Truman, It was so thoughtful of you to post Mr. Pilson's obituary. I will miss him. We had talked numerous times over the past 10 years. I valued his opinion and enjoyed his stories. He was "one of a kind" a true gentleman. Cindy ---------- > From: Truman Adkins <tadkins@kimbanet.com> > To: VAPATRIC-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Death of O.E. Pilson > Date: Tuesday, January 19, 1999 6:13 PM > > From Martinsville Bulletin, 19 January 1999: > > Pilson, noted educator, genealogist dies at 88 > > O.E. Pilson, a longtime educator in both Patrick and Henry counties, and an > author > and genealogist, died Monday morning after suffering a heart attack at his > home in > Ridgeway. He was 88. > > Pilson served as principal at Drewry Mason High School and at Ridgeway > Elementary School, and worked in public education for 37 years before > retiring in > 1975. > > Born Ophus Eugene Pilson on Jan. 18, 1910 in the Elamsville section of > Patrick County, he attended > Elamsville School and the Blue Ridge Mission School, which closed in 1941. > Pilson later worked on > a successful effort to get a state historical marker placed at the mission > school site, located in the > Buffalo Ridge section of Patrick County. > > He received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown College in Kentucky in 1932. > > Pilson taught at Stuart High School, served as principal at the combination > elementary-high Red > Bank School and in 1945 became one of the first visiting teachers in the > state and the first in Patrick > County, serving in that capacity until 1949. > > When Henry County schools were consolidated and Drewry Mason High School > opened in 1952, > Pilson accepted the position as principal. After 13 years at Drewry Mason, > he became the principal > of Ridgeway Elementary School and remained there until his retirement. > > A resident of 456 Church St., Ridgeway, Pilson had served as vice mayor and > as a member of > Ridgeway's Town Council. He was twice president and twice secretary of the > Ridgeway Lions Club, > and had held every office in the Ridgeway Ruritan Club. > > Among the numerous civic and service organizations in which Pilson was > active were: the Red Cross > board; president of the Blue Ridge Mission School Alumni Association; on > the board and president > of the Patrick Henry Allied Families of Virginia; and on the public service > committee of the West > Piedmont Planning District. > > After retirement, Pilson became a genealogist researching the history of > cemeteries in Patrick > County. For eight years he did research before authoring a book on > tombstone inscriptions. > > He also helped research and author a book on the history of Patrick County. > At the time of his > death, Pilson was working on other family trees. > > Pilson had been a member of the board and past president of the District > Retired Teachers > Association; past state director and vice president to the > Martinsville-Henry County Retired > Teachers Association; secretary of the Patrick Henry Archeological Society, > member of the Henry > County Historical Association and Patrick County Historical Society, and > was a member of the now > disbanded Martinsville-Henry County Bicentennial Commission. He also was a > member of the Phi > Delta Kappa educational fraternity and the Sons of the American Revolution. > > Pilson remained active in the A.A.R.P., the Ridgeway Ruritan Club and Lions > Club, and Trinity > Lutheran Church. >