Obit of Jacob Nathan (n350) - Caddo County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Sandy Miller 16 Jun 1999 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. ==================================================================== Surnames: Nathan, Cline March 17, 1928 Jacob Nathan The funeral of Jacob Nathan, senior member of the firm of Nathan & DeFord, owners of the Fair Department store of this city, was held in the high school auditorium Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock. As a tribute of respect all the business houses of the city closed during the funeral. The services were conducted by Rabbi Blatt of Oklahoma City. The large auditorium was filled to capacity. The Masonic Lodge of this city, of which Mr. Nathan had been a member for over a quarter of a century, attended in a body and had charge of the exercises at the cemetery. The pallbearers were C. Britain, W.A. Dixon, G.C. Wamsley, J.M. Leazenby, E.B. Widaman and C.A. Stiles. The honorary pallbearers were F.J. Callahan, B.W. Hammer, R.L.Boake, John Pfaff, Sr., E.C. Schlitt and A. Youngheim, men who had been business associates of Mr. Nathan for many years. The beautiful floral offerings covered the chancel and were banked over the casket and the stage. They came from many parts of the state and bore mute testimony of the affection and esteem in which Mr. Nathan was held as a relative, a business man and a citizen. Jacob Nathan was born at Darnstad, Germany, September 13, 1855 and died March 17, 1928 at Battle Creek, Michigan at the advanced age of 72 years, 6 months, and 4 days. He came to America at the age of 16 years and was married to Charlotte Cline March 13, 1883 at Fayetteville, Ark. Born to this union were three children - Johanna Marcus, Nell Rebecca and Claude Cline. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, Mrs. Johanna DeFord and Mrs. Nell Sutter and one son, Claude Cline Nathan; two sisters, Mrs. Emma Meyer and Mrs. Rosa Hineman, and one brother, Sigfried Nathan, all of whom reside in Germany, and two grandsons, Maurice Henry DeFord and Claude Claremore Nathan. Mr. Nathan moved to Anadarko in 1902 from Edmond, since which time he had been a resident. He was the founder and had been connected with the Fair Department store during its existence. The Editor of the Tribune had known Mr. Nathan for over twenty years. During much of that time he had taken an active part in the upbuilding of the city and through all of it he had given all of his moral and financial support ot any enterprise that he considered worthy and for the betterment of mankind. His sympathies were as broad as the needs of humanity and during the years of toil in which he labored incessantly, without regard to his physical endurance, he faced life with a smile and a philosoph that sought and gave only the best. Like others of his race, in spite of his dynamic personality, he was a dreamer. The blood of culture from countless generations coursed through his veins. He came to a town in a wind swept valley where a corn field was the only mark of habitation. He left it a beautiful little city with paved streets and with every modern convenience for the benefit of men, and outstanding in this achievement is the Fair Department store, an institution that would be a credit to a city many times the size of Anadarko. It is more than a business institution - it is the artistic expression that will accept none but the best in return for its labor. Many times in the years that have gone the writer visited Mr. Nathan at the store. He was never too busy to extend a welcome and with that old world courtesy he would make you feel at home. He would seldom talk business for more than a few minutes at a time. He was interested in almost any subject and possessed a wonderful fund of information. He was thoughtful and kindly in his advice. He abhorred intolerance in either political or religious discussion. In his death the community has lost a real leader and a man who blessed all with whom he came in contact. --------------------------------------------------------------------