Obituaries: James Edwin Dark, 1948, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: December 9, 1948 Winn Parish Enterprise

Rites For Assessor James E. Dark, 55, Held December 4

Funeral services for James Edwin Dark, 55, well known native of Winn and
Parish Tax Assessor for the past four years, were held at the Harmony Grove
Baptist Church in Gaars Mill at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, 1948, with the
Rev. H. H. McBride, officiating, assisted by Rev. Alwin Stokes, Rev. Fred
Flurry, and Rev. Barton, pastor of the Harmony Grove Church.  Burial was
in Harmony Grove Cemetery.

Mr. Dark succumbed at a local hospital at 9:40 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, after
suffering a heart attack the latter part of November.  He had been in ill
health for the past four years, and had been a patient in the hospital for
eight days prior to his death.

Mr. Dark was born and reared in Gaars Mill where the family made their home
until 1944, when they moved to Winnfield.  For many years he operated a farm
near Gaars Mill.  Later he served three years as mail carrier on a Dodson
rural route and in 1928 was appointed Winn Parish Registrar of Voters by Gov.
Huey P. Long.  He held this office for 12 years until 1940.  In February,
1944, he was elected Winn Parish Registrar of Voters (probably an error which
should read 'Winn Parish Tax Assessor') but declined to run for reelection
during the recent campaign because of ill health.  He served three years and
eleven months as Assessor and would have completed his term on December 31,
1948.  

Mr. Dark, a lifelong resident of Winn Parish, was an Army veteran of World War
I, having served several months in France in 1917-1918.  He was a member of
the Harmony Grove Baptist Church.

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Maude Sikes Dark of Winnfield; three daughters,
Mrs. John Y. Bell, Mrs. O. C. Fordham, and Miss Marilyn Dark, all of
Winnfield; his father, W. L. Dark of Gaars Mill; three sisters, Mrs. Leona
Clewis of Winnfield, Mrs. D. E. Sikes of Columbia, Mrs. Roy Sanders of
Readhimer; six brothers, Dewitt Dark of Ruston, Ross Dark of Columbia, Shelby
Dark of Columbia, Woodrow Dark of Walker, Lynwood Dark and Z. T. Dark of Gaars
Mill; and two grandchildren, Gerald and Ann Fordham of Winnfield.

Pallbearers were Houston Gates, Shelby Gaar, Clayton Taylor, Louis Sholars,
Joe W. Mitchell, Ed Grigsby, Kelly Peterson, and D. A. Forrest.