Local and State Obituary Notices
James Henry Douglas
Ogden—Funeral services for James Henry Douglas, 84, of 2708 Harrison Boulevard, retired Ogden business man and civic leader and widely known Church leader, who died Saturday, will be conducted Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Ogden Twelfth Ward by Bishop Lewis J. Wallace, of the Highland Ward.
[Deseret News, May 31, 1943, 16]
[Salt Lake Tribune, May 31, 1943, 9]
[transcribed and proofread by David Grow, Jan. 2006]
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Death Claims Well Known Ogden Leader
James H. Douglas Held Several LDS Church Offices
Ogden—James Henry Douglas, 84, widely known Ogden business leader and LDS church worker, died at 4:40 a.m. Saturday at his home, 2708 Harrison boulevard, of a heart attack. He had been in good health until a few minutes before his death.
Mr. Douglas had been prominently identified with business and financial institutions of Ogden and Salt Lake City prior to his retirement from active participation in their affairs, and, as president of the British LDS mission, also traveled widely in the British Isles and on the European continent, where he became well known as a church leader.
He was born in Ogden, August 29, 1858, a son of Richard and Elizabeth Wadsworth Douglas. The family moved to West Weber for a short time when he was a child, but returned to Ogden in 1867, and he had lived here since that time.
During his lifetime he had been actively associated with the business, civic and church life of Ogden and Weber county, beginning with his employment with the old Charles Woodmansee general store when he was 13 years of age. Later he worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad company at Humbolt and Wells, Nev., for some time.
Entered Business
His real entry into the business world came when he joined the staff of the Ogden branch of ZCMI, pioneer Utah department store, managed by the late D.H. Peery. He continued this service for a period of 25 years.
In 1901 he became affiliated with Boyle Furniture company of Ogden, and in 1903 he was named manager, which post he held for 28 years, completing his active work with this store on December 31, 1931.
He had been a member of Ogden publicity bureau, a director and vice president of the Utah state Mormon Battalion monument commission, director of Ogden’s Carnegie free public library for 14 years, a director of Utah National bank and of the Amalgamated Sugar company. As a business man and traveler he had crossed the American continent more than 100 times.
He was named first counselor in the first Young Men’s Mutual Improvement association in Ogden, that of the Ogden Second LDS ward. He was one of the presidents of the seventy-sixth quorum of seventy and senior president of the 160th quorum of seventy at one time, and in 1922 became president of the high priests’ quorum of Mt. Ogden LDS stake. His first mission for the church was to the southern states in 1887 and 1888.
Married in 1882
He married Rintha Pratt, a daughter of Orson Pratt, early Utah pioneer and LDS church apostle, in the Salt Lake Endowment house, January 12, 1882. She died in July, 1941.
When he was called to preside over the British LDS mission, Mrs. Douglas was named president of the Relief societies of the mission. They left Ogden December 31, 1931, and returned January 14, 1935. During this period they traveled in France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Holland, and presided over 250 missionaries and more than 7000 church members.
Funeral services have been tentatively set for Wednesday at a time and place to be announced by Larkin & Sons mortuary.
Surviving are a son and four daughters, Melbourne P. Douglas of Ogden, Mrs. Genieve Douglas Taylor of Los Angeles, Mrs. Glenn D. Cannon of Honolulu, T.H.; Mrs. Lucile D. Baker of San Francisco and Mrs. Ruth D. Pingree of Oakland, Cal.; two brothers and three sisters, William Douglas of Los Angeles, John Douglas, Mrs. David J. Revor and Mrs. William A. Reeves of Ogden and Mrs. Alice Stringham of Shafter, Cal.; 14 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
[Salt Lake Tribune, May 30, 1943, 12A]
[transcribed and proofread by David Grow, Jan. 2006]
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