Southampton-King and Queen County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Bland, Dr. James M., 1958 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ Dr. James Moncure Bland, First President of Ruritan National Dies in Auto Crash Was Leader in Ruritans and Chairman of Southampton County Board of Supervisors Dr. James Moncure Bland, 76, first President of Ruritan National and chairman of the Southampton County Board of Supervisors, was killed instantly Thursday, September 11th in an automobile collision on Route 58 a mile east of Franklin, Va. He was a leader in Ruritan National during its early days, being elected its first president in the 1930 convention at Suffolk. He had attended every national convention in Ruritan history. At his death, he was a member of the Severn-Pendleton (N.C.) Ruritan Club and an honorary member of the Branchville Club. Dr. Bland, a Boykins Physician, was headed west on the three-lane highway about 12:30 p.m., when the accident occurred, according to State Trooper W.G. O'Brien. He was driving in the center lane behind a truck van and turned eastbound toward the Lee's Mill road when a car driven by Ahler [sic; Ayler] J. Holland collided with his vehicle. Holland, a Holland merchant and former mayor of the town, was headed east. Dr. Bland was killed instantly. His death came as a shock to thousands of of his acquaintances Southampton County. He would have completed 50 years in his profession next November. A longtime member of the Board of Supervisors, he became chairman of the board Jan. 23, 1956, succeeding the late L.H. Babb of Ivor. He was appointed to the Boykins Magisterial District seat on the board Dec. 2, 1931, as successor to J.R. Persons, resigned, and has been re-elected regularly ever since. He also belonged to the Masonic Order and the Boykins Methodist Church. Dr. Bland came to Boykins after a year of medical practice in his home community, Shackelfords, in King and Queen County. He received his early education at Aberdeen Academy, then entered VPI at the age of 15 and graduated in 1902. He received his degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1905. He was a son of J.T. and Mrs. Ann Irby Bland, both of Shackelfords. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Grace Knight Bland; a daughter, Mrs. Roy A. Lassiter of Boykins, and two sisters, Miss Rosalie Bland of Shackelfords, and Mrs. W.F.D. Williams of Cape CHarles, three grandchildren, one niece and one nephew. ****************************************************************************** Funeral Services For Dr. Bland To Be Held Saturday BOYKINS - Funeral services for Dr. James Moncure Bland, 76, chairman of the Southampton County Board of Supervisors who was killed instantly Thursday afternoon in an automobile collision will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock. They will be held at the Boykins Methodist Church with the pastor, the Rev. Harrell Thach officiating. Burial will be in Beechwood Cemetery, Boykins. Dr. Bland’s death came as a shock to thousands of acquaintances in Southampton County. He would have completed 50 years in his profession next November, and was widely known also as a longtime member of the Board of Supervisors. He became chairman of the board, Jan. 28, 1956, succeeding the late L.H. Babb of Ivor. He was appointed to the Boykins Magisterial District seat on the board December 2, 1931 as successor to J.R. Persons, resigned, and had been re-elected regularly ever since. He was a leader in Ruritan National during its early days, being elected its first president in the 1930 convention at Suffolk. He had attended every national convention in Ruritan history. At his death, he was a member of the Severn-Pendleton (N. C.) Ruritan Club and an honorary member of the Branchville Club. He also belonged to the Masonic Order and the Boykins Methodist Church. Dr. Bland came to Boykins after a year of medical practice in his home community, Shackelfords, in King and Queen County. He received his early education at Aberdeen Academy, then entered V.P.I. at the age of 15 and graduated in 1902. He received his degree from the Medical College of Virginia in 1905. He was a son of J.T. and Mrs. Ann Irby Bland, both of Shackelfords. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Grace Knight Bland; a daughter, Mrs. Roy A. Lassiter of Boykins, and two sisters, Miss Rosalie Bland of Shackelfords, and Mrs. W.F.D. Williams of Cape Charles, three grandchildren, one niece and one nephew. [photo, captioned:] Dr. J.M. Bland, shown as he took part in the dedication of the monument to National Ruritan in Holland a law months ago. Dr. Bland was one of the founders of Ruritan. He was the First President of Ruritan National. [2 photos, captioned:] WHERE AND HOW TRAGEDY OCCURRED - Auto (top) in which Dr. James M. Bland was riding when killed and the car which Dr. Bland's car hit (bottom) on Route 58 East of Franklin. This was occupied by Ayler J. Holland, former Mayor of Holland, who was injured. State Trooper W. G. O'Brian is shown in both pictures investigating the accident. (Photos by Eric Dentler) Dr. James Moncure BLAND, Boykins physician, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, 1st President of Ruritan National, b. 3 Apr 1882, King & Queen Co., killed in collision 11 Sep 1958, Isle of Wight Co., near Franklin, interred in Beechwood Cemetery (Annex 1A, Plot 1*), Boykins, 11 Dec 1901, donated obit, publication unknown, posted with Find a Grave Mem. #33006860; "Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Vol. 36, No. 216, Sep. 12, 1958, p. 1 *Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Beechwood list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/beechwd.txt D.Cert. 23961 (Franklin #94) The obit ("Tidewater News," Nov. 7, 1919, pp. 1 & 8) of his first wife, Rosa Pearl (WILROY) BLAND, is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b453r1ob.txt His widow's obit ("Tidewater News," Dec. 29, 1966, p. 11) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b453g1ob.txt His parents & paternal grandparents are buried in Shackelfords Methodist Chapel Cemetery. (Find a Grave Mem. #21313335) Ayler Job HOLLAND, Sr. & his parents are buried in the Holland Municipal Cemetery. Holland list, an extension of the SCHS Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/holland.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b453j1ob.txt