Obituary from The Middle Park Times and Kremmling Record, Hot Sulphur Springs, Grand County, Colorado, Thursday, Sept. 9, 1937
Thomas Watson Houston
Thomas Watson Houston was born in Cove County, Pa., on Dec. 15, 1862, and died at Clackamas, Ore., on Friday, Aug. 27, 1937.
He was the son of David Watson and Mary Agnes Houston, who were early Kansas Pioneers. He was educated in the Garnett and Leavenworth, Kansas public schools, and took his college work in Westminster college in Pennsylvania and at Kansas University.
In 1888, he was married to Zula Leora Suydam, who died in 1927. Nine children were born of this union, two of whom, David Edward and Mary Houston Allis, died in 1924.
After his marriage, Mr. Houston studied for three years at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. In 1891, he was ordained a minister of the Presbyterian Church, and went immediately to China, where he served as a missionary for nine years. Due to ill health he returned to America, where he held pastorates in California and Kansas, with the exception of our years as chaplain of the Kansas State penitentiary, until the beginning of the World War. He went to France as an interpreter for the Chinese coolies employed as laborers by the allied nations, and did not return until the summer of 1920.
In 1921 he came to Colorado, spending a few months near Craig and then coming to Hot Sulphur Springs, where he lived until 1934. While here, he served often as pastor of the Community Church, proved up on a homestead, taught two terms of school and for six years owned the Middle Park Times. In 1928 he was married to Mrs. Ida May Linder.
In 1934, he moved to Clackamas, Ore., where he operated a chicken ranch until his death. He died instantly as a result of a car-train collision, and was buried Aug. 31, at Mountain View cemetery in Oregon City.
He is survived by his widow, seven children, Miss Lyda S. Houston, Paul Watson Houston, Mrs. William C. Sipe, Mrs. Vincent G. Johnson, Mrs. Brice Sheriff, Thomas Wallace Houston and Mrs. Jesse W. Gutzler, one sister, Mrs. William Goodwin (Grace), and eighteen grandchildren.
Grave Site:
Mountain View Cemetery
500 Hilda St., Oregon City, Oregon
(503) 657-8299
Section B, Lot 21, grave E.