John W Downing
John W. Downing, son of George and Anna Allen Downing, was born near Piketon, Ohio on August 12, 1875, and departed this life on February 18, 1944, at his home at Piketon, Ohio, aged 68 years, 6 months and 6 days.
Mr. Downing had been in ill health for the past ten years and bedfast for three years.
On March 17, 1901, he was married to Minnie L Voelker of near Waverly, Ohio. To this union, two sons were born, one of whom, George Downing, preceded him in death.
Besides his wife, his faithful companion he is survived by his son, John W. Downing, Jr., and two sisters, Mrs. H. E. Hall of Springfield, Ohio and Mrs. E. J. Kendall of Oak Hill, Ohio.
Mr. Downing was educated in the public schools of Pike County, the Piketon Normal School and Lexington Business College of Lexington, Kentucky.
He had served as bookkeeper for the W. D. Dougherty Company in Waverly for five years.
When the Piketon National Bank was opened for business January 1, 1904, Mr. Downing became the bookkeeper and assistant cashier in 1916.
Mr. Downing was active in a field of wide and varied interests during his life. These interest were:
Member of the Pike County Registration Board during the World War I, mayor of Piketon for one term, member and clerk of the Piketon Village board of Education and chairman of the Piketon County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Mr. Downing was a member of Orient Lodge No. 321 Free and Accepted Masons of Waverly, Ohio, Modern Woodmen of America and the Improved Order of Redmen, of which he was the Past Great Sachem of the Grand Council of Ohio. He was also past Worthy Patron of the Waverly Order of Eastern Stars.
He was a member of the Waverly United Brethren Church and died in the Christian faith.
Waverly Newspaper
Feb 1944
Pike Co. Genealogy & Historical Society
P. O. Box 224, Waverly, Ohio 45690
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