Henry Jon Sturgis

© The Enid OK Events

01-05-1933

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

May 1862 - January 3, 1933

Funeral Services Wednesday for Henry Sturgis, Pioneer Attorney

Bar Association and Elks Pay Final Tribute to Departed Member

Services were held Wednesday afternoon in St. Matthews Episcopal Church for Enid's pioneer lawyer, Henry J. Sturgis, who died here Monday, January 3, 1933.

The 71-year-old attorney was known to every citizen that came to Enid in the early day. Himself a member of the crowd that made the "run" at the opening of the Cherokee strip, he was the first to open a law office in Enid, and was instrumental in setting up a temporary government here.

The Bar Association, and the Elks Lodge are two organizations that were present at the funeral to give their respects to the man who had meant so much in both orders.

A fitting remembrance of his faithful service was sent his daughter, Mrs. George D. Wassam, in a resolution adopted by the Garfield County bar, in which it was recognized that "this bar, and the bar of the state of Oklahoma, has lost one of its most able and worthy members… A lawyer and a citizen who in his life and character exemplified the highest standards of his profession and the noblest virtues of a patriotic citizen."

District Court suspended its session from 1 to 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon in tribute.

Rev. Thomas Mablye, formerly pastor of the Enid Episcopal Church, came from Newton, Kansas, to conduct the services, while Horace G. McKeever gave the eulogy.

Active pallbearers were C. D. Roseman, Harry O. Glasser, F. W. Herndon, W. H. Hills, Judge O. C. Wybrant, J. Wilfred Hill, Carl Kruse, and Jack Curran.

Honorary pallbearers, representing the bar, are: P. C. Simmons, Joe Porter, John Burns, E. C. Dunlap, I. G. Conkling and W. O. Cromwell. Those chosen by the Elks to serve as honorary pallbearers are: J. D. Minton, A. E. Stephenson, W. J. Otjen, W. O. Haldeman, L. D. Hinman, and Cal Moyer.

In addition, several chosen from the Elks' Lodge kept the post of honor during the time the casket lay in state in the Brown Funeral Home.

For many years Mr. Sturgis has been prominent in Republican politics here and from 1901 to 1902 held the office of County Attorney. In 1914 he was his party's candidate for Justice of the Supreme Court but failed of election.

Six years ago next month Mr. Sturgis (at the request of the acting editor of this paper) wrote a very tender tribute to our editor and owner, Mr. Everett Purcell, who had just died.

Mr. Sturgis said many nice things in this article but his ending tribute we Events folks have long remembered. It concluded… "Like all human beings he had his frailties but his virtues rise mountain high, making the little hilllock of his faults as nothing… He is gone… Yet in the final analysis we all must say that his adopted state, Oklahoma; his County, Garfield, whose material interests he always defended and loved; and Enid, his hometown, and the whole world have been better than he lived in them."

And to Henry Sturgis, writer of those wonderful words and sentiments, we Events folks want to say – – "That all applies to you."

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