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Submitted: 9/19/10 • Approved: 9/24/10 • Last Updated: 8/14/15 • R76206-G0-S3
Watertown Public Opinion
Watertown, South Dakota
October 1960
J. W. Byrd Dies; Service Wednesday
James William Byrd, 73, 604 5th St., S. E., died Monday afternoon at his home.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday in the Shaw-Messer Chapel, with the Rev. Irvin J. Parce officiating. Military honors will be provided by Barracks 1950, World War I veterans.
Burial will be in the Hillside Cemetery at Egan.
Mr. Byrd was born June 7, 1887, at Smithville, Mo. He moved to Watertown 17 years ago. Since moving here, Mr. Byrd has been a roofing contractor.
Dec. 23, 1922, Mr. Byrd was married to Margaret Justus at Sioux Falls.
Mr. Byrd's parents died while he was a small child, and he was raised by his foster parents, Mr. And Mrs. John Schouse. Mr. Byrd came to South Dakota in 1917 and worked in the Stratford area before enlisting in the Army in 1918.
Following his discharge he returned to South Dakota and entered construction work. In 1922 he built the Egan Consolidated School at Egan. Until 1943 he supervised construction of many buildings in eastern South Dakota and western Minnesota, including the Watertown stadium and the Coughlin Campanile in Brookings.
He was a member of the Baptist Church in his youth, a member of Codington County Post No. 17 of the American Legion, and a member of barracks 1950 Veterans of World War I.
Preceding him in death were his parents, two sisters, and a step-son, T/Sgt. Harold H. Justus, who was a casualty in the South Pacific in 1943.
Mr. Byrd is survived by his wife; two step-sons, Ray Justus of Watertown and Ralph E. Justus of Wahpeton, N. D.; five grandchildren, all of Watertown, and several nieces and nephews living in Arizona and Washington.
Pallbearers will be Merrill Allen, Carl Wynn, Clayton Bradshaw, Lonnie Wietgrefe, all of Watertown; Arthur Kasdorf of Estelline and Ernest Schultz of White.
The family prefers memorials.
Contributed on 9/19/10 by dellsfig68
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Record #: 76206