Obit of Ambrose, Wesley Sinclair (a516) - Pittsburg County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Helen (Ambrose) McCall 11 Jul 2002 Return to Pittsburg County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pittsburg/pittsburg.htm ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::Oak Hill Cemetery--McAlester OK McALESTER NEWS CAPITAL (Newspaper in McAlester, Pittsburg Co., OK.) SAURDAY, MARCH 23, 1935, Front Page 1 of 1 OBITUARY OF WESLEY SINCLAIR AMBROSE FRONT PAGE HEADLINES: 1) Italy Sounds Warning that Nation is Ready for War 2) W. S. AMBROSE PASSES AWAY HERE FRIDAY (Obituary for Wesley Sinclair Ambrose) (Subheading): Pioneer Who Brought Ice Manufacturing Here in 1896 Is Called (2nd Subheading): HAD BUSY CAREER (3rd Subheading:) Served Vicinity in Many Civic Capacities as Territory Developed Death claimed one of McAlester’s most prominent pioneers Friday, when about six p.m. Wesley S. Ambrose, district manager of the Southern Ice and Utilities Company passed away in a local hospital. He had undergone an operation a week ago and was believed to be progressing nicely. His passing was very sudden. Long Residence Here Wesley Sinclair Ambrose was born November 3, 1867 in Gallatin County, Kentucky. He moved to Missouri at the age of 12 years and was married in Kansas City December 25, 1888, to Elizabeth Jennings. To that union were born three children: Wiley Harvey, who passed on in this city last September, Kenneth Ellsworth of DeQueen, Arkansas, and Ernest Dawley of McAlester. Soon after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Ambrose moved to Corsicana, Texas, and shortly thereafter Mr. Ambrose was transferred to McAlester and was made manager of the Choctaw Ice and Cold Storage company, now Southern Ice and Utilities company. He was district manager for this company at the time of his passing, and had held all the high offices in the various ice associations in the southwest. He was a member of the executive committee of the Oklahoma Association of Ice Industries and was organizer and first president of this Association. He was a member of the committee of Arbitration Appeal. Started Ice Industry Mr. Ambrose established the ice manufacturing business here in the fall o 1896 and the following spring was marketing ice from one machine of ten tons capacity. He built the business to its present day importance in the community and during his long residence here was prominently identified with the civic affairs of McAlester. He was a charter member of the Christian Church in McAlester, and with Mrs. Ambrose was instrumental in establishing the first church here. He was chairman of the building committee of the three churches built on this present location, and was a teacher in the Sunday school ever since the church was organized and was the present teacher of the Dorcas class. Prominent in Masonry Mr. Ambrose was made a Master Mason in South McAlester Lodge No. 96 in 1908, and was also a member of Indian Consistory No. 2, at McAlester, and was active in the work of the Consistory, being directly in charge of the dining room for ten years. He was coronated Inspector General of the 33º at Washington, D.C. on November 19, 1921. Mr. Ambrose has been very vitally connected with, not only the religious life and development of the church in McAlester and this part of the state, but has also been very active in the community affairs. For more than a score of years he was a director in the First National Bank. He acquired considerable property interests here and was always a strong supporter of civic improvements. In territorial days, he was a councilman and helped to shape many of the basic policies upon which the city built. Had Many Activities A member of the Rotary Club and of the Commercial Club, Mr. Ambrose served both of these civic organizations on important committees ever since they were organized. There is scarcely an organized interest in the city of McAlester, or Pittsburg county, that Mr. Ambrose had not in some way been connected with, and assisted in the development. He had many little hobbies, one of which was the service rendered by his company to the community as a “time keeper.” He installed a whistle when the first ice plant was built and by his orders this siren daily called people to work and told the entire city the noon hour by its blasts. He was alert in the promotion of his business and was known as a man of unusual sense of humor, often reflected in pithy news column ads that he wrote. Funeral Sunday The funeral services will be held at the First Christian church Sunday afternoon at 2:30 with Rev. Mr. Loyd Thompson, minister of the church, in charge of the services, assisted by Rev. Mr. W. Mark Sexson*, former minister of the church and a very close associate of Mr. Ambrose in his fraternal work. Miss Lillie Withers of the First Church of Christ Scientists will read the Scriptural selection. The active poll bearers will be Mr. Ambrose’s associates at the ice plant: Less Steidley, Ruby Raffles, Leonard Gabbert, Bruce Fitzgerald, Clarence Dusenberry, George Crowell. The honorary poll bearers will be a group of business men with whom he had associated and the 33rd degree Masons who were associated with him in his Masonic work: Elmer Hale, Ben Childers, Foster McKelvey, Kirtley Pemberton, Dr. R. K. Pemberton, Dick Crutcher, Lester Stockton, Dr. George A. Kilpatrick, A. L. Fisher(?), A. U. Thomas, S. G. ______, W. H. _______, W. P. ______, _____ Hayes Fuller, Wm. Harvey Fuller, J. H. _______, W. F. Halley, Joseph Hyman, J. E. Hohnson, John T. _______, George W. Lounsberry, A. C. Markley, J. D. McAlester, R. B. Naylor, J. O. Redpath, A. R. _____ and William Morgan. Honorary 33rd degree poll bearers: etc., etc., etc. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery. * Rev. Mr. W. Mark Sexson was the founder of the Rainbow Girls organization. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Helen (Ambrose) McCall, great-granddaughter of Wesley Sinclair Ambrose. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Pittsburg County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/pittsburg/pittsburg.htm