OBITUARIES: John Wesley Colbert; 19 & 23 Nov 1935. Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Michael S. Caldwell. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ Johnstown Tribune 19 Nov 1935 John Wesley Colbert JOHN W. COLBERT DIES IN WEST END Member of Prominent Coopersdale Family Succumbs in 76th Year John Wesley Colbert, 75, identified with one of the oldest families in the Coopersdale section and in later years a Morrellville resident, died at 1:25 o'clock this afternoon at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W.G. Ling, Martz Apartments, 109 F Street, Morrellville. His death followed an illness of nine months of a complication of diseases. Mr. Colbert was born in Williamsburg, Pa., but had resided for many years in Coopersdale. He lived in Coopersdale at the time of the Flood of 1889. Mr. Colbert had worked for many years as a foreman for the Johnstown Water Company. John Wesley Colbert was an active worker in Calvary M.E. Church, where he was a member of the official board. He had been identified with this church for about 30 years. Besides his widow, Mr. Colbert is survived by two daughters, Mrs. W.G. Ling, with whom he made his home, and Mr. R.H. Ling of Holliday's Cove, W.Va. He is also survived by one son, N.M. Colbert of Lorain, O.; one sister, Mrs. Anna Warsing of Cooper Avenue, and two brothers, Frank Colbert of Mineral Point and Jacob Colbert of Lorain, O. The body will be prepared for burial by Carl Davis of Conemaugh, but funeral arrangements are incomplete. The family requests that friends omit flowers. Johnstown Tribune 23 Nov 1935 WESLEY COLBERT FUNERAL SERVICE MARK OF ESTEEM Hundreds Attend Last Rites of Prominent Citizen of West End AN ACTIVE CHURCHMAN Evidence of the high esteem in which John Wesley Colbert was held in the West End during his long residence there was shown in the large number of persons who attended his funeral services yesterday afternoon at Calvary M.E. Church, F Street, Morrellville. Hundreds of friends of Mr. Colbert and his family almost filled the auditorium of the church of which he had been a member for about 30 years and in which he had taken an active part as a member of the official board, a regular attendant at sessions of the Wesley Bible Class and a former teacher of classes of boys and of girls. Mr. Colbert's death occurred Wednesday afternoon. Eulogy for the late Mr. Colbert was given by Rev. Paul Lindberg, his pastor, and music was furnished by a quartet composed of Ewart Roberts, Mrs. Helen Merritts, Miss Viola Jones and Clarence Dill, who sang "My Jesus, As Thou Wilt," "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" and "Abide with Me." Mrs. Elizabeth Ruth, church organist, accompanied the singers and also played softly on the organ "Asleep in Jesus" at the opening of the service and "There'll Be No Sorrow There" at the close of the service. Fellow-members of the Wesley Bible Class officiated as pallbearers. They were Clarence Dill, Edward Dill, John F. Carroll, Ewart Roberts, Charles Tomb and Justus G. Penrod. The class is taught by Mr. Carney. Burial was in Grandview Cemetery under the direction of Carl Davis, Conemaugh mortician. John Wesley Colbert was born in Williamsburg, Pa., and would have been 75 years old next January. Accompanied by his parents, William and Nancy (Hess) Colbert, he came to Johnstown many years ago and resided in Coopersdale at the time of the Flood of 1889. His father and mother both died in Coopersdale. Mr. Colbert and Miss Martha Hagin, who then resided in Tyrone, were married June 23, 1883, by Rev. Daniel Poling, who was then pastor of the First Evangelical Church in the central part of the city. Mrs. Colbert survives and is enjoying good health at the age of 69. While a resident of Coopersdale, John Wesley Colbert was identified with the Cooper Avenue M.E. Church, serving on the official board for 13 years and having been superintendent of the Sunday school there for one year. For a period of about 30 years, up until recently, Mr. Colbert had been a foreman for the Johnstown Water Company. Before entering the service of the local utility company he had been a policeman for one year for the old Cambria Iron Company. The Colbert family moved from Coopersdale to Morrellville a number of years ago, residing on Boyer Street, Barron Avenue and Fairfield Avenue, and since last June Mr. Colbert and his wife made their home with a daughter, Mrs. W.G. Ling of the Martz Apartments, F Street. Mr. Colbert became ill last November, his death being due to a complication of ailments. In addition to his widow, Mr. Colbert is survived by the following children: Mrs. W.G. Ling of the Martz Apartments, Morrellville; Mrs. R.H. Ling of Holliday's Cove, W.Va., and Newton M. Colbert of Lorain, O. He is also survived by one sister, Mrs. Anna Warsing of Cooper Avenue, and three brothers - - Frank Colbert of Mineral Point, Jacob Colbert of Lorain, O., and Bert Colbert of St. Petersburg, Fla., who was unable to get here in time for the funeral services. A son, George ("Toots") Colbert, for years a member of the city fire department, was a captain at Engine Company No. 6 when he died on January 10, 1933. Another son, Sylvester James Colbert, died December 3, 1924, in Oakhurst, and a daughter, Olive, wife of Ira Williams, died in Morrellville about 20 years ago. Out-of-town attendants at the funeral services were the brother, Jacob, of Lorain, O.; the son, Newton, also of Lorain; Mrs. William Snyder and Mrs. Blair Johnson of Tyrone and Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Ling and son Carl of Holliday's Cove, W. Va.