Harvey Lamar CROSS

March 6, 1852 - December 3, 1929

*Obituary
Benton County Herald
Thursday, December 5, 1929

CROSS, Harvey Lamar - {from The Fayetteville, Ark. Daily Leader} Harvey Lamar Cross, 77 years old, veteran newspaperman of Arkansas and widely known for his activities in the Ancient Order of United Workmen and other organizations, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Peel, 21 North Locust Street, at 7:15 Tuesday morning. He had been in ill health for some time and had been in a critical condition for the past several days. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the First Christian Church at Bentonville, his former home. Interment will be at the mausoleum there. Mr. Cross is survived by two children, Mrs. Peel of Fayetteville and Don L. Cross of Little Rock; three sisters, Mrs. Allie Beckett of Billings, Mont., Mrs. Josie Howard of Cameron, Mo., Mrs. Mary E. Carr of Polo, Mo.; a brother, Henry Cross of Cameron, Mo.; seven grandchildren, Mrs. H.H. Towler of Fort Douglass, Salt Lake City, Utah, Frank Peel, Jr. of Texarkana, Ark., Sam L. Peel of Oklahoma City, Mary and Zillah Peel of Fayetteville, Shannon Bohart Cross of Seattle, Wash., Frances Cross Mathews of Little Rock; and seven great-grandchildren, Mary Lou Mathews, Nancy Peel Towler and Harry Towler, Jr., Frank Peel, Third; and Lamar, Patricia and Vernon Peel of Pawhuska, Okla. Another son of Mr. Cross, Victor I. Cross, died in Billings, Mont. several years ago. Mrs. Ella Rinaman Cross, Mr. Cross' wife, died here April 24th, 1928. H.L. Cross was born near Cameron, Mo. March 6th, 1852. After completing his public school studies he attended Smith Academy of Cameron where he was graduated in 1870. After his graduation he spent four years farming and then began his newspaper career by founding the Winston Independent at Winston, Mo. He published the Independent for several years then sold it and founded the Daily and Weekly Sun at Cameron from 1887 to 1891 at which later date he moved from Missouri to Bentonville. He founded the Daily and Weekly Sun in Bentonville which he published until 1914 when he moved to Little Rock and the paper was taken over by his daughter, Mrs. Peel, who herself is well known over the state as a writer. Mrs. Peel is society editor of the Leader. In 1891 Mr. Cross had joined the Ancient Order of United Workmen and in 1893 he began the publication of the A.O.U.W. Guide, the official organ of that organization. His activities in the lodge have made him one of the most prominent members in the state. In 1896 he was chosen grand recorder of the Grand Lodge of the state at the convention at Shreveport, La. and held the office for 33 years, never being opposed for the candidacy. For 10 years he also was supreme representative of Arkansas in the supreme lodge meetings at national conventions. Mr. Cross was an active church member. He was a staunch supporter of the Democratic party but never allowed it to influence his views in the publications for which he was responsible. He was affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, the Masons and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He was the oldest active grand recorder of the A.O.U.W. in the United States.

*Obtiuary
Benton County Record & Democrat & Sun
Thursday, December 5, 1929

As someone has just said, "H.L. Cross meant a whole lot to Bentonville" and it may well be added, and Mr. Cross would like to have it put this way, too - "Bentonville meant a whole lot to him." Here in the town that he loved and where he lived and labored so many years - and here, in the country surrounding Bentonville - Mr. Cross leaves a great number of friends who note his passing with sincere regrets. Funeral services, held for him at the Bentonville Christian Church Wednesday morning, were attended by a large number of these friends and many friends from Fayetteville, Little Rock and other places, and he was laid to rest in the Bentonville mausoleum beside his wife who passed on nearly two years ago. A business and professional man of Bentonville, who was not much more than a boy when Mr. Cross came here, pays this tribute to his memory: Harvey L. Cross has left his impress upon the history of Bentonville and Benton County. He was one of the old citizens whose unflagging loyalty and faith in Bentonville brought it through many depressions and who laid a very material part of the foundation for the good town it is today. For many years he was editor and owner of the old Bentonville Sun and what else may be said of it he made it a veritable planet of optimism and community devotion. He carried at its mast the legend, "Bentonville First and the World After," and one would travel far to find a man or paper more loyal to these colors. Its policies might be questioned but no one ever doubted its enterprise or sincerity of purpose. For him our climate was always "the Italian Climate." No matter how storms stressed or blizzards blew, he saw only the cool nights and balmy days. His slogan, "The Interurban Did It" might have been ill advised but he was fighting valiantly for the town and country he believed in. He never entered into anything but what he brought it full measure of energy and optimism and the A.O.U.W. organization of Arkansas is indebted to him for a third of a century of this kind of service. He had no time for faults and foibles; the bright side and the good he came in contact with kept him busy. "H.L." was the bonhomie booster. He traveled through life "on the sunny side" and on the sunny side of our memory he is enshrined. C.D.H.

Contributed on 9/18/13 by judyfrog
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