Georgia and Georgians - the Digital Library of Georgia

.GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 3173when taking part in-the battle of Griswold, Georgia, but he was not longincapacitated for active service and continued with his command until theclose of the war, his interest in his old comrades being manifested in lateryears by his appreciative affiliation with the United Confederate Veterans.He died at McRae, in 1910, at the venerable age of eighty-eight years, and hismemory rests secure .in lasting honor uniformly accorded to his name in thecounty and slate which he in turn honored by his character and services.His widow, who still maintains her home at McRae, celebrated her eightysecondbirthday anniversary in 1915, and is one of the venerable and reveredgentlewomen of Telfair County. Her father, Judge Duncan McRae, likewise, became a substantial planter and influential citizen of Southern Georgia,where he served in various positions of public trust, including judicial office.Concerning the children of Maj. Daniel F. and Marian (McRae) McRae,the following brief record is given: Duncan L. is a resident of the City ofMaeon, this state; Col. James H. is an officer of the United States Army andat the time of this writing, in 1916, is stationed in the City of Washington,D. C.; Ale,x B. maintains his residence at Lumber City, Telfair County, andis one of the representative business men of that place; Judge Max L., of thisreview, was the next in order of birth; and Christian is the widow of Capt.John L. Day, of Lumber City.After profiting duly by the advantages afforded in the high school atSpring Hill, Judge Max L. McRae pursued a higher course of study inMercer University, at Macon, and after leaving that institution he read lawunder effective private preceptorship and thoroughly fortified himself in thescience of jurisprudence. He was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1895, andforthwith engaged in the practice of his profession at McRae, where his energyand ability made his novitiate one of brief duration. He continued in successfulgeneral practice until 1902, when he was elected to the bench of the CityCourt, as judge of which municipal tribunal he continued to serve until 1907.He then retired from the practice of law as well as from his judicial office,and thereafter gave the major part of his time and attention to the wholesalegrocery business, in which he became interested, at McRae. In 1910 he soldhis interest in this enterprise and effected the organization and incorporationof the Telfair Fertilizer Company, the property and business of which weresold in 1912 to the Empire Cotton Oil Company, of which large and importantcorporation Judge McRae is a stockholder, besides being the general managerof its business operations at McRae. The company is incorporated with acapital stock of $2,000,000, has plants at various points in Georgia, and in theMcRae plant employment is given to a force of about 100 persons.Judge McRae has never wavered in his allegiance to and strenuous upholding of the cause of the democratic party, and in 1898-9 he represented hisnative county in the lower house of the Georgia Legislature. At the time ofthe Spanish-American war he served as first lieutenant in the Third GeorgiaVolunteer Infantry, but his regiment was not called to the stage of activewarfare. In the Masonic fraternity Judge McRae has received the degreesof the lodge, chapter and commandery of the Knights Templar, his maximumaffiliation being with the St. Omar Commandery of Knights Templar, Macon,Georgia, besides which he holds membership in the Ancient Arabic Order of theNobles of the Mystic Shrine, and is affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, theIndependent Order of Odd Fellows, and the Improved Order of Red Men.He holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.On the 9th of November, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of JudgeMcRae to Miss Emma Sue Griffith, her parents having been born in Virginiaand having established their home in Telfair County upon coming to Georgia.Judge and Mrs. McRae have three children, whose names and respectiveyears of birth are here designated: Parker, 1901; Donald Finlay, 1905; andSally, 1911. The elder son is a student in the Georgia Military Academy, andthe younger son is attending the South Georgia College.