Sunday, March 1, 2015

Obituary Sunday - Thomas James McCullough 1885 - 1951

T. J. McCullough - 1885 - October 7, 1951

Published in Watseka Republican newspaper
The body was taken to the family residence on Tuesday afternoon, October 9, 1951

Pallbearers were Ernie Stephenson, Lawrence Gregory, Otto Gromer, John Sturm, Fred Sturm, and Clarence Norder. Cars for the flowers were driven by John Gromer and Ernest Ely.

Organist for the funeral was Grace Burnham, and soloist was James Miller.

Girls setting up flowers were Eileen Hayes, Betty Floriant, Virginia Gordon, Mrs. Milford Bunn, Mrs. Otto Gromer and Mrs. Helen Gossett.

T. J. also was preceded in death by a son Thomas James (1925-1926) and Dorothy Rosetta (1916).



From funeral book of T. J. McCullough, 1951
When I looked at the funeral book, I was surprised how many visitors' names I knew. These were people my parents would mention in conversations about the farm business or stories about their lives. My piano teacher, Mrs. L. E. (Simone) McShanog paid her respects, as well as my high school English/French teacher and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Sullivan. I didn't know they knew my parents before I was born.

There are lots of signatures of relatives I only know from researching my family tree. Since my parents were married in 1950, there were relatives from both sides of my family tree.