Parsons, T. Clayton

Passed: 1960-12-25

Age: 73

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice: 1960-12-28

Obituary Date:

Information: DEATH CLAIMS BANK CASHIER - T. Clayton Parsons, executive vice president and cashier of the Bank of Ripley, dropped dead on a downtown street in Ripley on the morning of Christmas Day just after he had picked up the bank's morning mail and left the post office.  Thomas Stemple of Third Avenue and Patrolman Ronald Walker were the first to reach him and called Dr. C. Royal Kessel, who pronounced him dead.  He had risen early as was his custom and had come downtown and gone to the post office.  He had not been ill and his death came as a distinct shock to his family, his business associates and the public in general.   He began his service at the bank of July 1, 1914 and served for several years as an assistant cashier and had been the cashier since 1936.  He was also a member of the Ripley Masonic Lodge, the Jackson Chapter of Royal Arch Mason, the Dowell Commandry of Knights Templar, the Shrine Nemesis Temple, the Ripley Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, the Order of White Shrine, W. S. J. Parkersburg, and the Ripley Rotary Club.   Surviving are his wife, Mamie; two sons, Staats and Talmadge C., Jr., both of Ripley; three half-brothers, Lovell, Jr. of Baltimore, Ohio, and W. King and Frederick, both of Ripley; one half sister, Mattie Dorsey of Salem; and three grandchildren.  Three children and one grandchild preceded him in death.    He was born March 30, 1887 at Ripley and was a son of the late Lovell M. and Cordelia Staats Parsons.  In early life he was a school teacher but 46 years ago quit that profession to enter the banking field.  It was often said of him that ""banking is his life"" and one of the great satisfactions he realized during his lifetime was seeing his bank grow from the small institution it was the day he started with it to its present position.  In all this growth, and the progress which came to the banking field, he was a part of it, and was always looking forward to progressive things which should be considered and as late as Saturday evening had discussed with other officers of the bank some more progressive steps he believed should be considered for the years ahead.   He was one of the county's well known civic leaders and during his lifetime played active roles in many things designed for the betterment of his town and county and was generally recognized as a man who got things done.  He had served in all of the official positions of the town government and as a member of the town's board of education in the early days and during that tenure was a leader in the establishment of Ripley High School.  He served for 29 years as the Treasurer of the West Virginia Conference of the E.U.B. Church and attended many of the quadrennial conferences of the denomination and in recognition of his work in that field was granted an honorary degree by Otterbein College.   The funeral service was held from the Ripley E. U. B. Church on Tuesday, December 27, with Rev. James Reed of South Parkersburg and Rev. Robert Evans officiating and burial with the Vail undertakers in charge was in the family plot in Pine Hill Cemetery.