| April 21, 1911
CAPT. LILBURN FINNEY DEAD
Lilburn Finney died at the home on his son, E.S. Finney in Lebanon, Wednesday April 12th.
The illness that resulted in his death was of about six weeks duration, though he had been in declining health for more than four years, being only occasionally able, since that time, to leave his home and mingle with friends.
He was born April 30th, 1832, and would have been 79 years old in this month. He left a large family of children and grandchildren and a big circle of friends to mourn his death. He was a man of great industry, enterprise and public spirit, and perhaps, served his day and generation as well as any contemporary of his time.
He served four years in the war; the first three years service as quarter master for his regiment and one year as captain of a company. His comrades at arms say he was a faithful brave soldier.
He will best be remembered by the public as a large dealer in live stock, and it was in this capacity that he was most useful to Russell county. Beginning in the year 1872 and from that time until about the year 1889 he bought and sold the bulk of cattle then raised and grazed in Russell county. The cattle of the county were then sold to the Valley of Virginia and Western Pennsylvania people and Capt. Finney bought most of them and for some years drove them on foot to that market and later shipped them there. He also bought many horses and mules and drove them to the cotton market in southern states. He was a liberal buyer and a fine salesman and these two facts gave the people a good price for their stock.
About the year 1880 he had a serious accident, being thrown from a running live stock train in South Carolina, falling on his head and was nearly killed. He never quite recovered from this injury and was not so enterprising or successful a business man afteward. He engaged in the timber business afterward but did not succeed.
He was buried at his old home place in Reeds Valley, Rev. J.B. Kendrick, his old comrade at arms, officiating, in the presence of a large crowd of relatives and friends.
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