Obituaries continued

GRAY
Allen D. Gray, 89, of Petaluma, Calif, formerly of Oil City and Centerville, died Saturday, July 8, 1978, in Petaluma.
He was born November 24, 1888, in Wheeling, W. VA., son of John e. and Emma Davis Gray.
He was a graduate of Carnegie Technical Institute and United States Steel’s Pittsburgh Academy. He was employed as a design engineer for the Oil Well Supply Co., a division of United States Steel, retiring in 1954.
He is survived by his wife, Ina Thistlethwaite Gray, whom he would have been married to 60 years this year; two sons, Allen D. Gray Jr., Denver, Colo, and John H. Gray, Scottsdale, Ariz; three daughters, Eleanor Wolfe, Oloee, Fla., Ruth Luzena, Mill Valley, Calif., Mildred Arehart, Columbus, Ohio; three brothers, John, Walter, and Clarence, all of St. Petersburg, Fla; 17 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Gray – Funeral notice
Friends of Allen D. Gray, of Petaluma, Calif., formerly of Centerville and Oil City, who died Saturday, July 8, 1978 in Petaluma, Calif, will be received in the Greenlee funeral Home, Beallsville, on Tuesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. Services will be held Wednesday, July 12, at 1 pm. Burial in Taylor Cemetery.

COWAN
Richard S. Cowan, O-R General Manager, Dies
Richard S. Cowan, vice president and general manager of the Observer Publishing Co., died Sunday at 1:30 am in Washington Hospital, where he had been a patient since March 25. He was 67.
Mr. Cowan, who lived at 471 Third Street, Washington, joined the newspaper in 1947 as controller.
He became secretary-treasurer of the company in 1953 and was elected vice president in 1968. He was appointed general manager in 1976, on the retirement of James s. Lyon.
Mr. Cowan graduated from Washington High School, where he was president of the Class of 1929, and entered Washington and Jefferson College. He graduated from W & J in 1933 and received a fellowship in the department of economics, earning a master’s degree in 1936. While in college he was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
He joined the former Citizens national Bank (now Mellon Bank) in 1937 and remained there until he joined the Observer Publishing Company.
Mr. Cowan served a year as president of the W & J General Alumni Association and was on the executive committee four years. He also headed the Washington County Alumni Association for a year.
He was a past president of the Washington Jaycees and the Washington Rotary Club and past president and campaign chairman of the Central Washington county United Way. He was also active in behalf of Pony League Baseball, the Washington YMCA and the American Red Cross.
Mr. Cowan served on the boards of the First Federal Savings and Loan Association and the Washington County Branch of the Pennsylvania Economy League, and was a past director of the Greater Washington Area chamber of commerce.
He was a member and had been an elder and a deacon in the Church of the Covenant. He was also a member of the Sunset Lodge No. 623, F & AM; 32nd Degreed, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of Pittsburgh, and Washington Elks Lodge No. 776.
Mr. Cowan was born April 16, 1911, in Waynesburg, a son of the late Walter Cowan and Ocile Wiley Cowan, of Washington, who survives.
He was married March 24, 1940, to Flora Dale Miller, who survives.
Also surviving are one son, Dr. Richard S. Cowan Jr., chairman of the business Administration Department of Waynesburg College and a Greene county commissioner; one brother, Walter B. Cowan, Washington; one sister, Marjorie, wife of Walter Mollenauer, Rockaway, NJ, and two grandchildren, Ann and Richard S. Cowan III.


THISTLETHWAITE
Richard Lee Thistlethwaite, 51, of Minneapolis, Minn., formerly of Centerville, died Friday, July 7, 1978, in Minneapolis.
He was born August 16, 1926, in Centerville, a son of Miles Lee and Margaret Webeck Thistlethwaite.
He was a member of the church Evangelical Free Church, Minneapolis, a Koran War Veteran, a graduate of Washington High School, Washington and Jefferson College, Loyola University, Chicago, Ill., and was employed as a textile chemist in charge of quality for the Munsingwear Co., Minneapolis, Minn.
He was also a member of the American Society of Quality Control, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, the Munsingwear Management Club, the Toastmasters International, American Legion Post 523, Golden Valley, Minn., the Illinois F & AM 921, Zuhrah Temple of Minneapolis, the York Rite at Lake Harriet, the Knights Templars, and Zuhrah Shrine Boosters.
Surviving are his wife, Betty (Theon) Thistlethwaite; one daughter, Deborah Lynn, both of Minnesota, two sisters, Betty, wife of Ronald Pettit, Washington, and Elaine, wife of Lloyd Knestrick, Washington, D.C.; two step children and three step grandchildren.

Thistlethwaite – funeral notice
Friends of Richard Lee Thistelthwaite, of Minneapolis, Minn, who died Friday, July 7, 1978, will be received in the Greenlee Funeral Home, Beallsville, Wednesday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 pm. Services will be held Thursday, July 13, at 1 pm in charge of the Rev. Raymond Jones of the Faith United Presbyterian Church. Burial in Taylor Cemetery. The family suggests contributions to the American Heart Association.

BIGLER
Joseph U. Bigler, 77, of 623 Donnan Avenue, Washington, died at 7:30 am Wednesday August 1, 1979, in the Washington Hospital after a short illness.
He was born October 17, 1901, near Scenery Hill, a son of Charles and Ella Donson Bigler.
He attended the Myers School, Scenery Hill High School, airplane mechanic school in Chicago and automobile mechanic school in Kansas city and had been associated with the oil and natural gas industry prior to his retirement.
On May 1, 1956, he married in Williamsburg, VA, to Gertrude Dicks, who survives.
Also surviving are a sister, Ruth , wife of Ranson Watson of Waynesburg R.D. and a nephew, Donald b. Watson of Houston, Texas.

NEWELL – funeral card
Elma D. Newell, born February 11, 1901, died September 6, 1978, services at Immanuel Presbyterian Church, clergyman – Dr. H. Arthur Stephenson, burial Hillcrest Memorial park

MARTIN
Daniel M. Martin Sr., 77, of 711 North Franklin Street, Washington, died Saturday, February 17, 1979,at 1:15 pm in Washington Hospital.
He was born in Paris, June 2, 1901, the son of James R. and Beulah Maude Wilson Martin. He lived his entire life in Washington.
He was employed at Jessop Steel for 25 years as an electrician. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church. For 27 years he was scoutmaster for Troop 3 of the Boy Scouts. He was a member and past president and secretary of the Washington Camera Club, a member of the CB’s Senior Citizens Club, A.A.R.P., and the Washington and Greene county covered Bridge Association. He served on the Washington School board for six years.
He was married September 7, 1920, to Emma e. (Betty) Cummins of Midway, who survives.
Also surviving are four daughters and two sons; Margaret, wife of Charles Reynolds of Garden Grove, Calif., Beulah, wife of Robert W. Brownlee of Washington, James W. Martin of Spokane, Wash., Daniel M. Martin Jr. of Washington, J. Arlene wife of Walter Berry of Washington, J. Eileen, wife of Thomas Scott of Sunderland, Mass.; two sisters, Emma, wife of Kenneth Weirich of Canonsburg, Elsie, wife of Carol Knoke of Sun City Center, Fla.; one brother, Charles E. Martin of Fort Charlotte, Fla.; 22 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.


HILL
Elma Lora Hill, 67, of 127 National Road, Fredericktown RD 1, died unexpectedly Sunday, December 21, 1980, in her home.
She was born August 24, 1913, in Centerville, a daughter of George and Flora Ward Hill. She was descendant of a pioneer family.
Miss Hill graduated from Centerville High School and California State College, and taught in the Richeyville and Beth Center schools. She was an active life member of Mt. Zion Methodist Church Women and Eliza Blair Bible class.
Miss Hill also was a member of the Deemston Grange, California University Women Old Trails Business and Professional Women’s Club and Retired Teachers Associations of Washington County and Pennsylvania.
Surviving are a sister, Enid Hill Miller of Fredericktown RD 1 and two nephews, Robert H. Miller of Cranford, NJ and Paul L. Miller Copley Ohio.
One sister, Iva Hill, is deceased.