Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Luter, Joseph W. Jr., 1962 

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J.W. Luter Jr., 53, Buried March 25 At Old St. Luke's 

  Joseph Williamson Luter Jr., 53, Smithfield packing executive, civic leader 
and philanthropist, died Friday, March 23, 1962, in the Riverside Hospital 
after a brief illness. 

  A native of Smithfield, he was born May 13, 1908, son of the late Joseph W. 
Luter Sr. and Mattie Britt Luter. 

  He was reared in Smithfield, attended the Smithfield School, graduating with 
the Class of 1925. 

  He was associated with P.D. Gwaltney Jr. Inc., meat packers, until 1936 when 
he started his own business, the Smithfield Packing Co., Inc., of which he was 
President. 

  The present modern plant, located on Highway 10, was completed in 1936 with 
another addition built several years ago. 

  The plant now processes approximately nine thousand hogs a week, and the 
company packs and processes pork and pork products on a large scale, as well 
as famed Smithfield hams. 

  Mr. Luter was active in the management of the Luter Packing Co. of 
Laurinburg, N.C. and served as the company's secretary-treasurer. 

  He was recognized widely for his executive ability and will be greatly 
missed throughout the area. 

  He was president of the Smithfield Realty Development Corporation, president 
of the Merchants and Farmers Bank of Smithfield, and a member of the Board of 
Directors of the Portsmouth Radio Corporation.  He organized the group which 
gave the town its community building, took an active part in the restoration 
of Old St. Luke's Church, and served as President of the church's restoration. 
He served on the Town Council and recently on the Reassessment Board of the 
County. 

  He was a member of the Smithfield Methodist Church where he held many 
offices and was serving on the Board of Trustees at the time of his death. 

  He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Pearl S. Luter; a son, Joseph W. Luter III 
of Winston-Salem, N.C.; two daughters, Miss Suzanne Stockman Luter, a student 
at University of North Carolina, and Miss Dorothy Mae Luter of Smithfield; and 
a sister, Mrs. Joseph D. Christian of Smithfield. 

  The body was taken from the Jones Funeral Home to Old St. Luke's Church at 
11 A.M. Sunday, March 25. 

  A graveside funeral service was conducted at 3 P.M. in Old St. Luke's Church 
Cemetery by the Rev. Clarence England, pastor of Trinity Methodist Church, and 
Rev. Warren F. Taylor, pastor of the Smithfield Baptist Church. 

  Burial was directly in front of the church beside Henry Mason Day, the first 
President of Historic St. Luke's Restoration. 

  An estimated 2,000 people attended. 

  Pallbearers were John S. Martin, Cecil W. Gwaltney, R.L. Thompson and W.M. 
Cobb, all of Smithfield; Lt. Governor Mills E. Godwin of Chuckatuck; P.D. 
Pruden of Suffolk, Shirley T. Holland of Windsor, and C.K. Hutchens of Newport 
News.


Joseph Williamson LUTER, Jr., president of Smithfield Packing, 
b. 13 May 1908, Smithfield, d. 23 Mar 1962, Newport News, 
interred in Old St. Luke's Church Cemetery*, Benns Church, 25 Mar 1962, 
"Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 43, No. 13, Mar. 29, 1962, p. 1, col. 4 

*Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} 
   Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} report #17: 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 

His parents are buried in Ivy Hill Cemetery, Smithfield. 
   IWCHS GSSTF report #48. 

His father's obit ("Richmond Times-Dispatch," June 16, 1947) 
   is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/l360j1ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/l360j4ob.txt