Watauga County NcArchives Obituaries.....Gragg, Watt Harris October 3, 1960
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Bunny Horton phinhorton@bellsouth.net March 12, 2007, 9:51 pm

Watauga Democrat
Watt H. Gragg, 72,
Local Leader, Dies
   Watt H. Gragg, 72, veteran Savings and Loan executive, and for many years a 
leader in Republican party politics in North Carolina, died at Watauga 
Hospital Monday evening, following an illness of six weeks.
   Cancer was given as the cause of his death.
   Mr. Gragg was a son of Mrs. S. E. Gragg and the late Rev. Mr. Gragg of the 
Foscoe neighborhood of Watauga county.  He was born Sept. 10, 1888.
   Before he came to Boone in 1921 he had been employed by the Whiting Lumber 
Co., at Shulls Mills and was in the lumber business in partnership with J. D. 
Loizeaux of Plainfield, N. J.  After he came to Boone he organized the Watauga 
Furniture & Lumber Co., was engaged in lumber manufacturing, owned the Boone 
Steam Laundry and established a beauty shop an d barber shop.  He was in the 
retail grocery business for a while and served a t erm as United States 
Marshal for the Middle North Carolina district during the administration of 
President Hoover.
   Mr. Gragg maintained an active interest in the Republican party and had 
been a candidate for Sheriff of Watauga County, for Congress from the ninth 
district and for State Treasurer.
   He was elected Mayor Boone three times, beginning in 1836, and his tenure 
was marked by street extensions.  Also trees and evergreens were planted 
through his encouragement.
   Mrs. Gragg was Secretary of the Watauga Savings and Loan Association for 37 
years, during which the institution grew and prospered.  He was widely known 
for his knowledge of Savings and Loan work and was elected President of the 
North Carolina Savings and Loan League in 1955, receiving a 35-year award from 
the League.
   Mr. Gragg was one of the early day officials of the Boone Commercial Club 
which became the Chamber of Commerce and was active in all civic enterprises.  
He was instrumental in the establishment of a burley market in Boone, aided in 
the organization of the Appalachian Historical Association, producers of Horn 
in the west.  In recent years he lent his influence to the establishment of 
the International Resistance Co. and Shadowline plants in Boone.
   Mr. Gragg was married fifty years ago to Miss Annis Horton of Yancey 
County.  She died of a sudden illness last spring.
   Surviving are a son and daughter, Major Horton Gragg, Air Force, Tokyo, 
Japan and Mrs. Helen Gragg Todd, Newport News, Va.  His mother,, Mrs. S. E. 
Gragg of Foscoe, a brother J. R. Gragg of Boone and a sister, Mrs. C. P. Moore 
of Foscoe also survive.
   Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the Boone 
Advent Christian Church by the pastor, Rev. Floyd Boston, who will be assisted 
in the rites by Rev. E. F. Troutman and Dr. I. B. Greer.  Interment will be in 
Mountlawn Memorial Park.

                              ______________________________________
                                          
                                        STORE CLOSING
   The Merchants Association and the Chamber of Commerce are recommending that 
the stores of the city be closed from 1:30 to 2:30 Thursday for the funeral of 
W. H. Gragg.

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