IMPRESSIVE RITES FOR LOCAL PIONEER

John W. McConnell Died Saturday at
the home of his sister, Mrs, Greever.

Rites for John W. McConnell, Frederick
Pioneer, who died at the home of his
sister, Mrs. C.B. Greever, 305 N. llth
street, at 6 a.m. Saturday. were here
from the Gish Funeral Home chapel
at 2:30 p.m. Sunday in charge of Rev.
Clifford B. James and Dr. M.F. Ewton,
pastors of the local Christian and Baptist
churches, respectively. James, who had
spent much time with McConnell the past
few months and knew him intimately,
brought an especially conforting message.
A quartet, Mrs. O.S. Burnham, Mrsl. Jack
Dovidson, Jan Williams and Chester
Perkins sang several numbers, accompanied
at the piano by Mrs. E.E. Wilson, who also
accompanied Perkins in a solo, "In the
Garden."

Bearers were five lumbermen, Jack Craig,
C.F. Vickery, Bill Hicks, J.D. Jones and
K. Meadows, together with two pioneers,
A.H. Holloman and F.P. Fry. Interment
was in the family lot at Vernon, Texas.
Thanks to Marda Gunter for the Obit.

Among those from elsewhere attanding the
rites were desedent's two daughters,
Mrs. F.M. Dyer, Farmersville, Texas, and
Grace McConnell, age 14, of Okmulgee, who
was accompanied by two uncle, Charles and
Bert Shaber of Wetumka. Others here were
Mr. and Mrs H.K. Greever, Mrs E.F. Pipes,
Mrs, W.T. Clay and daughter , all of
Vernon.

Mr. and Mrs. Damon McConnell, Abilene,
Texas; Mr. and Mrs. Charles McConnell,
Duncan; Mr. Mrs. Harry McConnell, Okla.
City. Greever is a brother-in law of
Mrs. Greever, Mrs. Pipes and Mrs. Clay
are her sister-in-law.

Only other near survivor is the widow,
residing in Okmulgee, and a brother,
David Cleveland McConnell, at va
Veterans Hospital in Little Rock, Ark.

McConnell had been failing in health and
past few years and when he was attacked by
flu last Thursday he did not have enough
strenght to combat it. Most of the time
since the Tillman Air Force station was
located where McConnell had been employed
as a lumber checker for the Younger-
Wolfe Construction Co. Members of this
concern speak in the highest terms of
his work. When he complained of not
feeling good and took to his bed. Dr.
O.G. Bacon, His family doctor, was called,
who did all that was possible.

McConnell was born in Newton county, Ga.,
Jan. 6, 1878. He accompanied his parents
to Vernon, Tex., where as a small boy he
attended school and grew to manhood.
When the Cameron Lumber Co. established a
lumber yard at Hazel townsite, late in 1901.
McConnell was in charge. This was the
first lumber yard to be operated in what
is now Tillman county. After the Frisco
railroad located a depot in Frederick, the
Cameron yard joined the exodus to this place
and located at the site of the present
Carnegie Library. McConnell and J.B.
(Barny) Beard, then a young Frederick banker
but now retired and living in Calif.,
roomed together in the company office.

McConnell was morried to Miss Lucile Rogers
Whitewight, Texas, in 1904. He was
transferred to Mangum, Ok. in 1906 and
in 1908 he was sent to the main office at
Waco, Tex. where Mrs. McConnell died
in 1908. In 1912 he was sent to enid
and later to Okmulgee, Ok. In 1915
he was connected most of the time until
his removel here two and one-have hears ago.
He was married to Mrs. Robert Ashley of
Okmulgee in 1918.