Apr 13, 1895 - May 1, 1940

Born in Kansas and died in Bethesda, MD

Arthur with his sons Arthur Jr. and Raymond.

A letter from Arthur's son, Don White:

My mother was a sufferer with asthma for many years.  Doctors had told her and Dad that Berkeley, Calif. was not a good place for asthmatics - too damp - but when he heard they were moving to the Washington, DC area, he really advised against it, since it is so hot and humid here in the summers, and damp winters.  Nevertheless, they moved from Calif. in 1933.

In January 1937, Dad was on a trip to California on business for the Interstate Commerce Commission, where he worked, travelling by train, of course, as plane travel was not the common thing it is today.  Mother became quite ill while Dad was away, and Aunt Agnes (Brackett) had her Doctor attend to her.  He, the dummy, gave her morphine, which, we've been told, is one thing you do not give to asthmatics.  In any event, she developed pneumonia and went into a coma at the house on a Friday morning.  Art and Ray went on to school, but I stayed at home with her, and that morning Dad returned from his trip.  I told him on the phone when he called from the train station that Mom was asleep and I couldn't wake her.  He came right home, called the Doctor, and they sent her to the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital.  Saturday morning my Dad was at the hospital with her, and she apparently choked on mucus (?), and before he could get help she died in his arms. This is the story as he told it to us when he came home from the hospital.

The summer following my mother's death, Dad was quite ill.  I'm really not sure what was wrong, but after a hospital stay he went to a rest home in Solomon's Island, Md. to recuperate for a few weeks.  I think he probably had kidney problems at that time, but not sure.  His next illness was in April, 1940 when he had uremic poisoning, which was the cause of his death.  He went into the hospital sometime in April, and died o/a May l, 1940.  Unfortunately, once he went into the hospital I never saw him again.  I recall the Bracketts came to our house to get me the day Dad died, and we went to the hospital, but he died before we got there.  Ray  was working at the gas station that day, so he did not go with us.  I guess the Bracketts had received a call that he was about to go and suggested we might get a last chance to see him.

Cedar Hill Cemetery in Washington, DC, (note from admin: cemetery is in MD) holds the mausoleum where the urn holding my mother and father's ashes is kept.  Rather sad, as the place is about 75 years old, or more, and sort of in disrepair.  I complained to the office about its condition, but was told only that the homeless often sleep there when they need shelter and they haven't spent any money for upkeep.