Document Title should go here

Death Ends Long Journalistic
Career of Joseph H. Larimore

He was Associated with The Ohio State
Journal as Editorial Writer

The veteran journalist, Joseph H. Larimore, laid aside his earthly labors and took up his eternal life at noon Wednesday, the hour of the "deadline" of this paper for which he had served as editor about a half a century ago, and to which he had contributed news stories and editorial writings for the past three years. He served about ten years as editor of the Public Opinion, beginning in 1897, later was associated with the Ohio State Journal, as State Editor and Editorial Writer, where he earned his "twenty-five year club" membership, the associations of which he enjoyed so much.

Mr. Larimore, who celebrated his 70th birthday on March 16, suffered a severe stroke early Monday morning at his home and died Wednesday noon without regaining consciousness. Funeral service will be conducted at 2 p. m., Saturday, at the residence, 147 North State street. Entombment will be in Otterbein Cemetery by Kenneth R. Fichner.

Mr. Larimore better know as "Joe" had lived in Westerville for about _0 years, coming here from Sunbury. He held membership in the Presbyterian church and many fraternal orders of the village. He was mayor of Westerville before the City Manager form of government and was president of the Board of Education, also serving as a member of the board when the new High School was erected 20 years ago.

Mr. Larimore is survived by his wife, Sarah Larimore, to whom he was married in Sunbury, Ohio March 20, 1898; his daughter, Mrs. Harold Clapham, and her children, Marjorie and Paul of Westerville; two brother, William E. of 1438 Madison avenue, Columbus, and Thomas E. of Topeka, Kansas; a sister, Mrs. Otis Sherbourne of Silver Springs, Arkansas. His son, Henry A. died December 19, 1926.

Joseph Herbert Larimore was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1874. His parents were Robert A. and Mary Jane Cumming Larimore. Shortly after his birth his family came to Homer, Licking County, where the parents had previously lived, and before their son was a year old, they moved to Sunbury, where he grew up.

He was graduated from the Sunbury High School in 1890, and did not receive further education in any institution, except by correspondence. He was a great reader and attributed whatever he had of education and culture principally to home reading, also somewhat to travel and contact with educated men and women.

He studied for a short time for preparation for the ministry, also for law. But his connection with the newspaper business was almost uninterrupted from the time when 17 years old, he entered the weekly newspaper plant as an apprentice printer, with the duties also of reporting, editing, writing advertisements, and other tasks then common in such establishments.

Removing to Westerville at the close of 1897, he became editor of the Westerville Public Opinion. At different times he was also connected as reporter, editor, and contributor with the Delaware Herald, the Dayton Journal, Franklin County Herald, Columbus Press Post, American Issue, and other publications, and wrote frequently for trade papers and magazines. For a short time he was advertising manager for the Union Clothing Company.

After five years on the Ohio State Journal as State Editor, he went into publicity and press agency work. A number of years were spent in this capacity with the Anti-Saloon League of America, the World League Against Alcoholism, and the Ohio Anti-Saloon League. He also was director of publicity for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, the Ohio Council of Religious Education, and Otterbein college, and wrote display advertising for many concerns by mail, he was also the author of many poems.

During all this time he was a correspondent for and the special writer of the Ohio State Journal; and returned to this newspaper March 25, 1934 as an editorial writer.

He was councilman in Westerville 1908-1909, mayor there in 1914-1915, member of the Board of Education in 1920-1923. He also had been secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and served several terms as a Justice of the Peace.

He was a member and past chancellor of the Knights of Pythias and county deputy of that order, and for several years served as the committee of the Grand Lodge of Ohio on education; he was twice noble grand of the Odd Fellows; a member of Blendon Lodge, Horeb Chapter, Zabud Council and Scioto Consistory of the Masonic fraternity. He was Junior Warden in 1934 of the Blue Lodge, Senior Warden elected in 1935, and Master elected in 1936.

He also had membership in the Pythian Sisters, Rebekahs, and the Eastern Star, and had been a member and past member of Blendon Grange. A member of Franklin County Pamona, of the Buckeye Press Association, the White Shrine of Jerusalem, the Sons of Veterans, and other organizations. He was a charter member of the Westerville Lions Club. His religious affiliations were with the Westerville Presbyterian church in which many years ago he organized the first brotherhood.

It was his boast that at one time he knew somebody well in every county in Ohio, in every state in the union, and in every civilized country on earth. In politics he was a Republican.

Public Opinion - April 20, 1944