VETERAN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS PRINTER DIES AT WASHINGTON, D.C. {Died 21 January 1913} A message was received in Murphysboro Monday announcing the death at Washington, D. C., of F. A. ALLISON of Murphysboro, age 77 years, While heart failure was the cause of his death and it came rather suddenly, the news came as no great surprise to his relatives here, as he has been feeble for some time and has had several dangerous spells with his heart. Mr. Allison's remains were dispatched to Murphysboro and will probably reach here Thursday, in which event the funeral will be at 2:30 o'clock Thursday afternoon from the residence of Frank ALLISON, Jr. 226 North Fifteenth street. If the body is delayed the funeral will be Friday afternoon at 2:30. Frank Allison was one of the pioneer printers of southern Illinois and will be remembered by many of the old timers of Murphysboro and various southern Illinois cities. However, the younger generation will not remember him so well, as he has been in Washington now for almost a quarter of a century, with one intermission of two years. It was in the year 1888 that the late Congressman George W. Smith appointed Mr. Allison to a position in the government printing office at Washington. He remained there several years, but left the service in the middle 90s. He spent two years then working at Birmingham, Ala., part of the time and the balance of the time on the Evening News, a paper established here in 1806 by John W. GREAR, a veteran newspaper man and old time acquaintance of Mr. Allison. After leaving the News, which was taken over by the late W. H. HULL shortly after Bryan’s defeat in 1896, Mr. Allison went to Washington where he remained until his death, except for an occasional visit home. His last visit here was in November of last year. He called at the Republican-Era office and exchanged fraternal greetings and visited old friends about town, but time had dimmed his eye until he could see but little and he realized that his end was near and told his family so. Mr. Allison’s wife is in Birmingham, Ala., where she went only last week for a visit with their daughters to avoid the severe winter. She has been rather feeble for the past year or more and her sons hope to have her remain there, instead of coming on for the funeral, as they are afraid the trip might seriously harm her health. Besides Mrs. Allison the deceased is also survived by two sons and three daughters as follows: Frank and Ralph ALLISON of Murphysboro, Mrs. George W. WHEELER and Mrs. Sylvester HALL of Birmingham, Ala., and Daisy ALLISON of Lincoln. Another daughter, Mrs. A. 0. POWELL, died at Birmingham only a few months ago of heart trouble. Mr. Allison's only fraternal affiliations were with the printers union. He was a long-time member Of that organization. He worked at the trade in Cairo immediately after the civil war and worked in the print shops in Murphysboro established by such well remembered newspaper men as the late Joseph P. ROBARTS, the late Gill BURR, the late John H. BARTON, the late William H. HULL and Former Lieut. Governor Joe B. GILL, J. J. PENNY and John W. GREAR. He was born in Batesville, South Carolina [could be: Statesville, North Carolina], and was married in Hazelhurst, Miss., to Mary Vaughn NEAL [should be Mary Bond NEAL]. His relatives here all have the sympathy of the community, especially his wife, a lovable, old lady, whose cheering words and kindly ministrations are remembered by many people as sweet recollections of some dark hour. The hand of death has robbed her of a sister, a daughter and husband now in a comparatively short time and the many who have received sympathy from her In the past will now extend it In return. [Note: This obituary was found in the Allison Family Bible - no date or name of newspaper listed.] --------------------------------------------------------------------- UGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Karima Allison