Burgess, Ray 1875-1961

BURGESS, COOPER, GILLETTE, ROCKWELL, NEWCOMBE

Posted By: Jill McCarville (email)
Date: 1/23/2014 at 17:07:19

Ray Burgess, 86, Community Leader Here for 50 Years, Dies Yesterday

Veteran Lumberman Began in Business Here in 1893. Funeral Services Thursday.

Funeral services will be conducted Thursday afternoon at 2:00 for Ray Burgess, 86, long-time Cresco lumberman and community leader.

Services will be held in the First Congregational church, of which Mr. Burgess was a life-long member. The Rev. Ross McGuire, pastor of the church, will officiate and burial will be in Oak Lawn cemetery.

The Bradley Funeral home is in charge of arrangements. The body will be at the Burgess home on North Elm street for viewing by friends until the time of the service.

Mr. Burgess died Tuesday morning in a Charles City retirement home following an extended illness. He and Mrs. Burgess moved to the retirement home last January.

A son of H.C. Burgess, founder of the Burgess and Sons lumber firm, and Mrs. Burgess, the former Emily Jane Cooper, Ray Burgess was born March 14, 1875, in Ossian. He was graduated from Cresco high school in 1893, then becoming associated with his father's lumber business which had been founded nine years before.

A few years later he became a partner in the lumber firm with his two brothers, Joseph H. Burgess and Charles C. Burgess. The firm operated several lumber yards in northeast Iowa.

He was married to Gertrude E. Gillette June 3, 1896, in Cresco. The couple was the parents of three children, Joseph E. of Cresco, Mrs. S.A. (Gertrude) Rockwell of Hibbing, Minnesota, and Emily, who died as a child.

Mr. Burgess, in addition to his extensive business interests, took an active part in community affairs. He served for many years on the board of directors of the Cresco independent school board, Chamber of Commerce and Country club. He was a director of the Iowa Lumber Dealers association. Mr. Burgess was a member of the Masonic lodge.

Mr. Burgess was preceded in death by his two brothers, Charles, in 1958, and Joseph H. in 1960.

Surviving are his wife, his son, Joseph E. and his daughter, Mrs. Rockwell. Also surviving are three grandchildren, James Newcombe of Saint Louis, Missouri, John and Judy, both of Cresco.

Times Plain Dealer July 26, 1961 Page 1A
Transcribed by Jill McCarville from the files of Janice Sowers

Oak Lawn Cemetery
 

Howard Obituaries maintained by Constance McDaniel Hall.
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