St. Clair County Obits

Jasper Newton Lasater

The Pittsburg Daily Headlight, 20 December 1913
J.N. Lasater, Clerk of District Court, Dies
A Long Illness Had A Fatal Termination at 10:45 Last Night
Vacancy In Office Caused Adjournment of Court Today - Judge Curran Will Name Successor Monday.
Jasper Newton Lasater, clerk of the district court of Crawford County and a resident of Pittsburg for the past eight years, died at 10:45 o'clock last night at his home, 211 East Washington, after an illness lasting about three months. His death was due to catarrh of the throat and eczema, the physician said. He is survived by his widow and one child, a boy about four years of age, his mother, Mrs. S. M. Lasater of St. Clair County, Mo., and five brothers, Will, George, and Burton Lasater of Piney Wood, Mont., Wesley and Ralph of St. Clair Co., Mo., and a sister, Mrs. Stella Bishop, also of St. Clair County. The mother and brother, Wesley, were at his bedside at the time of his death. The other relatives will not be present at the funeral which will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon at the Christian church, conducted by Sam I. Smith. J.I. Sheppard of Fort Scott will officiate at the cemetery.
Mr. Lasater was born in St. Clair County, MO., August 1, 1880, and at the time of his death he was 33 years of age. His father died about seventeen years ago. In 1900, he was married to Miss Laura Thompson, who resided in the same neighborhood, and about ten years ago he moved with his wife to Chicopee where he was employed by the Central Coal & Coke Co., as mine formean. Later he came to Pittsburg and for four years was a rural mail carrier on Route 8 out of this city. He was elected clerk of the district court in the fall of 1912. For the past three months he was unable to attend to the duties of the office and the work was done by his deputy Louis Zickgraf, and other assistants.
Mr. Lasater was a member of the Woodmen of the World and the Woodmen Circle of this city.
The death of the district clerk, during a session of the court makes it imperative that the office be filled immediately, as the court is incomplete without all its officers. The law provides that the district judge shall fill the vacancy by appointment, subject to the confirmation of the county commissioners. Judge Curran convened court this morning and immediately adjourned. He announced that no cases would be tried today for two reasons: First, out of respect to the death of an officer of the court, and second, because of the question whether judgements could be legally entered, if rendered. The county commissioners will be in session Monday morning at Girard and Judge Curran will announce the appointment of the successor at this meeting. Unless complications arise, such as failure of the commissioners to confirm or delay as to the matter of giving bond, it is expected that the new clerk will qualify in time for court to resume work sometime Monday forenoon.