Obituaries

Stephen Halsey Conger, Sr., 69, vice chairman of Coastal Lumber Co., Weldon, N.C., died of a heart attack Feb.25 in Augusta, Ga.

He joined Coastal Lumber in 1949 as a forester, leaving the company to join Georgia-Pacific. In 1953, he rejoined Coastal as sales mgr. In 1959, he purchased the company with two partners and was named exec. v.p. In 1993, he retired and was made vice chairman and named to the board of directors, executive and management comrnittees.

He was on the board of directors for the National Wilderness Institute, was a director of the Forest Products Group, past executive committee member of the AF&PA International Trade Council, and president of the Southern Cypress Manufacturers Association.

Raymond L. Breland,6l, founder and president of Breland Building Supply, Philadelphia, Ms., died of heart failure March 19 in Union, Ms.

He started as a salesman for

Jackson Sash & Door, Jackson, Ms. In the 1960s he founded his company, opening a second location in Union in 1971. He retired from the company (now called Breland Construction) in the early 1990s.

He served as president of the Mississippi Building Material Dealers Association in 1980.

Robert F. Eson, 83, former president and chairman of Huttig Sash & Door Co., died of cancer Feb. 7 in St. Louis, Mo.

He joined Huttig in 1939 as a salesman for subsidiary Birmingham Sash & Door Co., Birmingham, Al. He was promoted to sales supervisor, and then general mgr. in January 1951. In July 1963, he was named general sales mgr. and v.p. and relocated to Huttig's St. Louis headquarters. In November 1963, he was promoted to president and ceo. In January 1978, he became chairman, retiring the end of that year.

Benjamin Franklin "Frank"

Garrison, 78, partner of Garrison Bros. Lumber, Eufaula, Al., died of Parkinson's Disease March 4 in Eufaula.

A native of Carrollton, Al., he joined the family-owned company in the 1940s.

Harrell I. Hamillsn, 58, salesman and product manager for Champion International Corp., Jacksonville, Fl., died March l8 in Jacksonville.

Born in Jefferson County, Fl., he served in the U.S. Air Force after college, joining Qftrmpion's inside sales team in 1965. He was later named southern pine plywood salesman and product manager.

Jimmie Dale Tapp, 63, warehouseman for Cedar Creek Lumber Inc., Oklahoma City, Ok., died of cancer Feb.24 in Oklatroma City. He started at International Paper, Oklahoma City, in the warehouse, joining Cedar Creek in 1992. He retired from the company in 1995.

Stiff Sentence For Tree Thief

In perhaps the first timber theft jury trid in Arkansas, a 28-year-old El Dorado man was sentenced to 20 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections for illegally cutting trees from Anthony Forest Products Co. forestlands.

For stealing an estimated $93,000 in hardwood and southern pine timber, the man received the maximum sentence.

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Building Products Digest - May 1997