Thomas Jefferson Chisum |
Isham Alfonso Steele |
Sicily
Island, LA ---Two of Catahoula parish’s most valuable citizens, Thomas Jefferson Chisum, 81 and Isham Alfonso Steele, 64 died here Tuesday morning.
Mr.
Chisum and Mr. Steele came to Sicily Island 45 years ago from the same town in
Texas to build themselves into prominence among people of this locality.
Mr.
Steele, who was a nephew of Mr. Chisum, died at 3 o’clock Tuesday morning and
Mr. Chisum died just three hours later.
Mr. Steele was a prominent merchant and landowner having started his
career in life working in the store of his uncle and after working several
years, he went in business for himself and acquired success as a business man
and most valuable citizen. He is
survived by his wife, three daughters: Mrs. Bruce Edmonds, Mrs. Wesley Ogden,
and Miss Juanita Steele of Sicily Island and one foster-son, Ted Steele of
Houston, Texas.
Funeral
services were held at the home in Sicily Island, Wednesday afternoon with Masonic
ceremonies at the grave in Pine Hill cemetery where interment was made. Rev. E. W. Day, pastor of the Methodist
church here officiated.
Mr.
Chisum came to Sicily Island more than 45 years ago riding horseback, driving a
drove of horses which he sold after arriving here at a loss. Mr. Chisum opened a mercantile store here a
number of years after he came here and operated it until 1912 when he retired
from the mercantile business. He
acquired several hundred acres of land during his climb up life’s ladder.
Mr.
Chisum, as did Mr. Steele, came here
from Thornton, in Limestone County, Texas.
Mr.
Chisum assisted in the organization of the Sicily Island State Bank and was
vice-president of the institution at the time of his death. Among the various enterprises in which he
engaged was that of stock raising, which he took great pride in and his
opinions along this line were considered authoritative.
During
his many years of residence at Sicily Island, Mr. Chisum was a useful and
public-spirited citizen, an encourager of local enterprises and a supporter of
sound business institutions.
He was
a charter member of Keystone Masonic Lodge here as was his nephew, Mr.
Steele. Both uncle and nephew and their
families were members of the Methodist church here.
Mr.
Chisum is survived by his widow, two sons, E. W. Chisum and E. D. Chisum of
Sicily Island and two daughters, Mrs. C. J. Gordon and Mrs. J. G. McNair of
Sicily Island.
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