This community was very much shocked last Thursday noon to learn of the death of Howard Sutherland, which occurred at 11:40 of pneumonia.

He carried mail on his rural route No. 1 Friday, and when he got in he went straight home and to bed. A doctor was called and it was found he had pneumonia in both lungs. The cause was fairly serious from the start, having many symptoms of influenza.

The funeral was held at the Baptist Church at 2 o'clock Sunday afternoon, Rev. C. M. Foreman and Rev. W. H. Underwood officiating, being one of the largest attended funerals attended ever held in this city, that of Titus Christensen being the largest of course. Howard was universally liked. His death, at the age of thirty four years, was a big shock, not only to the family concerned but to the entire community. The floral tributes at the funeral told something of high esteem he was held. The patrons of Route 1 had a beautiful piece that stood at least three feet high, the post office employees sent a piece in the shape of a mail pouch that was a beautiful thing, with the initials U. S. M. on it in pink carnations. The I. O. O. F. Lodge sent a handsome piece and there were hundreds of bouquets in other designs. The pallbearers were three carriers, James Reid, Ray Hewett and Clyde Allen and three representatives of the I. O. O. F. Lodge, Hugh Wright, Frank Gray and Otto Carmichael. A procession of autos extended all the way from the city limits to the cemetery.

Howard was born on an old farm west of town June 7th, 1888, coming to Blair with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Sutherland, when still a young man. He was married to Grace Pounds July 23rd, 1913. Besides his wife and father, he is survived by five brothers, W. H. of Lincoln, J. W. of Craig, Newt of Cheyenne, Wyoming, A. J. and Marion of Blair township; also two sisters, Mrs. Robert Hooks and Mrs. Charles Lamb.

Howard took the civil service exam and was sworn into the U. S. Mail Service as a rural route carrier on Route No. 1 February 27th, 1911.

#2-20 Apr., 1922 - The Enterprise

HOWARD SUTHERLAND

Funeral services for Howard Sutherland, whose death was mentioned in the columns of The Enterprise last week, were held on last week, were held on last Sunday afternoon, April 16, from the Baptist church and was one of the largest attended funerals ever held in Blair.

Mr. Sutherland was one of Uncle Sam’s mail carriers, and practically the whole route were represented at the funeral services. Rev. W. H. Underwood and Rev. C. M. Foreman had the services in charge at the church and the I.O.O.F. of which organization he was a member had charge at the cemetery.

The floral tributes were many and showed the esteem in which he was held by his neighbors, friends and patrons.

The deceased was born on the home farm west of Blair 34 years ago, and was married to Miss Grace Pounds July 1913. Besides the wife, his father, five brothers and two sisters are left to mourn his early passing.

#3-13 Apr., 1922 - The Enterprise

HOWARD SUTHERLAND VICTIM OF PNEUMONIA

Just before twelve o’clock today Howard Sutherland passed away at his home south of Blair, a victim of pneumonia. He was taken ill last Friday and gradually became worse. A trained nurse was called from Omaha, and everything was done within human power to do but with no avail.

Mr. Sutherland was well known as a young man of high moral standing, and has many friends who will grieve with the relatives at his death. He leaves a wife, a father, four brothers and two sisters to mourn him.

Funeral services will be held next Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock. The Odd Fellows, of which order he was a member, will have charge of the ceremonies.

#4-20 Apr., 1922 - The Tribune - Howard Sutherland

THE SUTHERLAND FUNERAL LARGELY ATTENDED SUNDAY

The funeral of Howard Sutherland, brief mention of whose death was made in these columns last week, was held Sunday from the Baptist church with Rev. W. H. Underwood of the Crowell Memorial Home in charge, and was attended by a large gathering of friends and relatives. Nearly every patron of Route No. 1, which Howard had carried for the past eleven years was in attendance to pay their tribute to the memory of a young man who had served them faithfully and well through sunshine and storm, bringing them messages of cheer as well as of sorrow, a point brought out in Rev. Underwood’s discourse when he said:

“I have always thought that if I had not been a minister I would be a railroad man, and if they wouldn’t have me, I would be a post office employee. At Columbus recently I saw a lady with two small children leaving the train and being met by an elderly couple, presumably the grandparents of the children, and the joy and pleasure that I could see in the greeting of these people caused me to remark to the conductor, “that he had been paid twice for this trip”. So it is with the workers on the post office. I have had letters handed to me containing good news that have made the whole day glad, and so also it was with Howard Sutherland, one of the most looked for men among the workers of the world bringing letters with good news. True, sometimes, they conveyed sad tidings and heartaches, but they were delivered with a cheery word and a happy smile that made the day brighter for all he came in contact with.”

That the patrons of Route No. 1 thought a great deal of Howard was attested by their generous response to the line all sent broadcast over the phone the day after his death when his substitute found in nearly every mail box an envelope containing from 50 cents to $2.00 with a note thereon, “For flowers for Howard”. Nearly $50.00 was brought to the post office in this manner.

At the cemetery the services were in charge of the Odd Fellows of which order he had been a member for a great many years, the members marching from the church to Nebraska street where they embarked in cars and preceded the cortege to the cemetery.

Seldom, if ever, was a larger funeral held in Blair. No bronze or marble shaft, no splendor of ancient or modern tombs and no play of immortal genius can adorn the memory of Howard Sutherland as did the presence of that vast assembly of sincere mourners who gathered at the church and later at the grave to pay their final respects to this young man. It was a tribute that will live forever in the memory of those he leaves behind, and prove a comfort in their sorrowing hours. Death is a hard master. It takes from us our brightest and best, but it cannot mar memory.

Howard Sutherland was born June 7, 1888 on a farm west of Blair, moving to town with his parents when a boy, and was married to Grace Pounds July 23, 1913. Besides the wife and an aged father, he leaves the following brothers and sisters to mourn his death: W. H. Sutherland of Lincoln; J. W. Sutherland of Craig; Newton Sutherland of Cheyenne; and Abe and Marion and Mrs. Robt. Hooks and Mrs. Charles Lamb of this city.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~

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