Death came to this member on Friday, April 20, 1923, at 10.30 P. M. Mr. Raymond was the head of the F. O. Raymond Furniture Co. and one of the city's best known and most useful citizens. His death came as the result of illness with pneumonia and pleurisy which he contracted on February 3rd, the day of the breaking of ground for the new Masonic Temple at Fulton and Linden Streets, the program for which he had prepared and over which he presided as president of the Masonic Temple Association. The day was raw and cold and throughout the occasion his chief thought was continual solicitude for the health of the many aged members of the fraternity who had turned out for that event. He saw to it that those who wished were in enclosed cars, from which they could witness the ceremony and he constantly urged the others not to expose themselves to the weather. It was the irony of fate that robust and vigorous and in the full strength of young manhood he himself should have been stricken with fatal illness at the consummation of one of his highest hopes.

Alter an illness of almost eight weeks, during which he had made slow improvement, three weeks prior to his death against the advice of his physician he determined to come down town for business. He overtaxed his strength, although giving but a few hours a day to his work, and again was taken to bed with a relapse. During the last few days his condition had again become very serious but late Friday, April 20, 1923, new hope was kindled in the breasts of his alarmed family as an apparent improvement in his condition was noted. Surrounded by his family and by his aged mother and sisters, his devotion and fidelity to whom was the very brightest characteristic of a splendid character, he passed peacefully away at 10.30, Friday, April 20, 1923.

Deceased was born in Hampton, N. J., on March 11, 1880, and therefore, was 43 years, 1 month and 9 days of age. He was a son of Anna and the late Frederick O. Raymond, his father dying when he was but an infant. At the age of ten his family consisting of mother, three sisters and son, removed to this city. Fatherless, the boy assumed much of the responsibility of the head of the family and at the age of twelve years entered the employ of the Johnston & Swartz Furniture Company to learn the wood-carving trade.

In May, 1894, Postmaster Allen P. Frederick employed him as a special delivery messenger, being attracted by the youth's alertness and energy and withal his fidelity and high integrity. He remained there until Hon. Fred K Lewis took office as Mayor in 1896, when Mr. Lewis made him elevator attendant in the then new Central Fire and Police Station. There the personality of the young man came to wider attention.

In the spring of 1899 with the organization of the Lehigh Telephone Company by ex-Mayor Lewis the young man followed his chief and became an employee of that company, learning the telephone business from the ground up. In that work he rapidly advanced, and in the year 1901 he was made division manager for the United Telephone and Telegraph Company at Hanover, Pa., and later was with the Consolidated Telephone Company at Pittston.

In 1906 he returned to this city to enter the employ of the Allentown House Furnishing Company as a salesman. In 1912 he purchased an interest in the firm, which at that time consisted of his father-in-law, the late Lesher H. Yeager, and Charles G. Tice. In 1916 Messrs. Raymond and Tice purchased the Yeager interest from the estate and the firm name was changed to Tice & Raymond. On account of the illness of Mr. Tice and his desire to retire gradually from business, Mr. Raymond purchased his interest several months prior to his death and changed the firm name to its present title.

Mr. Raymond was active in the business and civic life of the community. His interest and support could be counted upon in every worthy enterprise. No group learned this quite so thoroughly as the police department during the past winter, when with a coal shortage the department was trying to tide people over with small quantities of coal. Mr. Raymond had difficulty himself in securing coal, but the department repeatedly at night, when cases of suffering were learned and they had no coal on hand, secured supplies either from the cellar of his home or his business place, for he had assured them that it was there to provide relief and he would manage to get along.

He was a devout member of Asbury M. K Church, with which he had been affiliated since his residence in this city He was widely connected fraternally, but was most prominent in the Masonic bodies. He was a member of Greenleaf Lodge, F. and A. M., until the movement for the establishment of Edwin G. Martin Lodge, when he became a charter member of that body. He was a member of Allen Chapter, Allen Council, Allen Commandery, K. T., Bloomsburg Consistory, Lu Lu Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He was elected eminent commander of Allen Commandery and a public installation, the first in the history of the commandery, had been planned for Thursday night a week prior to his death. This had to be postponed on account of his illness.

He was also a member of the Lehigh County Historical Society, the Chamber of Commerce, Knights of the Golden Eagle, Modern Woodmen of America, Travelers' Protective Association, John Hay Republican Club and the Clover Club.

Politically he was an ardent Republican and in 1912 was elected as a Roosevelt delegate to the State Convention.

He was married on May 10, 1904, to Jeanette P., second daughter of L. H. Yeager, who survives him, together with a son, Lesher, and a daughter, Lonati M., together with his mother, Anna (nee Lesher) Raymond, and three sisters, Mrs. Morris Horst, Mrs. Manasses Schaeffer and Mrs. Carrie B. Kinney, all of this city.

The funeral services were held April 25, 1923, with burial in West End Cemetery.