Lt. Gifford Wilson Joseph, a veteran of almost 28 years with the Harrisonburg Police Department, died 3 p m Wednesday at Rockingham Memorial Hospital.
Lt. Joseph suffered a heart attack last Wednesday and had been hospitalized since then.
Harrisonburg Police Chief Julius F. Ritchie said Wednesday, shortly, after hearing of Lt. Joseph's death, that "the city and the police department have lost a loyal, faithful and devoted employee. His death came as a big Shock and all of us here at the police station are feeling his loss."
Last March. Lt. Joseph was cited by the Harrisonburg Kiwanis Club as the Policeman of the Year, the first annual award of this type.
At that time, the lieutenant remarked. "I wouldn't have thought I'd get it (the award) even if I'd known one was being awarded."
Lt. Joseph joined the city police department Sept. 1, 1942 when it was only a nine-man force. He was promoted to sergeant in 1960 and to lieutenant in 1967, after the retirement of Lt. Everett Martin.
At the time of his death, the 54-year-old lieutenant was still an active member of the 25 member police force and served as police photographer and fingerprint officer.
Ile mid Chief Ritchie in 1948 established the department's identification system—one which has been praised by the FBI and which Lt. Joseph described as one of the best in Virginia.
The lieutenant was a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs.
In addition to his police work. Lt Joseph was a member of First Presbyterian Church and its board of elders and was teacher of the High School Sunday school Class.
He was born at Mt. Clinton and was reared by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Abner Joseph. He attended Bridgewater Academy and Bridgewater College and had completed law enforcement courses at Blue Ridge Community College.
On June 3, 1925, he married the former Helen Garber, who survives.
Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. E. H. Allen of Bridgewater; two sons, Gifford Ellwood Joseph of Short Hills, N.J. and Richard A. Joseph of Harrisonburg, and seven grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Joseph Sefcik. Burial will be in Clover Hill Cemetery.
The body is at the Lindsey Harrisonburg Funeral Home, but the family will receive friends at the Joseph home, 600 Franklin St. extended. Relatives will meet at the Joseph residence 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Members of the police department serving as pallbearers will be Chief Julius Ritchie, Sgt. Richard Presgrave, Sgt. M. D. Lutz, Sgt. Donald Turner and Officers Harry Smith, Albert Cassidy and Leon Byrd.
Honorary pallbearers will be other officers of the Harrisonburg Police Department and state law enforcement officers and the B. F'. Wilson Bible Class, the Board of Deacons and Sessions the High School Sunday school Class of First Presbyterian Church.
Harrisonburg Daily News Record
Thursday Feb 26, 1970
Lt. Joseph suffered a heart attack last Wednesday and had been hospitalized since then.
Harrisonburg Police Chief Julius F. Ritchie said Wednesday, shortly, after hearing of Lt. Joseph's death, that "the city and the police department have lost a loyal, faithful and devoted employee. His death came as a big Shock and all of us here at the police station are feeling his loss."
Last March. Lt. Joseph was cited by the Harrisonburg Kiwanis Club as the Policeman of the Year, the first annual award of this type.
At that time, the lieutenant remarked. "I wouldn't have thought I'd get it (the award) even if I'd known one was being awarded."
Lt. Joseph joined the city police department Sept. 1, 1942 when it was only a nine-man force. He was promoted to sergeant in 1960 and to lieutenant in 1967, after the retirement of Lt. Everett Martin.
At the time of his death, the 54-year-old lieutenant was still an active member of the 25 member police force and served as police photographer and fingerprint officer.
Ile mid Chief Ritchie in 1948 established the department's identification system—one which has been praised by the FBI and which Lt. Joseph described as one of the best in Virginia.
The lieutenant was a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs.
In addition to his police work. Lt Joseph was a member of First Presbyterian Church and its board of elders and was teacher of the High School Sunday school Class.
He was born at Mt. Clinton and was reared by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Abner Joseph. He attended Bridgewater Academy and Bridgewater College and had completed law enforcement courses at Blue Ridge Community College.
On June 3, 1925, he married the former Helen Garber, who survives.
Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. E. H. Allen of Bridgewater; two sons, Gifford Ellwood Joseph of Short Hills, N.J. and Richard A. Joseph of Harrisonburg, and seven grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Joseph Sefcik. Burial will be in Clover Hill Cemetery.
The body is at the Lindsey Harrisonburg Funeral Home, but the family will receive friends at the Joseph home, 600 Franklin St. extended. Relatives will meet at the Joseph residence 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Members of the police department serving as pallbearers will be Chief Julius Ritchie, Sgt. Richard Presgrave, Sgt. M. D. Lutz, Sgt. Donald Turner and Officers Harry Smith, Albert Cassidy and Leon Byrd.
Honorary pallbearers will be other officers of the Harrisonburg Police Department and state law enforcement officers and the B. F'. Wilson Bible Class, the Board of Deacons and Sessions the High School Sunday school Class of First Presbyterian Church.
Harrisonburg Daily News Record
Thursday Feb 26, 1970
Lt. Gifford Wilson Joseph, a veteran of almost 28 years with the Harrisonburg Police Department, died 3 p m Wednesday at Rockingham Memorial Hospital.
Lt. Joseph suffered a heart attack last Wednesday and had been hospitalized since then.
Harrisonburg Police Chief Julius F. Ritchie said Wednesday, shortly, after hearing of Lt. Joseph's death, that "the city and the police department have lost a loyal, faithful and devoted employee. His death came as a big Shock and all of us here at the police station are feeling his loss."
Last March. Lt. Joseph was cited by the Harrisonburg Kiwanis Club as the Policeman of the Year, the first annual award of this type.
At that time, the lieutenant remarked. "I wouldn't have thought I'd get it (the award) even if I'd known one was being awarded."
Lt. Joseph joined the city police department Sept. 1, 1942 when it was only a nine-man force. He was promoted to sergeant in 1960 and to lieutenant in 1967, after the retirement of Lt. Everett Martin.
At the time of his death, the 54-year-old lieutenant was still an active member of the 25 member police force and served as police photographer and fingerprint officer.
Ile mid Chief Ritchie in 1948 established the department's identification system—one which has been praised by the FBI and which Lt. Joseph described as one of the best in Virginia.
The lieutenant was a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs.
In addition to his police work. Lt Joseph was a member of First Presbyterian Church and its board of elders and was teacher of the High School Sunday school Class.
He was born at Mt. Clinton and was reared by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Abner Joseph. He attended Bridgewater Academy and Bridgewater College and had completed law enforcement courses at Blue Ridge Community College.
On June 3, 1925, he married the former Helen Garber, who survives.
Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. E. H. Allen of Bridgewater; two sons, Gifford Ellwood Joseph of Short Hills, N.J. and Richard A. Joseph of Harrisonburg, and seven grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Joseph Sefcik. Burial will be in Clover Hill Cemetery.
The body is at the Lindsey Harrisonburg Funeral Home, but the family will receive friends at the Joseph home, 600 Franklin St. extended. Relatives will meet at the Joseph residence 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Members of the police department serving as pallbearers will be Chief Julius Ritchie, Sgt. Richard Presgrave, Sgt. M. D. Lutz, Sgt. Donald Turner and Officers Harry Smith, Albert Cassidy and Leon Byrd.
Honorary pallbearers will be other officers of the Harrisonburg Police Department and state law enforcement officers and the B. F'. Wilson Bible Class, the Board of Deacons and Sessions the High School Sunday school Class of First Presbyterian Church.
Harrisonburg Daily News Record
Thursday Feb 26, 1970
Lt. Joseph suffered a heart attack last Wednesday and had been hospitalized since then.
Harrisonburg Police Chief Julius F. Ritchie said Wednesday, shortly, after hearing of Lt. Joseph's death, that "the city and the police department have lost a loyal, faithful and devoted employee. His death came as a big Shock and all of us here at the police station are feeling his loss."
Last March. Lt. Joseph was cited by the Harrisonburg Kiwanis Club as the Policeman of the Year, the first annual award of this type.
At that time, the lieutenant remarked. "I wouldn't have thought I'd get it (the award) even if I'd known one was being awarded."
Lt. Joseph joined the city police department Sept. 1, 1942 when it was only a nine-man force. He was promoted to sergeant in 1960 and to lieutenant in 1967, after the retirement of Lt. Everett Martin.
At the time of his death, the 54-year-old lieutenant was still an active member of the 25 member police force and served as police photographer and fingerprint officer.
Ile mid Chief Ritchie in 1948 established the department's identification system—one which has been praised by the FBI and which Lt. Joseph described as one of the best in Virginia.
The lieutenant was a member of the International Association of Police Chiefs.
In addition to his police work. Lt Joseph was a member of First Presbyterian Church and its board of elders and was teacher of the High School Sunday school Class.
He was born at Mt. Clinton and was reared by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Abner Joseph. He attended Bridgewater Academy and Bridgewater College and had completed law enforcement courses at Blue Ridge Community College.
On June 3, 1925, he married the former Helen Garber, who survives.
Also surviving are a daughter, Mrs. E. H. Allen of Bridgewater; two sons, Gifford Ellwood Joseph of Short Hills, N.J. and Richard A. Joseph of Harrisonburg, and seven grandchildren.
The funeral will be conducted 11 a.m. Saturday at the First Presbyterian Church by the Rev. Joseph Sefcik. Burial will be in Clover Hill Cemetery.
The body is at the Lindsey Harrisonburg Funeral Home, but the family will receive friends at the Joseph home, 600 Franklin St. extended. Relatives will meet at the Joseph residence 10:15 a.m. Saturday.
Members of the police department serving as pallbearers will be Chief Julius Ritchie, Sgt. Richard Presgrave, Sgt. M. D. Lutz, Sgt. Donald Turner and Officers Harry Smith, Albert Cassidy and Leon Byrd.
Honorary pallbearers will be other officers of the Harrisonburg Police Department and state law enforcement officers and the B. F'. Wilson Bible Class, the Board of Deacons and Sessions the High School Sunday school Class of First Presbyterian Church.
Harrisonburg Daily News Record
Thursday Feb 26, 1970
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