This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: WASHBURN(E) Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/BkB.2ACE/824.1.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Beaumont Enterprise, Saturday Oct 1 1932, page 16, col 1//Former Postmaster of Port Arthur Dies at Rusk on Friday//Port Arthur TX Sept 30--J H Washburne, 75, of 2136 Seventh street, former postmaster, died at Rusk at 6 pm Friday, according to information received here//Mr Washburne was born in North Carolian and came to Texas in 1888 from Chicago, settling at Kountze. He came to Port Arthur in 1905 and began a merchandising business. He was postmaster from 1914 to 1923//Surviving are a widow, a daughter, Miss Marjoria; three sons, James all of Port Arthur, and Joe H Washburne, who is a member of Ted Weems' famous orchestra, and Homer Waldeo (??) of Houston.// Funeral arrangements will be completed by the Hampton company. The body will arrive here Sunday Morning. Beaumont Enterprise, Sunday, Oct 2, 1932, page 4, col 1 J H Washburne rites tomorrow--Funeral Service for Former Port Arthur Postmaster Set for 2:30 pm//Port Arthur TX Oct 1// Services fro H H Washburne, 75, postmaster here from 1914 to 1923 who died at 6 pm Friday in Rusk, will be held at 2:30 pm Monday at the Hampton company's funeral home, Rev Glenn Flinn, pastor of the First Methodist church, South will officiate. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Park//The active pallbearers will be J S Traweek, D J Russell, E E Stuckey, G E Carter, S R Bellamy, F C Toups. The honorary pallbearers will be Jack Dies Houston; Martin Dies, Orange, Ben Hooks, Kountze, all members of the Lions club, postoffice employees and friends of the family//The body will arrive at 8:45 am Sunday over the Southern Pacific lines//Mr Washburne was born in Paducah, KY, He came to TX in 1888 form Chicago, settling at Kountze and engaging in the mercantile business. He sold out and came to Port Arthur and! opened a similar establishment in the 300 block of Proter Street//With D Russell and J S Traweek as partners, he opened the Boston Dry Goods store in 1909 in a building in the 500 block of Procter street where the Strand theater is now located//He had been established here only a short time when a fire broke out in a building next door housing the John R Adams store. His stocks were damaged. This led him to reopen in another location farther down Procter Street toward Houston Avenue//An active democrat, Washburne supported Martin Dies Sr, for congressmen. This resulted in his being appointed postmaster here under President Woodrow Wilson's administration. He also held this position during the Harding regime. He was succeeded by S I Dunn, who still holds the job// Mr Washburne was past president of the Lion's club. From 1909 to 1910 he served on the board of trustees of the Port Arthur Indepentent school district. He belonged to the First Methodist church, South, and took a! n active part in many charity drives. He also helped organize the Port Arthur Retail Merchant's asscociation which later became the Port Arthur Commercial association.