Sunday's Obituary: Millard M. Davis

Sunday’s Obituary is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers asking bloggers to post obituaries along with other information about that person.

Millard Mitchell Davis
19 Oct 1894 - 27 Dec 1951

Millard Davis

Dies Suddenly

Heart Attack Fatal

To Popular Railroad

Man at Shenandoah

Shenandoah Dec. 27 – Millard M. Davis, 57, a Norfolk and Western storekeeper at that railroad’s Shenandoah shops, died suddenly of a heart attack 4:30 this morning at his home here.

                Mr. Davis had a serious heart condition for several years, yet he continued to work as storekeeper for the railroad up to his death.  He was one of the most popular men in Shenandoah and this part of Page County, and also had friends up and down the Norfolk and Western Railroad.

                He had been with the Railroad for the past 25 years, starting work in Shenandoah, and working at various places on the N. and W.’s Shenandoah Division until eight years ago, when he returned home to take the position of storekeeper.

                Mr. Davis was born in Page County near Shenandoah, son of the late Walter B. Davis and Mrs. Mary F. Jollett Davis.  He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Edith Kite Davis; two sisters: Mrs. Violetta D. Ryan of Harrisonburg and Mrs. Velma Woodring of Martinsburg, W. Va.; and a brother, Orvin O. Davis of Portsmouth, Va.

                His sisters, Mrs. Ryan and Mrs. Woodring, left Friday, Dec. 21 on a motor trip to New Orleans.  Efforts are being made, through police teletype and otherwise, to reach the sisters and inform them of their brother’s death.  Until this is done, funeral arrangements will be held up with the body at the Brill Funeral Home in Elkton.

Millard and Edith
at his sister Violetta D. Ryan's home

The Page News & Courier Jan. 3, 1952, carried this report of the funeral:

Funeral services were held Sunday from the St. Peter's Lutheran Church for Millard M. Davis, 57, Norfolk & Western [Railway] storekeeper, who died at his home last Thursday morning.

The Rev. H. Edmund Pfeifer, pastor of the church, was in charge of the services and burial was in the E. U. B. Cemetery.

The large crowd of sorrowing friends and the beautiful floral designs were a tribute to the high esteem in which the deceased was held by his hundreds of friends. The funeral services were attended by one of the largest throngs ever present for final rites in the community with friends from Washington, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Roanoke attending.

Active pallbearers were: Amos Kite, Elwood Kite, Russell Coleman, Clyde Knight, Lewis Jollette, and Ben Davis.

Honorary pallbearers were: Clyde Hisey, J. L. Foltz, Clyde Koontz, Floyd Eppard, Owen M. Strickler, J. D. Hodges, V. C. Griffith, B. W. Strum, J. R. Painter, W. H. Bricker, C. C. Morrison, Jennings Meadows, J. T. Rothgeb, H. G. Burks, H. C. Bradley, W. W. Barnes, W. O Smith, Jr., Lewis Powell, Harry C. L. Pamplin, C. C. Lankford, H. L. Kiblinger, C. L. Graviet, W. T. Turner, W. T. Sink, B . H. Keith, J. B. Reynolds, John Foltz, and Pete Davis.