The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1918-11-22
MEMORIAL. SERVICES
FOR 1T. ]. E. OWENS
Continued from Page One)

Owens" what his pupils thought of
him. Muriel Williams read the Hon
or Roll, consisting of over a hundred
names of those who have gone out
from our High School, many of whom
are now in France. A very effective
ceremony followed, when DIR. Kinna-
man read the names represented by
the two gold stars: Lieut.. Justus Err
win Owens and Harrison Smith, U. S.
N, and in the hush that followed, the
sweet, sad notes of Taps were sound
ed. The principal speaker of the
occasion was Col. D. w. Blair, pres
ident of the Board of Education. His
words touched the hearts of all his
hearers and made them proud of hav-
ing had this noble young man for a
friend. The ministers of the city, DR..
White and DIR. Patton, made the de-
votional features sweet and impress
sive as they always do in such time.
AS lasting memorial to this true
friend of the Marietta High School
the Senior class wants to have a
large picture of Mr.. Owens made and
hung in the chapel hall to keep ever
alive the grateful memory of Mari
etta's part in purchasing the civiliza-
ton of the world.
The text of Col. Blair's speech
follows:
Lieut.. Justus Erwin Owens
One week ago yesterday we spent
the day celebrating the world peace
that is coming to us and all the ma
lions of the earth. 1t was a day of
universal rejoicing with us that the
awful carnage that had deluged the
world in blood for more than four
years sacrificing millions of lives and
causing more suffering, sorrow and
distress than in any equal period of
the worlds history, was at an end.
This morning we pause in our la
bors to pay tribute to one of the
heroes of that great conflict, one who
went out from the walls of this in
stitution and made the supreme sac
rifce for us and his and our country.
AS we appreciate the institutions of
our country, the liberty we enjoy,
the cause for which our country
fought, the religion we profess, we
will appreciate the devotion to duty
and the service and sacrifice of Lieut..
Justus Erwin Owens. 1t is a small
tribute that we can bring for the
services he rendered and the sacri-
flee he made. The most that we can
say will sound hollow, empty, and un-
satisfying. 1t is like laying flower
upon his bier in token of our appre
citation of his manhood, heroism and
his great gift. Words are made
uuate to the expression desired.
If l were to select single word
to express the life that he lived It'll
would be LOYALTY-loyalty to him
self, to duty, to his country, and to
his God. He was loyal to himself
in his boyhood and young manhood.
I knew him only as one that came
among us to serve us and after a
period went out to serve in larger
and more trying sphere. Yet l speak
with confidence when l say that
Owens the boy and young man was
true to himself. | know not whether
opportunities knocked for him in his
youth or whether he went out and
chased them down, but the important
thing which do know is that his OPP
portunities were improved. At school
he improved each shining hour, from
primary to grammar, grammar toI
high and high to university, where
he completed his course and took his
degre. Oh, if the youth of the land
would seize the opportunities for I'M
provement that are in reach OF them
and make the most of them. 10
thine own self be true" said the great
poet, "and it must follow as the night
the day thou canst not then be false
to any man." He was loyal to his
BODY to develop his muscles, make it!
athletic and healthier, a suitable
place for the indwelling of sound
mind and an upright spirit. He was
loyal to his mind to educate 1T and
develop it for the greatest power OF
comprehension and usefulness. He
was loyal to his spirit to guide 1t and
control it so it would be just to his
fellow man and obedient to his God.
When he had completed his college
course he went out into the world to
serve, and his first work was in our
high school. How loyal he was to his
work here is known to us all. dare
say no pupil, patron or teacher ever
had cause to suspect that he was
Stacking on his job. He was loyal to
those he served and to those he Ia
bored with.
On April 6, 1917, came the an
rouncement that we were at war, and
his loyalty to our country at once
became a pressing sense of duty to
him. It was not necessary that he
should have gone then. He might
have said to himself: II am serving
my country now; am doing great
work here. l am helping to make
men and women, develop characters
and make useful citizens of my coun-