Obituary of JOHN WESLEY POLAND, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana

Copied and Submitted by: Doug McBroom, 15520 Swan Lake Blvd., Gulfport, MS 
39503

From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal; Jena, LaSalle Parish, La.  
Microfilm at the LaSalle Parish Library located in Jena, LaSalle Parish, La.

Many Thanks to The Times - Signal and to the LaSalle Parish Library for 
allowing the following to be added to the Archives.





**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 



Date:  December 19, 1957

Headline:  J. W. Poland, 87, Dies Saturday; Rites Held Monday

John Wesley Poland, 87, a resident of LaSalle Parish since 1907 and of Jena 
since 1912, was buried Monday morning following services held at the First 
Baptist Church of which he had been a faithful member for many years.

Mr. Poland died at his home Saturday afternoon shortly before 5 o'clock, 
following a brief illness.

The Rev. J. P. Owens, pastor of the First Baptist Church, and the Rev. W. O. 
Lynch, pastor of Nolley Memorial Methodist Church, conducted the final rites, 
beginning at 10 o'clock, for the retired groceryman who had served his church 
as treasurer for a period of some 20 years.

Burial followed in Nolley Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Kinner and 
Stevens Home for Funerals of Jena, with Barney Basham, Albert Willis, John 
Moses, H. S. Owens, George Hutson and Ernest Andrews serving as pallbearers.

Mr. Poland, whose wife died in 1951, is survived by one daughter, Mrs. 
Camille Stephenson of Jena; two sons, Shelton R. (Shep) Poland and Bernard 
Poland, both of Jena; three sisters, Mrs. Rush Wimberly, Sr., and Mrs. Gay 
Martin, both of Arcadia, and Mrs. John Lucky of Shreveport; six grandchildren 
and six great-grandchildren.

A native of Old Sparta in Bienville Parish, near the present town of 
Bienville, Mr. Poland was engaged in the mercantile business practically all 
of his active life and contributed much to the civic life of Jena.

Leaving Bienville Parish at an early age and moving to Oklahoma where he was 
engaged in business for a while, he returned to Bienville and later came to 
Trout in 1907 where he was connected with the commissary there.  Later moving 
to Jena, he entered partnership with Will West in a general store and later 
bought his partner out.  He then was associated with C. I. Humphries in 
business but that partnership was later dissolved and Mr. Humphries left the 
mercantile business soon afterward to open an automobile agency selling the 
Overland car.

When Mr. Poland retired from the grocery business, it was continued under the 
management of his sons, Bernard and "Shep" Poland, who served at one time on 
the Jena Town Council and for a while as mayor of Jena.