Pioneer Store Owner Passes
Funeral services were conducted in Centralia Tuesday for one of the area's last old-time pioneer businessmen, Lehman (Lee) Proffitt, who died Saturday in a Centralia hospital after a long illness. He was 78.
Born near Sherman, Texas, on September 10, 1879, he was nine years old when he came to Centralia with his parents and six brothers and sisters. The family homsteaded near Randle after first settling on a farm on Lincoln creek.
Mr. Proffitt opened the store which bears his name in Centralia in 1907, and during the past half-century the firm has opened branches in Longview, Olympia and Chehalis. The Chehalis store has been in operation more than 40 years, the Longview store for 25 and the Olympia store 6 years.
He had been active in community affairs and numerous civic and fraternal organizations.
Survivors include his wife Grace; two sons, Lehman M., Centralia, and Dean A., Olympia; two step-daughters. Mrs Carl Killian, Orlando, Fla., and Mrs. Barbara Westholm, Centralia; a sister, Mrs. Ada Blankinship, Randle, and four great grandchildren.
Source: The Chehalis Advocate. Thursday, 7 Aug 1958. p. 1.
Transcribed by Sandie (Proffitt) McBride.
[See also the obituaries for his mother, Mary Ann (Kesterson) Proffitt and sons, Lehman Maurice Proffitt and Dean A. Proffitt.]