Obituaries: William F. Duffy, 1933, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: November 10, 1933 Colfax Chronicle

W. F. Duffy, Sr., 75, Montgomery Citizen, Called By Death

William F. Duffy, Sr., aged 75 years, for many years a prominent citizen of
Montgomery, La., and who was well known as a civil engineer and who had
connection with a number of large railroad systems and engineering projects
for nearly a half a century, died at his home in Montgomery, La.,
Wednesday morning, November 1, 1933, at 3:30 o'clock.

Funeral services were held Thursday morning, Nov. 2, at 11 o'clock, with Rev.
Father W. L. Lambertz, of the Colfax Catholic Church, conducting the services,
both at the home and at the grave.  Interment was made in the old Montgomery
Cemetery.  The funeral was attended by a large concourse of sorrowing friends,
and the grave was completely covered with beautiful flowers, attesting the
esteem in which the deceased was held.

Mr. Duffy was born in Clayman, Dodge County, Wisconsin, on September 19, 1858,
the son of Patrick and Mary Liston Duffy, natives of Ireland.  He received his
degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin in 1884 and for a
number of years following he was connected with the Chicago, Milwaukee, & St.
Paul and the Rock Island Railroad Systems.  He also engaged in construction
work for the British Government in Jamaica, West Indies.

He came to Louisiana in 1898 and from 1899 to 1902 he was employed as a civil
engineer by the L. R. & N. Company, then known as the Shreveport and Red 
River Valley Railroad, in charge of construction of this railroad, then  
building through Montgomery and Grant Parish.  Following this and until 1918,
Mr. Duffy was engaged on various projects in Louisiana as a civil engineer, as
a U. S. Deputy Surveyor, Grant Parish surveyor and a highway engineer, doing
much of the survey work on the Jefferson Highway through Grant Parish.  In
1918, he was again employed by the L. R. & N. As assistant engineer, which
post he held until 1929, when he retired from active work.

In 1900, Mr. Duffy surveyed and staked out the present town of Montgomery,
then called Machen, after Judge Machen, and which at that time was only a
cornfield.

Mr. Duffy was married to Miss Annie Laurie Lyons, of Montgomery, in 1902, and
she with five daughters and one son are left to mourn his loss.  They are:
Mrs. B. L. Jeansonne, of Many, La.; Misses Ruth, Roberta, and Mary Nell Duffy,
of Montgomery; Miss Williana Duffy, of Alexandria, and W. F. Duffy, Jr., of
Montgomery.