J. W. Richards Rites Wednesday
Relief Administrator Dies After Operation
Private funeral services for Joseph W. Richards, 31, Muskingum county relief administrator, who died Sunday morning, will be held at 2 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at the late home, 417 Woodlawn avenue, followed by services at 2:30 o’clock in Central M. E. church, South Seventh street, Rev. C. A. Moore, Cincinnati, former pastor of Central M. E. church, will officiate and will be assisted by Rev. P. C. Wolf. Burial will be in Greenwood cemetery.
Mr. Richards underwent an operation at Bethesda hospital Saturday afternoon for the removal of an intestinal obstruction. He rallied after the operation, but gradually grew weaker Saturday night. He had been convalescent from an appendectomy in January, and had been at his home until taken back to the hospital last week.
He had served as relief director since July 1935. When relief was turned over to the city, Richards was named to head the city department of public welfare by former Mayor William Wetherald. He was retained as administrator by the county commissioners when the county again assumed charge of relief the first of this year.
The state auditor in looking over Mr. Richards’ books recently said that they were in the best condition of any relief department in the state. He kept long hours, and his reports were models of efficiency.
Mr. Richards was a native of this city, and a product of the Zanesville schools. He graduated from Lash high school in 1925, and attended Ohio university at Athens for two years, and Ohio State university for one year. He worked in the U. S. government shipyards at Newport News, Va. He was a member of the Exchange club and the Central M. E. church.
Surviving are his widow, Virginia, of the home; his mother, Mrs. Jennie Richards, and his father G. W. Richards, both of this city; one sister, Mrs. Ruth Bowers, 615 Brown street, and a brother, G. Edwin Richards, Dayton.
The body will be removed to the residence today from Bateman funeral home.
Zanesville Signal, 11 April 1938, p. 3