The Last Man's Club is a tontine. They were quite popular after WWI. Generally, a bottle of fine spirits appropriate to the group would be passed from man-to-man as the group died off, then the last man living would open the bottle and drink a toast to all his departed comrades. Hence, the name "Last Man's Club." ----- Original Message ----- From: "bjw" <jann_woodard@yahoo.com> To: <ARBRADLE@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, October 06, 2007 2:35 PM Subject: [ARBRADLE] Redden > Pine Bluff Commercial Jan 9, 1949: > > John W. Redden, 54, retired grocerman of Whitehall, died at 7:20 p.m. > last night at the Veterans Administration hospital in Little Rock where he > had been a patient since October. Funeral services will be Tuesday at 2 > p.m. at Ralph Robinson and Son Mortuary Chapel, witht the Rev. Charles W. > Finch, chaplain of Boonevill Sanitorium, and the Rev. Hugh Owen, pastor of > the Lee Memorial Baptist church, officiating. Burial will be in Memorial > Park. Mr. Redden is survived by his wife, the former Miss Ana Polk of > Whitehall; one daughter, Mrs. Martha Ann Redden; five sisters, Mrs. G. G. > West, Mrs. Selvin Adams and Mrs. Joe Fowler, all of Banks, Mrs. C. H. > Taylor and Mrs. V. C. Coleman of Pine Bluff, and three brothers, A. D. > Redden of Banks, L. D. Redden of Little Rock, T. A. Redden of Pine Bluff. > Born in Banks, a son of John W. and Martha Redden, Mr. Redden attended > school there. During World War I he served in the Army in the Phillipines > and in Siberia. After the war he > operated a restaurant in Denver, Col., and later returned to Whitehall > where he operated a grocery until ill health forced him to retire in 1940. > He is past post commander of Monk-Hildershiem Post No. 126 of the American > Legion and was a member of the Last Man's Club. He was a justice of the > peace at Whitehall and a member of the school board. He served on the > board of stewards of the Whitehall Methodist church. Pallbearers will be > Rance Bridges, Hugh Cooper, Frank Anderson, Herman Baker, the Rev. > Lawrence Monk, Floyd Waymack, R. C. Fergerson and W. C. Morrison. > > (What was the "Last Man's Club"?) > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better Heartthrob. Get better relationship answers from someone who > knows. > Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARBRADLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Well, I'll be darned - I had no idea!! And Bert, just to be "honest" I had to look up the word "tontine". Thanks for explaining this. Jann Bert Mullins <garden_valley@geusnet.com> wrote: The Last Man's Club is a tontine. They were quite popular after WWI. Generally, a bottle of fine spirits appropriate to the group would be passed from man-to-man as the group died off, then the last man living would open the bottle and drink a toast to all his departed comrades. Hence, the name "Last Man's Club." --------------------------------- Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today!

Well, to be "honest", I recall an episode of the TV program MASH many years ago where Col. Potter was a member of a WWI tontine (pronounced "tahn-teen", I believe a French word) and it was explained as a last man club. I have subsequently come across many others but that was the first recollection of one where it stuck in my mind. Interesting how all these little pieces come together. I just this afternoon discovered I am related to Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author. Perhaps my literary skills will now improve! Bert ----- Original Message ----- From: "bjw" <jann_woodard@yahoo.com> To: <arbradle@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, October 07, 2007 5:59 PM Subject: [ARBRADLE] Last man's club > Well, I'll be darned - I had no idea!! And Bert, just to be "honest" I > had to look up the word "tontine". Thanks for explaining this. > > Jann > > Bert Mullins <garden_valley@geusnet.com> wrote: > The Last Man's Club is a tontine. They were quite popular after WWI. > Generally, a bottle of fine spirits appropriate to the group would be > passed > from man-to-man as the group died off, then the last man living would open > the bottle and drink a toast to all his departed comrades. Hence, the name > "Last Man's Club." > > > > > --------------------------------- > Shape Yahoo! in your own image. Join our Network Research Panel today! > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ARBRADLE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >