Putnam patriot., 1930-10-09
OFFICIALS AND PROMINENT
 CITIZENS ATTEND FUNERAL
Ralph E. Thurston Fire Chief and Chairman of Water
 Commissioners Dies
Local Head Light & Power Go.
 Since 1906


 City and town officials, members of the Putnam fire department, mem- hcrs of the police department, repre- sentatives of Putnam Lodge of Eiks and of Quinebaug Lodge of Masons. and many citizens. are in Fall Xiv CT this afternoon to pay their last respects to the memory of Ralph E. Thurston. Chief of the Fire Depart ment. Chairman of the Board of Wa ter Commissioners and for the past twenty-four years local manager of the Connecticut Light & Power Com pany and it's predecessors. who died Monday night about 930 o'clock ct Trnesdell hospital, Fall River. The funeral Is being held at the home of Mir Thurston's sister. Mrs. Cora B. Terry. 344 Highland avenue.
 The death of Mir Thuraton is a blow ta this city He was a trusted and valued official who gave unspar- iuely of his time and efforts in the line of civic duty. The citizens of the community had been prepared for the worst for some time as 1t was known that Mir. Thurston was fight ing heroically the battle with death with constitution undermined and heart weakened with an insidious poison which developed from an ul- serated tooth. Notwithstanding the odds were against him he fought on courageouslv and hopefully until the end Last week reports came from the sick room that he was show ing improvement lt was said that his temperature had decreased and that he was slowly gaining. Within twenty-four hours of this encourag- ing news came the discouraging rec port that he had suffered a relapse and that the worst was feared. Pneumonia developed. This added to the complications developing from poison was the direct cause of death.
 Heart Affected
 Mir Tharston entered the hospital August 27th. An examination disclos- ed that the poison from the infected tooth had already permegted his sys- tenn and that his heart was affected It was necessity to operate. On ae- count of the heart action the oper- ation had to be performed without the use of an anesthetic. He suf- fered agonies during the oneratiou because consafous. However, he bors up well and began to show signs ot slight improvement. People from this city called upon him frequently. They found him courageous and with will Co get better. His spirit was undaunted but the flesh was weak. i He could not resist the attack of pneumonia which appeared while hs was in such weakened condition.
 For approximately twenty-five years Mir. Thurston has lived in Put nam. His interests were centered in the city to which he came in f9O6 to succeed the late Allen W. Bowen as superintendent of the Putnam Light & Power Company. He has remained the local head of that pub- lie utility during it's changes and cx- pansions and last July he was pro- noted to distribution supervisor of the Danielson and Putnam districts Of the Connecticut Light & Power Company, being succeeded as local manager by Thomas Ralph of Dan- ielson. The promotion was effective August ist.
 While more or less in the public eye. due to his quasi public position as local head of public service cor poration, f was not until January 1922 that Mir Thurston really en- tered public life. At that time he was appointed chief engineer of the l Putnam fire department to succeed the late Cortland D. Arnold.
 Inspires Confidence
 Chief Thurston soon reorganized tho department and brought it to an exceptionally high plane. As vol- i unteer department there is no better. Ever jealous of the personnel and equipment in his charge the Chief constantly urged improvements and 1 pointed out weaknesses where he 1 found them to exist He attended state and national conventions. Kent in touch with fire underwriters and their requirements and methods. He took his responsibility seriously and was proud of the record the depart-