Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-01-07
H LEITCH dead LABOR IN POLITICS FIR GRAYS HARR0R
Prominent Aberdeen Citi-
zen Passes to the Great
Beyond Very Sud-
denly Friday
Evening.

AT about $50 p. m. Friday, John II.
Leitch, senior member and manager of
the Dryden & Leitch Lumber Co., was
stricken with neuralgia of the heart, and
in fifteen minutes from the time he was
seized with the pain, was dead.
Next morning, when word was passed
upon the street that Mr.. Leitch was
dead. men could scarcely believe it, as
he was apparently in perfect health, and
was not subject to any heart trouble, so
that his sudden death was a shock to the
whole city.
On account OF having to take the body
to Centraia on Sunday, the funeral ser
vices were held at the home in South
Aberdeen, on Saturday afternoon at 3
O'Clock, the Masonic fraternity, of which
he was an active member, attending in a
body. The services at the home were
conducted by the Rev. Charles McDer.
moth OF the Congregational church, Rev.
E. Il. Prichard of the Presbyterian
church. Offering the prayer, the music
being furnished by Mrs. S. NJ. Anderson.
The service closed with the ritualistic
service of the Masonic lodge.
On Sunday morning the body was for.
warded to Centralia on the 3 80 train,
accompanied by the relatives and escort
ed to the train by Aberdeen Lodge f. &
A. NJ. The Masonic pallbearers were
Robert Coats, 7. l.. Douglas. A. H. Ben.
ham, L. W. Herrick, w. J. Patterson
and j. G. Lewis, all Royal Arch Ma.
sons. The honorary pallbearers were A.
j. West. G. r. Wilson, A. w. Middleton,
NJ. r. Sherwood, Edward Hubert and
W. B. Mack, all from the mill men of
Aberdeen.
Mr.. Leitch was born in st. Thomas,
Canada. January 8. 1853, so that had he
lived four days longer he would have
been "a years Of age. Before he was of
age his parents moved to the United
States, and he commenced his career as
lumberman in Northern Michigan, he
being for number of years manager for
Head, Murphy & Crepin at Montague,
Mich. From there he moved to Nebras-
ka, where for short time he engaged in
mercantile business. In 1890, he with
his family moved to Centralia, Lewis
county, where he was engaged in the
lumber business, under the name of the
Birge-Leitch Lumber Co., and in 1899,
seeing the advantages Of Grays Harbor.
he severed his connections at Centralia,
and securing location at South Aber.
deem he organized the present company,
of which he was the senior member when
death put an end to his career.
OF the character of Mr.. Leitch, much
that is good could be written. His ideals
OF integrity were high, his associations
with men showed him to have thor.
ough knowledge Of men and a reader
OF character; being fair minded lie al.
ways took the broadcast view OF men and
matters, and was unusually successful in
his estimates. In public affairs he was
always active, helping where he was
most needed, and as a member of the
city council, where he served with ability,
his views were always heard with con-
viction on the part OF his associates. In
his religious views he was of the Presby-
terian faith, but his sympathies led him
to assist other denominations in an un-
ostentatious manner. He was Master
Mason in good standing in the local
lodge, and they with the whole COM
munity have lost an earnest, conscien.
tious worker.
Mr.. Letch is survived by his wife. his
mother. Mrs. Sarah Leitch, his sister,
Mrs. Harry B. Strong, his brothers,
James, Mate and Joseph, the latter be-
ing a captain in the United States army,
and by number OF nieces and nephews.
In the death OF Mr.. Leitch Aberdeen
has lost one OF her best citizens.