The Routons Of Henry County, TN

Edward S.  Routon was born at Routon, Tennessee on September 24, 1892, one of six children born to Quincy Everett Routon and Laura William Bowden Routon.  Ed also was a twin to his brother,  Elbert Haymes Routon.  

Ed worked around the farm in his early years and he graduated from Grove High School in Paris, Tennessee around 1910 or 1911.  After high school Ed worked in a pharmacy and also taught school in the Paris, Tennessee area but I do not know how long or when he worked with either vocation.  However, I am sure he worked for a pharmacist named McSwain who had a drug store in Paris.  

Ed married Philena Carolyn Moore on September 17, 1918 in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Philena’s father, Francis Moore,  was an Episcopalian Minister and I was told he was with a church in the Paris area.  I assume Ed met her while her father was preaching in the Paris locale, and later moved to Arkansas.  Hence, that explains why they were married in Little Rock.  

Ed had three children.  Bernice Francis Routon was born on November 28, 1919 in Paris, Tennessee.  Carolyn Elizabeth Routon was born on April 13, 1929 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.  Donald Edward Routon was born February 4, 1932 in Salisbury, Maryland.

Ed tried farming around 1926 or 1927 and maybe earlier. A news clipping from 1927 said he was one of several farmers who lost mules to a sickness that hit the area.  It was about 1927 that Ed went to work for Fruit Growers Express Co. Shortly after beginning employment with Fruit Growers Express, Ed was transferred to Pittsburg, PA.  The company sent him to Buffalo, NY for short period around 1929 or 1930.  They moved Ed again to Salisbury, MD where Ed worked for a number years.   Ed’s job in Salisbury covered the DelMarVa peninsula providing refrigerated railroad cars to the produce growers and packers and servicing these cars as they passed through Salisbury.

 Ed’s first wife, Philena Moore Routon, passed away in March of 1937 after a long bout with cancer.    Ed remarried around 1940 to Dorothy Oliver Jones.  Ed continued his work with Fruit Growers Express in Salisbury until 1945 when he was transferred to Roanoke, VA as their District Agent.  Ed provided refrigerated railroad cars to various growers throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio as well providing service to the equipment in Roanoke.  

Ed was transferred to Pittsburg, PA in 1951 where he functioned as an agent and district agent for Fruit Growers Express Company. Ed was in Pittsburg until 1957 when he was transferred to Potomac Yards in Alexandria, VA where he worked until retirement at age 70 around 1965.  Ed had several heart attacks shortly before retirement dashing his hopes to work until he was 75. Ed enjoyed doing carpentry work in his retirement year but nothing big.

Ed had massive stroke and became totally paralyzed in 1971.  After three weeks in a comatose state, Ed passed away on June 29, 1971. Ed was a very strong man with lots of stamina. He worked very hard most of his life and had little time for very many of the pleasures of life