John Whiteside Blackburn Obit - 1912 - Rockingham Co., VA ************************************************************************ 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. ************************************************************************ SOURCE: Harrisonburg Daily News, Harrisonburg, Virginia (Saturday, April 17, 1912) HEADLINE: J. W. Blackburn Dead. Father of J. Frank Blackburn Expires at Grottoes. Was Native of Pennsylvania. Graduate in Law and Once Practiced in Lynchburg and Colorado—Survived by Widow, Who Was Miss Harnsberger, Five Daughters and Four Sons. ARTICLE: John Whiteside Blackburn, father of Deputy Clerk J. Frank Blackburn, died about 9 o’clock Monday night at his home near Grottoes, after only a few hours illness following a stroke of paralysis. He had been in his usual health until Monday when he complained of not feeling well, and late in the afternoon suffered the stroke of paralysis which caused his death. He was about 65 years old. Mr. Blackburn was a native of Pennsylvania, having come to Rockingham shortly after the Civil War with his parents, who located near Grottoes. His father Manasseh Blackburn, was for a long time connected with the Mt. Vernon Iron Company, which operated in the Grottoes vicinity. Mr. Blackburn was a graduate in law and for some time practiced in Lynchburg and in the state of Colorado, later returning to Grottoes, where he spent the rest of his days. He was connected with the American Hardwood Company at Grottoes and also conducted a farm. Mr. Blackburn married Miss Fannie Harnsberger, a daughter of the late Captain and Mrs. Henry B. Harnsberger, who survives him. He also leaves five daughters: Mrs. A. S. Kemper, of Lewiston; Mrs. Herbert Snapp, of Brooklyn, N. Y.; Miss Annie L. Blackburn, of Waynesboro; and Misses Janett and Olivia Blackburn, at home; four sons; Harry H. Blackburn, Fire Creek, W. Va.; Fred W. Blackburn, of Richmond; Joseph R. Blackburn, of Pennsylvania, and J. Frank Blackburn, Deputy Clerk of Rockingham county, of Harrisonburg; and one sister, Mrs. Olivia Matthews, of Lynchburg. J. Frank Blackburn who is also examiner of records, left Harrisonburg for Luray Monday afternoon on official business and while in that town learned of his father’s death and went on to Grottoes. The news of Mr. Blackburn’s death was received with genuine regret in Harrisonburg yesterday afternoon, where he has a large number of friends. He was an elder of Mt. Horeb Presbyterian church. The funeral will be conducted at 2 o’clock this afternoon from Mt. Horeb church by his pastor, Rev. Rawford.