Major Wolihin Dead

Wolihin Plot
© 2011-2013 S. Lincecum

A large monument stands in the Eglantine Square section of Rose Hill Cemetery. It is full of Masonic imagery, dedicated primarily to two men: Andrew Martin Wolihin and his son William.

Andrew was born at Leesburg, Virginia 1 October 1831. He married Emily Francis Wilder (1840-1921) in Dougherty County, Georgia 20 December 1860.¹ She was a daughter of Mr. W. H. Wilder, once a mayor of Albany.² Emily rests beside Andrew in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Andrew also fought for Georgia during the Civil War. He is most noted, however, for his contributions to the Masonic Order, serving as Grand Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Georgia.

An obituary will follow, but I thought you might be interested to know how Mr. Wolihin was a victim of a stabbing when he was 48 years old. In June of 1880, literally days after arriving in Macon, Andrew Wolihin was working as a manager of the National Hotel. Three men entered the establishment requesting a room with three beds, "stating that they had three women they wanted to carry up there." Mr. Wolihin denied the request, remarking that "he did not keep such a house." A bit of badgering was begun by the men, and one made the mistake of saying, "speaking in a slow and deliberate manner, and emphasizing each word,

"I think you are a d__d old s_n of a b___h."

(Yep, that's how it was printed in the newspaper.³) As you might imagine, a fight ensued. Mr. Wolihin actually initially got the better of his attacker, but right before the police might have arrested the perpetrator, he lunged at Mr. Wolihin with a knife. Many thought Wolihin would surely die, but he survived, returning to finish recovery at his home in Albany a couple of weeks later.

From "Grand Lodge of Georgia",
31 Oct 1893 Macon Telegraph

Andrew Martin Wolihin died 22 February 1897. Here's the promised obituary from the Jackson Argus (Georgia), contributed by Don Bankston to the USGenWeb Archives:

"Major Wolihin Dead

Major Wolihin died at his home in Macon on the night of the 22nd inst after an illness of about two months.

Maj. Wolihin enjoyed an extensive acquaintance among the Masons of the state and especially of this section. He has visited Jackson and rendered valuable services in conferring Masonic degrees. The brethren here regarded him as one of the grandest old men in the order and his death causes much sadness.

He was a consistent member of the Baptist church, having accepted that faith many years ago. As a Mason Major Wolihin took second place to none in his love and enthusiasm for the order. For the past ten or twelve years he was the grand secretary of the order and performed the duties of that office as a work of love. He loved the order for its ennobling effects on mankind and no man did more than he to help keep up its high teachings. Major Wolihin was also grand secretary of the grand chapter of Georgia of Royal Arch Masons and deputy inspector general of the Southern Jurisdiction of the Thirty Third degree of Scottish Rite Masons. In his daily walk he practiced charity and benevolence towards his fellow man and although one of the most courageous of men he was as gentle as a woman. Those who knew him best loved him most. No man had more warm personal friends that [sic] he and the announcement of his death will be learned with profound regret through the jurisdiction of Georgia."

© 2011 - 2013 S. Lincecum

Note: If you're interested in all the Masonic imagery found on the monument, jump over to the Southern Graves blog and peruse Wolihin Masonic Monument.

A few footnotes:
1. Dodd, Jordan, Liahona Research, comp. Georgia Marriages, 1851-1900 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2000.
2. "The Deadly Knife," The Macon Telegraph (Georgia), 22 June 1880; digital image, GenealogyBank (http://www.genealogybank.com : accessed July 2013), Historical Newspapers.
3. ibid.