Kimble County, TX - Obituaries:  Joseph, Phillip, 1942
Tuesday, July 11, 2000

Submitted by:  burtwyat@ctesc.net  (Frederica Wyatt)
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Junction, Kimble county, Texas, Thursday, April 20, 1942
Printed with permission

                  Phillip Joseph Dies Following Many Months of Illness

  Phillip Joseph, a successful merchant in Junction since 1910, died at his home here
Wednesday, April 21, 1943 (sic), following many months of illness from heart trouble.
He had known for sometime that he could not live long, but despite his intense pain,
he bore his suffering courageously.  He was rational until a few minutes before his
death.  During his last 24 hours he expressed his desire concerning several matters.
Funeral services were held at the Schreiner-Hodges Chapel Thursday afternoon, April 22, 
Rabbi David Tamarkin officiating, assisted by Mr. David Kanter.  Final services were
held at the McCollum Murray Chapel in San Antonio Friday afternoon at two o'clock,
and interment was made in the Aguadas Achim Cemetery in San Antonio.
  Active pall bearers were Omer Wright, Clay Secrest, C. A. Schraub, R. D. Kothmann,
T. H. Phillips and Ed Allen.
  Phillip Joseph was born in Austria-Hungary on May 20, 1888, in what was later called
Czechoslovakia.  At the age of 21 he came to New York City, where he secured work in a
butcher shop at three dollars a month.  At the end of the first month he came to Lockhart,
Texas, where an older brother, Sam, had moved.  He worked for his brother at $12.00 a 
month, peddling dry goods around Houston.
  In 1904, while still working for his brother, he came to Kimble County.  His first stop
as a peddler in Kimble County was at the home of the late John Gardner.  By this time he
was traveling in a wagon instead of on foot.  After two years, he bought the mules and
wagon from his brother and started out "on his own".  His first trip was from the Del Rio
to Sonora.  On this trip he became lost in one of the large ranches and had some difficulty
in finding his road as all roads at that time were only trails.
  Later on Mr. Joseph centered his activities around Junction.  At that time where the 
Joseph store now stands was a mesquite flat.  There were only two general stores, a small
school, two hotels, no banks, and three saloons here.  He made his headquarters at the
Hodges Hotel.  He soon received encouragement to open a store in Junction.  He liked the
country, the people and the scenery.  A building 18x24 feet was leased from Dr. J. Fred 
Burt and he opened his business in 1910 with two employees.  His business soon outgrew this
building and he leased a building 30x55 feet from Frank Baker on the spot where the store
now stands.  By 1925 he was forced to add to his building.  In February, 1929, he doubled
the size of his building by buying the bank building adjoining his store and added a men's
department.  Just 10 years later, in February, 1939, he modernized his store by adding new
equipment throughout.
  In 1927, he opened a store in Rocksprings which he operated several years.  He also 
maintained stores in Mason and Winters for brief periods, but about the time he modernized
his store here he closed the other stores and centered his time and effort in serving
Junction and outlying territory.
  On December 21, 1910, he was married to Miss Selma Schaeffer in San Antonio.  To this
union one daughter, Juliet, was born, who preceded the father in February, 1936.  He is
survived by his wife, Mrs. Selma Joseph, who has worked by his side during all these years;
by two brothers, Sam Joseph, Lockhart, and Gerson Joseph, Dallas, Texas; three sisters, Mrs.
Hannah Franks and Mrs. Pearl Lerman, Neward, N. J., and Mrs. Helen Berman, New Braunfels,
Texas.  One brother remained in Austria-Hungary and has not been heard from since Hitler
over-ran the country.
  Phillip Joseph has been an outstanding citizen.  In the impressive funeral services here
and in San Antonio, Rabbi Tamarkin paid beautiful tribute to Phillip Joseph as a successful
business man, as a patriotic citizen, as a philanthropist, and as a religious man.  He also
paid a deserved tribute to Mrs. Joseph, who has cared for him tenderly during his affliction,
and has been a true partner with him in the business during moe than 30 years.
  Phillip Joseph's words of counsel in both business and civic matters and his financial
assistance in every movement for the betterment of Junction and Kimble County will be missed.
He was truly one of Kimble County's best citizens.
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