Obituary of Dr. Alexander C. Burns

The Huntington Advertiser, Saturday, Evening Edition, February 2, 1907

DR. BURNS DIED TODAY
HE HAD BEEN ILL FOR SEVERAL YEARS
HIS CONDITION WAS NOT, HOWEVER THOUGHT CRITICAL UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE DEATH

Dr. Alexander Clarkson Burns died this morning at his home on Fifth Avenue. While Dr. Burns had been in poor health for a number of years, he had been up and going until a very short time before his death. Last night his condition became serious and despite the efforts of those who were with him, death came early this morning.

Dr. Burns was born at Washington, Washington County, Pa, November 28, 1848. He was the son of Alexander and Elizabeth Cotton Burns and one of twelve children. He received his education in the public schools of his native town in the state normal school and later was for a time a student at Washington College.

While quite a youth he took the state examination and was granted a life teaching certificate after which he taught for four years in the public schools of Pennsylvania and later taught one year in Pleasant Hill Female Seminary, one of the prominent young ladies school of its' time. In the fall of 1875 he entered the Department of Medicine ,University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating in 1877. Soon after his graduation he located at Getaway, Lawrence County, Ohio for the practice of his profession, where he remained for sixteen years, coming to Huntington in 1893.

While a close student along the lines of his chosen profession, the doctor never lost his interest in educational matters, always keeping in close touch with the public schools and everything that pertained to their betterment. While at Getaway he served for fifteen years as a member of the school board and in 1895, two years after coming to Huntington, he was chosen a member of the city board of education and was a member of that body until his death. He was always foremost in every effort to improve the conditions and efficiency of the public schools.

He was married December 24, 1878 to Miss Dianna Templeton, daughter of C.T. Templeton, a prominent citizen of Lawrence County Ohio.

Four children were born to Dr. and Mrs. Burns, Miss Adrienne Burns, librarian at the Carnegie library, Miss Anice Burns, a student at Marshall College, Orrin Burns, who is in the lumber business at Pikeville, Ky and James Burns, who is employed in the Huntington post office.

The funeral arrangements have not yet been made but the funeral will probably be Monday.