The Chase Magazine December, 1982 - January, 1983 Page Two                                                                     JOSHUA PERCY FLOWERS                                                                                   1903-1982 One of America's outstanding foxhunters left his earthly home November 1, 1982. Joshua Percy Flowers was born in Wilson County, North Carolina in 1903, one of nine children, on a farm that his family had owned for generations.  In 1905 the family was forced to move from Wilson Co. to Johnston Co. and there followed years of hard work in the cotton and tobacco fields, but always for this young man there was the love and past time, foxhunting.  Hunting game with guns just did not hold any appeal for him. In 1925 he married his childhood sweetheart Delma Whitley and in 1928 they had their only son Joshua Percy Flowers, Jr. The family prospered through the years until the holdings of Percy Flowers numbered over 6,000 acres of land, farmed by his tenants.  On this land was raised cattle, hogs, tobacco, corn, soybeans, game chickens and foxhounds. His son grew up, went away to college, married and had two sons of his own.  He was studying to be a lawyer and was killed in a light plane crash on his way home from law school. In 1950 a daughter Becky was born and began to fill the void that was left by the death of the son.   Becky had a love for the hounds and would accompany her Dad & Mother to the field trials around the country.  In the past two or three years she has handled all the paper work pertaining to the hounds for her Dad.  One week before his death she and husband Kelly Finch presented Percy & Delma with twin grandsons.  Naturally Becky named one of them for her loving dad. Percy had the perfect lay out for hounds.  There were acres of land with each kennel and all but one kennel backed up to a lake.  His hound pens were kept better than a lot of people's yards, as they were mowed at least once a week. Percy bought his first two hounds from R. H. Doran of Alma, Ky. and named them Star and Henry.  The next hound also came from Richmond, Ky., from the kennels of J. L. Kanatzar. Then he met Coy Lowry who owned Coy Flowers and was able to buy this hound from him and this was his favorite hound - the one that you will find time and again in his breeding.  Coy Jr. won the first USO that was ever run, but is not recognized on our records as a champion as the USO was not National affiliated for the first few years. Percy believed that the sire was dominant in determining how good a hound was.  We asked him what was the best hound he ever owned and he said Schmeling.  This hound is registered 22109 by Lotta Trouble ex Little Nell.  He was whelped in 1936, bred by the late N. W. Weldon, Stovall, NC. Percy still holds the record for Futurity hounds, taking six of the ten places one year. You cannot be in the company of Percy Flowers without discovering his great weakness is foxhounds.   If he wanted a hound - money was no object.  His reputation as one of the America's outstanding breeders will live as long as foxhunting exists.  The love of the chase seems to have been in-bred in Percy and on the last day of his life he told Becky to give her boys hounds to hunt and love, so they would not be interested in the things that are killing our young people today.  This love of foxhunting is a legacy he will pass on to his grandsons. Percy requested that his hounds be auctioned off and we understand that foxhunters came from near and far with their billfolds ready to be emptied for some of this Flowers blood.  We hope it gets scattered all over the USA and Canada and a little bit of Percy will live on through his hounds. Percy was a man who loved his family very much and they returned his affection.  He was a giving person and could not stand to see anyone in need, but always gave a helping hand. He is survived by his wife Delma, daughter Rebecca Finch, both of Clayton; brothers, Jimmy of Clayton and C. A. of Garner; sisters, Ethel Lynch of Graham, Daisy Wall of Durham, Irene Young of Clayton and Eva Renfrow, Hampton, Va.  Also surviving are four grandsons. So, we bid farewell to a man we were privileged to have known and called "friend" for many years.  We shall truly miss him and our yearly visits.