopal) of Columbia.

A great crowd attended the services, paying tribute to a citizen who through his business connections had formed friendships throughout the entire South. The funeral party, escorting the body will leave Columbia at 6 o’clock this morning for Charleston, where interment will be made in the family lot in Magnolia cemetery. The services at the cemetery will be in charge of the Rev. Harold Thomas, Episcopal minister of Charleston.

Mr. FitzSimons, who was 69 years of age, was born in Charleston, a son of Dr. Christopher FitzSimons and Susan Milliken (Barker) FitzSimons. He was educated for a civil engineer at Carolina Military institute, Charlotte, N. C., but soon after his entrance into the business world he became interested in the cottonseed oil industry. The seed industry at that time was in its infancy and Mr. FitzSimons progressed in business as the industry grew. His advancement was rapid and he lived to see the day when the production of cottonseed oil was one of the foremost industries in the South, and he himself selected to fill the highest position which his chosen occupation afforded.

He was largely instrumental in the formation of the Southern Cotton Oil company and was offered the vice presidency of the company but preferring to remain in his native state he was selected as general manager. Mr. FitzSimons also had much to do in bringing about the organization of the Interstate Cotton Seed Crushers’ association and served as president of that body in 1904–1905. He served as president of the South Carolina Cotton Seed Crushers’ association in 1907–1908.

In 1890 Mr. FitzSimons was married to Miss Frances Motte Huger of Charleston, who with one daughter, Mrs. J. R. Allison, and one son, Christopher FitzSimons, Jr., survive.

Also surviving are five brothers, Samuel G. FitzSimons of Adams Run, Theodore S. FitzSimons of Hope, Ark., Seaman S. FitzSimons of Eutawville, William Huger FitzSimons of Charleston and Gaillard FitzSimons of Spartanburg, and one sister, Miss Ellen Milliken FitzSimons of Charleston.

The pallbearers at the services yesterday were: H. E. Sessions, C. C. Fishburne, W. J. McGhee, John P. Thomas, William M. Shannon, M. C. Heath, D. C. Heyward, Julius H. Taylor, Thomas Taylor, Ambrose E. Gonzales, William Barnwell, William E. Gonzales, Alfred S. Gaillard, W. Hampton Gibbes and W. K. Duffie.

Active: Frank Hampton, Jr., James H. Hammond, James B. Murphy, J. Waties Thomas, Eugene Read, Richard Singleton, Frank J. Dana and R. E. Craig.

[The Gen-4 sibling roster completed. Kit (Jr.) was the eldest of Dr. Christopher 3rd + Susan Milliken Barker’s seven children. The five surviving brothers in 1925, with their residences:

• Samuel G. FitzSimons Sr. (1856–1930) — Adams Run / Willtown Bluff plantation on the Edisto
• Theodore Stoney FitzSimons — Hope, Arkansas (the first documented out-of-state migration in this branch)
• Seaman S. FitzSimons — Eutawville, SC (Berkeley County)
• William Huger FitzSimons (d. 1939, see book-001/p481) — Charleston (the attorney)
• Gaillard FitzSimons — Spartanburg, SC

And one sister, Miss Ellen Milliken FitzSimons of Charleston — still unmarried at 1925; she is the “Ellen” of the 1866 CDV at p554 captioned ‘Ellen 4 yrs. Gaillie 3.’ This is the first record of her adult residence.]

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Source: The State (Columbia, S.C.), Friday 9 October 1925, page 9. Image from newspapers.com, image 748531478. Public-domain newspaper. The source PDF is archived in this repository under additionalDocumentation/The_State_1925_10_09_9.pdf.