McLennan Co. Tx - Obits from December 1918 Transcribed by Bentley C. Hooks ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** Waco Daily Times Herald Monday December 16, 1918 David H. Couch, aged 50, died this morning at 7 o'clock at the home of his sister, Mrs. W.C. Cooper, 316 North Tenth street. The funeral will take place this afternoon at 4 o'clock from the residence of Mr. Couch's niece, Mrs. Fred Wolfe, 2107 South Fifth street. Rev. W.T. Turner will officiate, assisted by Rev. McHenry Seal. Interment will be made at Oakwood. Mr. Couch, who was born and reared here, had lived in Dallas for the last fourteen years. He was visiting his sister here at the time of his death. Mr. Couch had been in ill health for some time. He was well known in this city, having many friends and acquaintances here. Besides the sister here, he is survived by his wife and one son, L.K. Couch of Dallas, and a brother, J.R. Couch who lives on the Marlin road. These have the sympathy of many in their great bereavement. Waco Daily Times Herald Monday December 23, 1918 W.H. Lastinger, aged 73, well known Wacoan, and a pioneer resident of this city, died this morning at 3 o'clock, at his home, 529 North Thirteeth street. The funeral will take place tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock from the family residence, Rev. R.E Goodrich, pastor of Austin Avenue Methodist Church, officiating, interment to be made at Oakwood. The active pall bearers will be: John M. Connor, B.H. Hill. E.H. Bruyere, Sam J. Smith, Asa Warner, and N.T. Cheatham. Born in Georgia, Mr. Lastinger first came to Waco in 1888. He was a practicing attorney in his native state during Grover Cleveland's first term as president, and was commissioned by the department of Indian affairs for special service in what was then the Indian Territory. He served in this capacity in 1886, 1887, and part of 1888. When he located in Waco, he engaged in the banking business, becoming associated with the late Col. S.W. Slayden, president of the State Central bank, the latter being the president of the bank, Mr. Lastinger being the cashier. When the charter of the bank expired, Mr. Lastinger continued to be associated with Col. Slayden. Ten years ago Mr. Lastinger removed to Mercedes, Texas, where he continued in the banking business, being president there of the Hidalgo State bank, which office he relinquished a year ago, when he retired from active business life and returned to Waco on account of ill health. Mr. Lastinger had been most successful as a banker, he having made a close and most intimate study of banking methods. Mr. Lastinger was known to and beloved by many in this city, especially in business circles. He was a man of his word in every instance, and his reliability and dependability stood out as two of the main characteristics in his successful business career. During the civil war Mr. Lastinger served as a member of company I, 29th Georgia regiment. He was a faithful and most consistent member of the Methodist church, and he had been a member of the Masonic fraternity for at least 50 years. Besides his wife, Mr. Lastinger is survived by two sons and three daughters, W.W Lastinger, Waco; E.G. Lastinger, Monterey Mexico; Mrs. W.B. McKinley, Melrose, N.M.; Miss Martha Lastinger, Waco, and Miss Gladys Lastinger, Grand Rapids, Mich. He also has four brothers and four sisters in Georgia. The survivors have the sympathy of many in their great bereavement. Waco Daily Times Herald Monday December 23, 1918 Belton, Texas, Dec. 22. - Douglas Hamner, formerly of this city, mourned as dead for twenty years, walked in on relatives here yesterday, from California, for which point he left here twenty-seven years ago, leaving two brothers, both of whom have since died. Nothing had been heard from Mr. Hamner for more than twenty years and he was long since thought dead, but instead he had become wealthy in California oil interests. Waco Daily Times Herald Tuesday December 24, 1918 Tidings of the death of William Grider Bruce, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Bruce of Memphis and Brunswick, Tenn., will be received by friends of the Grider family with sincere regret. Mrs. Bruce is remembered by the oldest citizens as May Grider, eldest daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John H. Grider, and while she has made her home in Tennessee for many years, there are many friends of her girlhood days whose hearts go out in tender sympathy for her and her husband in their deep bereavement. William Bruce was a young man of sterling worth and held in high esteem by the people of Memphis and Brunswick, the latter being the country home of the Bruce family. Beside the bereft parents, Mr. Bruce is survived by an only brother, Charles, who is with the American expeditionary forces in France. Miss Norma Grider, who is residing in Dallas, has gone to Memphis to be with her sister in her great affliction. Waco Daily Times Herald Tuesday December 24, 1918 Jim Whitfield, aged 35 years, who was instantly killed in an automobile accident Sunday night in Houston, will be buried here, probably Thursday morning, the remains being scheduled to arrive here tomorrow afternoon. Whitfield is survived by one small child, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. V.W. Whitfield of China Springs, two brothers and four sisters, all of China Springs. Sidney B. Damron, aged 22, died this morning at 10:10, at his home, 920 North Sixteenth street. The funeral will take place from the family residence at 3:30 tomorrow afternoon. Rev. O.F. Sensabaugh of the Fifth Street Methodist church, officiating. Intermrnt will be made at Oakwood. The active pall bearers are: Baxter Adams, Roy Taylor, Harry Elkins, Woodward Allen, Howard Sanger and Chapman Hampton. Honorary: Percy Willis, E.D. Dunnam, T.F. Smyth, S.B. Edens, Dr. G.B. Foscue, Charles Burke, J.S. Harrison, B.F. Egger, Sidney Burrows, G.H. Adams and Oscar Steele. Sidney Damron had been ill only a week, and the news of his death comes as a great crushing blow to the family and a multitude of friends. The young man was born and reared in Waco. After he returned from college, he entered the employment of the Katy here, later accepting a position in the office of the Cotton Belt here, with which road he was connected at the time of his death. In the business and social life of Waco, Sidney Damron was most popular. He was a young man of exceptionally noble traits, one whose lofty ideals and aspirations exerted an influence for good on all who came within the sphere of his influence. He was faithful in every task assigned him, and his worth was recognized by those most capable of judging. On November 24, 1917, Mr. Damron was married to Miss Stella Allen of Waco, who died on July 17 last. His father, the late Wesley Damron, died on March 29 of this year. Besides his mother, Mrs. Wesley Damron, he is survived by a sister, Mrs, Tellfair A. Jenkins. These have the profound sympathy of many in their great sorrow. A message was received here yesterday by Mrs. J.E. Tasker stating that Miss Mary Robertson had died of pneumonia at 12:15 yesterday afternoon at the family home in Indianapolis, Indiana. Miss Robertson was 15 years of age. She was a daughter of the late U.L. Robertson who was an employee of the Waco post office up to about four years ago. Mr. Robertson was accidentally killed here about four years ago and the family moved to Indianapolis. Miss Robertson is survived by her mother, four sisters, Dorothy, Martha, Rebecca and Catherine, and one brother, U.L., Jr. The family has many friends in Waco who deeply sympathize with the bereaved ones in their hour of grief. Waco Daily Times Herald Wednesday December 25, 1918 Yesterday afternoon a message was received by Mrs. H.C. Yopp, 2425 Jefferson street, from her brother, Marion L. Brooks, dated November 30, who was reported killed in action in the casualty list made public last Friday. The writer stated he was well and hoped to be back in the states before long. The joyful tidings were conveyed by Mrs. Yopp to her mother, Mrs. G.W. Bounds, Thirty-sixth and Homan avenue. Walter Brooks, another brother of Mrs. Yopp, died in the Brooklyn navy hospital about one year ago. He was in the United States navy at the time of his death. Word has been received here to the effect that Mrs. Charles Pick died in Chicago December 9. Mrs. Pick is mother of Albert Pick, president of the Central Texas hotel company, owner of the Raleigh hotel here. Mr. Pick has many business and social friends here who will regret to learn of his bereavement. Waco Daily Times Herald Thursday December 26, 1918 Houston, Tex., Dec. 25. - The body of James C. Whitfield, who was killed Sunday night when struck by an automobile on the La Porte road, was taken to the station this morning and sent to Waco for burial. A young woman, only 18 years of age, accompanied the body on Christmas morning to the train. The young man had left her side only a few minutes before he was killed, and they were to have been married today. The man was killed just after he left her home to send his small daughter, motherless and living with relatives in Waco, a Christmas present, and he had said he would be gone not longer than one hour. The young woman waited several hours for him and he failed to return. The next morning she saw in the newspaper why he had not kept his promise. At the station in Houston this morning the young woman refused to give her name to a reporter. The funeral of Don Hicks, who died yesterday in Houston, will take place tomorrow afternoon at 4 o'clock from the residence of his sister, Mrs. W.G. McCrary of 1226 Vermont street and interment will be in Park lawn cemetery. The remains arrived here this morning at 5:15 o'clock from Houston. Mr. Hicks at the time of his death, as stated in yesterday's Times Herald, was employed in the mechanical department of the Houston Post. The deceased was well known here, was born at Denison, but spent most of his life in Waco. Foscue Modrall, aged 33 years, nephew of Dr. G.B. Foscue of Waco, died this morning at 1 o'clock at his home in Dallas. The remains are expected to arrive here over a special car on the interurban at 10:40 o'clock tomorrow morning, and the funeral will be held from the station, the ceremonies being conducted by Rev. W.P. Witsell. Interment will be in Oakwood cemetery here. Mr. Modrall was engaged in the cotton business in Dallas. He is survived by his wife and two children; his mother, Mrs. Gussie F. Modrall of Sherman; one brother, Gus Modrall of El Paso just out of the United States army; and six sisters, Mrs. Nannie McConnell of Oklahoma City, Mrs. Birge Goar of El Paso, Misses Florence, Hallie, Helen, (An?)nie and Addie Modrall of Sherman. Arrangements were completed late yesterday afternoon for the funeral of W.W. Seley, who died early yesterday morning at his residence, corner Eighth and Columbus streets. The funeral will take place next Sunday afternoon, December 29, at 2:30, from St. Paul's Episcopal church, the rector, Rev. W.P. Witsell, officiating. Interment will be made at Oakwood. Active pall bearers are: John C. Ray, R.L. Henry, Chief of Police Guy McNamara, A.H. Bell, City Commissioner Ben C. Richards, O.L. Stribling and M.A. Sullivan, Waco; Charles W. Hobson, Dallas. Honorary: W.A. Poage, Judge R.I. Monroe, Tom G. Dilworth, Bart Moore, Sr., P.B. Crosby, Waco; W.B. Head, J.F. Strickland and J.E. Farnsworth, Dallas; James Hays Quarles, Austin. It is known that a large delegation of members of Hella temple, Dallas, will be here for the funeral, Mr. Seley having been a past potentate of Hella temple. He was almost as well known in Dallas as he was in Waco, having many friends and acquaintances among the business men of that city. News of the death of Mr. Seley caused the most sincere and widespread regret throughout the state, and from every part of Texas messages of condolence and sympathy have been received by the grief-stricken survivors.