Show Midland Founder Passes Away In Colorado Following Illness Funeral services were held inGrand In InGrand inGrand Grand Junction this week for Melvin athaniel Jathaniel Due president president prod prod- dent and one of the founders of the Midland Telephone company com com- c com m- m pany pony Mr Due was 77 years of age Well known In the Moab area the prominent Grand Junction businessman helped organize the Midland Telephone company In 1915 with the late J J. J N N. Corbin I when they built a line from fromMack fromMack fromMack Mack Colorado to Price Utah The company eventually grew into what is now the Midland Telephone Co with headquarters ers at Moab and serving Grand and San Juan counties in Utah and Dolores county in do Colorado lie He along with other officers had seen the company grow from a circuit with wire strung on trees In many places to a modern facility valued at more than a million dollars and with practically complete dial ice Mr Due was born July 10 1883 in Mountain Home Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas Ark Ark- ansas and spent his early years there He lie married Bertha Foster Fost Fost- I er March 5 5 1905 at Mountain MountainHome MountainHome Home come and they moved to Wyoming Wyoming Wyoming Wy Wy- oming and then In 1912 to Fruits Fruit a Colorado where he edited edited edited edit edit- ed a paper for two years Mr Due helped organize the Citizens Finance Co in Grand Junction In 1925 and served as president for many years In 1958 he organized an affiliate firm the Citizens Industrial Bank Dank lie He Is survived in addition to his widow by a son Dr Alton F F. Due Denver and two grand- grand children |