Obit: Colby, James R. #2 (1892 - 1968)

Contact: Audrey Roedl

Surnames: Colby, White, Anderson

----Source: The Loyal Tribune (Loyal, Clark County, WI) 24 Oct 1968

Colby, James (03 Jan. 1892 - 18 Oct. 1968)

James R. Colby, president of the board of the Citizen's State Bank of Loyal, died of pneumonia at 6 a.m. Friday, October 18, at St. Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield. He was 75 years of age.

Mr. Colby had been associated with the bank at Loyal at Loyal 57 years ago. He was cashier for 30 years and executive vice president before being named presidentof the board in 1961.

Funeral services were held at 2 p,m, Monday, October 21 at the United Methodist Church at Loyal. The Rev. Conrad Mickelson officiated and burial was made in the Loyal Cemetery.

In respect to the memory of its long time business associate, the Citizens State Bank closed at 1 p.m. Monday and remained closed for the rest of the afternoon.

Mr. William Chambers, soloist, accompanied by Mrs. Byron Zepplin at the organ, sang "We May Not Climb The Heavenly Steps," and "Dear Lord and Father of Mankind," The choir sang "How Great Thou Art."

Pallbearers were Roy Thomas, Celen Gotter, Clyde Grambach, Otto Goehring, Everett Gehrt, and Neil Johnston.

The Myre Funeral Home was in charge of all arrangements.

Mr. Colby was born at Crystal Lake, Illinois, on January 3, 1892, and was a child when his parents moved to Loyal to operate a general store. He received his education in Loyal schools and La Crosse Business College.

After graduation, he operated the family store with his brother for a short time.

He joined the staff of the Citizens State Bank in 1911. In 1963 he was one of the 13 Wisconsin banking officials to receive special recognition at the convention of the Wisconsin Bankers Association in Milwaukee when he was initiated into the organization's Fifty Year Club. He was the sixth person to be elevated to the presidency of the Loyal Bank, succeeding the late O. W. Trindal.

He was married at Loyal, on October 19, 1912, to Mina White, who preceded him in death on March 4, 1951. His second marriage to Delta Olson, who survives him, took place at Viroqua in December of 952.

Mr. Colby was a member and past president of the Rotary Club, Men's Club, a member of the United Methodist Church, the Wisconsin Bankers association.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Albert (Virginia) Anderson, Augusta; a son, Richard, Nashville, Tenn.; six grandchildren; a great grandchild; a brother, Raymond, Mandeville, La.; and two sisters, Mrs. Florence Dahl, Wichita Falls, Texas, and Mrs. Emma Johnson, Sebeka, Minn.