Robert F. Ichord d. September 12, 1978

Robert F. Ichord, 40 Lawrence Road, Scarsdale, New York, died Tuesday, September 12, 1978 at his home after several hospitalizations and long illness. He was 68 in July.

Mr. Ichord was born in Big Piney, Pulaski County, Missouri and was graduated from Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, Missouri, where he received a BCS degree and received an LLB degree from City College of Law, St. Louis, Missouri. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1939.

He joined the Shell Oil Company at age 19, while still a college student in St. Louis and moved with them to New York City in 1941 where he served in many facets of Consultant and Executive Management Planning Policy and Organization. After 41 years of service he retired in January 1972. At that time he was Senior Consultant of Director’s Projects for Shell Oil and Shell Chemical Companies.

Mr. Ichord was a former active member of the Town Club, Scarsdale Golf Club, Volunteer Fireman at the Crossways Fire Station, IR Representative for the Scarsdale Boy Scouts, and assisted for a number of years with the boys recreational sports program in both basketball and baseball and was a constant supporter of the football teams in the Scarsdale Elementary and Junior High Schools.

He has been a resident of Scarsdale since 1946 when he and his wife Lura, moved from New York City and he served in a number of capacities for the Scarsdale Community Baptist Church, including Board of Deacons, Auditing Committee, Executive Office of the Men’s Club as well as speaker for the Adult Forum, The Men’s Club and on Laymen’s Sunday. He was a winner of the Dale Carnegie Award in Public Speaking and served in this capacity on many occasions for Shell.

He is survived by his wife, the former Lura Laidlaw, formerly of St. Louis, Missouri, and their three children, Robert F. Ichord Junior of Washington D.C., a daughter Betty (Mrs. Thomas P. Barne) of St. Louis and J. William Ichord, a 3rd year law student at Washington University in St. Louis. Also surviving are his mother, Mrs. Emma Hicks, of Waynesville, Missouri, a sister Mrs. Ina Siering of Scottsdale, Arizone, and a brother, Rev. C.C. Setser, also of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Interment will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery Lucas Hunt Road, St. Louis, Missouri after a funeral service in the Chapel of the Derhmann-Harral Funeral Home on Saturday, September 16 at 2:00 p.m.

A memorial service will be held at a later date at the Scarsdale Community Baptist Church by his wife, Lura and his mother.

We loved Robert so much and he loved us all too. Jesus loved him too and prepared him a place in heaven. Jesus called him out of this world where he had suffered so much to a place where all is peace and rest and where there will be no pain and death. He has paid the debt. We all must pay sooner or later.

He wouldn’t want to come back here, but he led the way for us to follow and he is beckoning for us to come to him. We will all meet again some day.

By his mother,

Emma Page Hicks

William Oscar Ichord 1926-1976

Oscar Ichord, prominent farmer, and life-long resident of Pulaski County, was fatally injured Friday morning at his home in the Mt. Gibson area.

Mr. Ichord was hauling out rocks from his garden spot and had been pulling the loaded trailer with a tractor. It is presumed that the trailer became stalled and attending to pull it away, the tractor reared up and fell on Mr. Ichord.

Mr. Ichord was found by a friend, who was driving by and saw the over-turned farm tractor, and discovered the body.

William Oscar Ichord, son of John Wesley and Lola Mae Laughlin Ichord was born August 14, 1926 and passed away April 9, 1976, after attaining the age of 49 years past.

He was united in marriage to Freda Pearl Francis on December 1, 1950 and to this union two children were born.

Oscar was a longtime member of the Baptist Church, being saved at the age of 14, he was a faithful worker and was ordained a deacon January 19, 1971.

Being preceded in death by his parents, Oscar leaves to mourn his passing his loving wife, Freda, of the home, his son, William Francis Ichord, of West Plains; his daughter Diane Florence Ichord of the home; one granddaughter Melissa Maria Ichord, one brother John Ichord of Waynesville; one sister, Mary Estella Willits of Iowa; and one foster sister Eula May Sneed of California; and a host of nieces and nephews, also many other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Monday, April 12, 1976 at 10:00 a.m. at the Mount Gibson Baptist Church with the Rev. Norman Sanders and Rev. Bill Tanksley officiating. Music was by Mrs. Link and soloist Iva Mae Case. Pallbearers were Jerry Laughlin, Chester Bss, Roy Burgess, Johnny Laughlin, Kenny Fulytner, and Claude Enloe. Interment was in the Waynesville Memorial Park cemetery, under the directions of Long-Moss-Williams Funeral Home.

Richard Howard Ichord 1926-1992

From the NY Times Archive

Ex-Rep. Richard Ichord, 66, Dies; Led Un-American Activities Panel

Former Representative Richard H. Ichord, a fervent anti-Communist who crusaded against the peace movement during the Vietnam War and served as the last chairman of the House Un-American Activities Committee, died yesterday at a hospital in Nevada, Mo. He was 66.

He died of complications from a heart attack on Dec. 18, said his daughter, Pam Ichord Ehlers. He had divided his time in recent years between Washington and a cattle ranch in Waynesville, Mo., she said.

A conservative Democrat who represented a district in central and southern Missouri, Mr. Ichord (pronounced EYE-cord) spent 10 terms in the House of Representatives before retiring in 1981. He earned a reputation as a man preoccupied by the spread of Communism abroad and at home, where he feared radicals were trying to undermine the Federal Government.

His critics accused him of engaging in smears and witch hunts similar to the activities of Senator Joseph R. McCarthy, Republican of Wisconsin, in the 1950's.

"The kooks of the right and the left say that nobody in Congress should be dealing with such problems, but I think they're wrong," Mr. Ichord said in 1974 when asked about the Un-American Activities Committee. The Communist Party in the United States, he added, "could be a real threat if the country has an economic depression of the 1930's type."

The Un-American Activities Committee earned notoriety in the 1940's and 1950's, when it investigated Alger Hiss and others accused of being Communists. Richard M. Nixon, a little-known Representative from California in that time, gained national attention from the committee's hearings.

After Mr. Ichord was named chairman of the committee in 1969, he used his position to campaign against antiwar protesters. He published a list of "radical orators" at colleges around the country, including Muhammad Ali, Angela Davis, Abbie Hoffman and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Other lawmakers said it represented an effort to stifle dissent.

Mr. Ichord also introduced a bill banning travel to countries with which the United States was at war. The bill was prompted, he said at the time, by Jane Fonda's trip to North Vietnam at the height of the war in Southeast Asia.

The committee was disbanded in 1975, a few years after it had changed its name to the House Internal Security Committee. Mr. Ichord fought to save it, maintaining that it was needed to fight terrorism, crime and other activities.

Mr. Ichord was born on June 27, 1926, in Licking, Mo. He enlisted in the Navy Air Corps in World War II and later earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri.

When he was 32, he became the youngest speaker in the history of the Missouri House of Representatives. In 1960 he was elected to Congress, where he was known for his folksy wit. He also served as a member of the Armed Services Committee.

After he retired, he worked as a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington and served on several corporate boards. The Pentagon awarded him the Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the Army's highest honor for civilians.

Besides his daughter, he is survived by his wife, Millicent, his son Richard and three grandchildren.

Correction: December 28, 1992, Monday Because of an editing error, an obituary on Saturday about former Representative Richard H. Ichord misidentified his hometown in some copies. He lived in both Waynesville, Mo., and Washington, not in Nevada, Mo.

John W. Ichord 1882-1956

John Wesley Ichord, 74 years old, farmer and stockman, who lived just west of this city, passed away at the Waynesville General Hospital last Friday. Funeral services were held last Tuesday, October 30, 1956 at 2:00 p.m. at the Waynesville Baptist Church with Rev. B.R. Tatom and Rev. J.L. Hicks officiating. Interment was made in the Waynesville Memorial Cemetery. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Hedges Funeral Home of Waynesville.

Pall bearers were Ovid Harman, James Laughlin, Richard Ichord, Jack Garzelli, Claude Laughlin.

John Wesley Ichord, son of William DeWitt and Mary Ellen Ichord, was born March 29, 1882 at Big Piney, Missouri; and departed this life on October 26, 1956 at the age of 74 years, 6 months and 27 days.

He was united in marriage to Lola M. Laughlin on June 18, 1905 and to this union was born three children. William Oscar of waynesville, John Jr. of the home and Mary Estella Willits of Kirksville, Missouri. Also surviving is his very devoted wife, Lola, who has been a loving and faithful companion; a foster daughter, Mrs. Eula Mae Sneed of Modesto, California, one brother, Frank Ichord of Modesto, California; one grandson, William Francis Ichord , a foster sister, Mrs. Ruth Rowden of Waynesville. He leaves many nephews and nieces and a host of other relatives and friends. He has been preceded in death by his parents, two brothers and one sister.

When he was a young man he was converted at Big Piney, Missouri, and later he became a member of the Waynesville Baptist Church and remained a faithful member until the time of his passing.

He was a honest, upright citizen, a good husband and father, and will be sadly missed by his loved ones and friends. We should not mourn his passing for we are sure he is at rest with his Savior Jesus Christ.

He was a successful farmer, stockman and taught school for many years. With his passing we have lost another good friend and citizen.

View Death Certificate

Elvira Naomi Ichord 1847-1892

This entry is from the J.J. Watts collection. John J. Watts hailed from Warren, Maine and moved to the northern Ozarks of Missouri sometime after the Civil War. He was a circuit-riding Baptist Minister and his territory covered Phelps, Pulaski, and Texas Counties and parts of Maries and Dent Counties. He established a cemetery, Watt’s Lawn, which is located 1 mile West of J Highway, near the Pulaski County-Phelps County line. This collection covers 1882-1912.

Mrs. Elvira Naomi, wife of William Alfred Ichord was born in Texas Co., MO, April 21st 1847, died in Piney Township, Pulaski Co., MO, Feb. 6th 1892, aged 44 ys. 9 ms. and 15 ds. A funeral sermon was preached at the Watts Lawn Cemetery from 1st Saml. 22 X 3 , Feb. 8th 1892 at 1 p.m. assisted by Rev. A Hendrix. Leaving a husband and 6 children.