CHAPIN WORTHEN PLUMER

 The following bio was taken from page 346 of the book entitled “Rusk County History” compiled and edited and used with permission of the Rusk County Historical Commission.

Transcribed by Claudia Schuster

 Submitted by Gloria Briley Mayfield, Cemeteries of Tx

 Chapin Worthen Plumer was born in Batavia, Illinois on July 17, 1921.  His mother was Lisbeth Brown Plumer, who was also born in Batavia.  His father, Harold Roger Plumer was born in Chadwick, Illinois.  Both families had come to Illinois in the 1800’s from England.

 Chapin grew up in Batavia, attended Lawrence College in Appleton, Wisconsin, and served in the Army Air Force during World War II.  He married Barbara Jane Anderson August 14, 1942.  They had two children – Edward, Dutton Plumer, born November 5, 1944, and Sarah Jane Plumer Miller, born November 10, 1951.  The family moved from Batavia, Illinois to Nashville, Tennessee in 1954 and lived there until 1971, when they moved to Henderson, Texas.

 In 1969, Chapin, who was owner and president of Anderson-Hickey Company, maker of office furniture, moved the plant to Industrial Park, Henderson from Nashville, Tennessee.  The plant was sold to U.S. Industries in 1974, though Chapin remained as president of the company.  He was active in civic and church organizations, having served as board member and president of the Family and Children’s Service board in Nashville and vestryman and senior warden at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church in Nashville.  At the time of his death, July 28, 1977, he was serving on the board of the D.R. Sperry Company, North Aurora, Illinois, the Rod and Gun Club, Three Lakes, Wisconsin, and the Henderson Chamber of Commerce.  He was also a Kiwanis Club member and a senior warden of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in  Henderson.  He was an avid sailor and raced his Lightening sailboat in Shreveport, Louisiana where he was a member of the Shreveport Yacht Club, and at regattas in other states.

 The Plumer’s son, Edward and his wife, Donna Lansing Plumer, and their children, Michael Snow Plumer (August 30, 1972) and Elizabeth Davidson Plumer (January 24, 1977), live in Henderson where Edward (Ned) is a sales manager for Anderson-Hickey company.

 Sarah Jane Plumer and her husband James Houston Miller, and their children, Jennifer Jane Miller (October 5, 1978) and Chapin Worthen Miller (January 12, 1981) also live in Henderson.  The Millers own and operate the Polar-Bear Ashburn Ice-Cream store in Henderson.

 Barbara continues to make her home in Henderson where she, like her late husband served as senior warden at St. Matthews Church.  She was a founder and chairman of the board for the Rusk County Child Development Association and is a member of various service clubs, currently serving as president of The Friends of The Rusk County Library which she helped organize in 1981.

 Submitted by Sarah Plumer Miller