At the time of his death his 975-acre farm at Butler was operated by a son, a daughter, and a son-in-law. He had seven sons and two daughters. His wife died in 1952. CHRISTOPHER served in the 81st Congress, then became assistant to the director of the agricultural conservation program of the Department of Agriculture. He was returned to Congress in the 84th Congress, and reelected to the 85th Congress. The present Congress is the 86th. HALTS WEATHERFORD BID In last year's primary, CHRISTOPHER defeated Robert P. Weatherford, Jr., former mayor of Independence, who was supported by the Jackson County coalition. CHRISTOPHER was endorsed by both the State and national committees of the AFL-CIO and the local committee of the CIO. In May 1958, the Fourth District Congress Member denounced what he termed "unfounded rumors" that he would withdraw from the primary race. CHRISTOPHER had long urged a sound farm program and said he would always support farm legislation. He attributed last November's Democratic sweep to farm unrest. FAVORED HIGH PROPS Calling for a return to a price support program of at least 90 percent of parity last November, CHRISTOPHER said the former program should be expanded to include vegetables, feed grains, poultry, and other commodities. [From the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, Jan. 24, 1959] DEATH SWIFT TO ARRIVE CHRISTOPHER DIES WHILE VIEWING TV PROGRAM (By Jack Williams) WASHINGTON, January 24.-GEORGE G. CHRISTOPHER, Representative in Congress from Missouri's Fourth District, died here last night before an ambulance could reach the home. Details of the death of the 70-year-old Congressman were given this morning by Mrs. Moina Ratliff, his daughter. When in Washington CHRISTOPHER makes his home with his daughter and her husband, Ray J. Ratliff, who is a doorkeeper in the House. Mrs. Ratliff said her father was watching television when he began complaining that his chest was bothering him. "He said it felt like the heart attack he had back in 1951," Mrs. Ratliff said. "We called an ambulance, but he was dead before it arrived." Mrs. Ratliff said a funeral service would be held at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Hines chapel in Washington. Then the body will be flown to Missouri for services in the Congressman's home community in Bates County. Relatives in Missouri will not attend the Washington service, Mrs. Ratliff said. Details of the Missouri services have not yet been completed. The House is expected to meet briefly at noon, Monday, eulogize CHRISTOPHER and then adjourn out of respect to him, and in order that the Members can attend the Washington service. It is anticipated Sam Rayburn, Speaker of the House, will name a delegation from the House to represent that body at the services. * [From the Washington (D.C.) Post and Times Herald, Jan. 25, 1959] CONGRESSMAN CHRISTOPHER, 70 Representative GEORGE H. CHRISTOPHER, Democrat, Missouri, who considered himself a farmer first, died Friday night in the home of his daughter at 1912 R Street SE. He was 70. Born on a farm in Butler, Mo., in 1888, he lived in the Fourth Congressional District near Independence, Mo., home of former President Harry S. Truman. He was first elected in 1948. Former President Harry Truman paid tribute to Representative CHRISTOPHER: "I'm as sorry as I can be to hear of his death," said Truman. "He was a fine Congressman and a fine man. I've known him for many years. CHRISTOPHER was the best-informed man on farm policy of any man I knew." Representative CHRISTOPHER returned to his 975-acre farm after he lost to a Republican în 1950 but he came back to Washington to stay in 1954. In Washington he lived with his daughter, Moina, and his sonin-law, Ray J. Ratliff, a doorkeeper in the House. Mrs. Christopher died in 1952. Representative CHRISTOPHER was a member of the Interior and Insular Affairs and the Veterans Affairs Committees. But agriculture was his main interest. Representative CHRISTOPHER was bitter about the waste of land resources. He criticized his fellow farmers for carelessness about soil erosion and he stumped for effective conservation programs. He was proud of the miles of terracing on his own farm. Father of seven sons and two daughters, Representative CHRISTOPHER proudly boasted that all his sons were farmers. Aside from Moina, all of his children live near the ancestral home in Missouri. Four years ago, Representative CHRISTOPHER Suffered his first heart attack. In November 1957, his right leg was amputated just above the knee as the result of a circulatory defect. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. Monday at the S. H. Hines Funeral Home, 2901 14th Street NW., Representative CHRISTOPHER will be buried in Butler, Mo., with the Missouri congressional delegation serving as honorary pallbearers. [From the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, Jan. 25, 1959] CHRISTOPHER RITES SET-SERVICES WILL BE IN BUTLER, Mo., WEDNESDAY BUTLER, Mo., January 24.-Funeral services for GEORGE H. CHRISTOPHER, Representative in Congress who died in Washington Friday night, will be at 2 o'clock Wednesday at the First Baptist Church here. The body of the Congressman will be brought here after services in Washington Monday afternoon. HIS HOME COUNTY The services in CHRISTOPHER'S home county will be conducted by the Reverend Orval F. Woolery, pastor of the church. Burial will be in the Oak Hill Cemetery here. The CHRISTOPHER farm home is 7 miles northwest of here, near the Kansas-Missouri line. [From the Washington (D.C.) Star, Jan. 25, 1959] HOUSE SCHEDULES TRIBUTE TO CHRISTOPHER TOMORROW Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the S. H. Hines Funeral Home for Representative GEORGE H. CHRISTOPHER, 70, who died of a heart ailment Friday at his home, 1912 R Street SE. The body of the Missouri Democrat will be sent to his native Butler, Mo., for burial, where a memorial service is planned Wednesday. The House planned to meet briefly tomorrow at noon to eulogize Mr. CHRISTOPHER and then adjourn out of respect for him. His death resulted in a new House lineup of 281 Democrats and 153 Republicans. His right leg was amputated in 1957 as a result of a circulatory defect. He suffered an earlier heart attack 4 years ago. Mr. CHRISTOPHER was an advocate of progressive soil conservation policies. Representative Newell A. George, Democrat, of Kansas, and one of Mr. CHRISTOPHER'S closest friends, said yesterday: "With the death of Representative CHRISTOPHER the farmers and little businessmen have lost a real champion and a true friend. His loss will not be easily replaced." Mr. CHRISTOPHER, who was born near Butler, Mo., and graduated from public schools in Bates County, was a farmer first and last. He had a special interest in soil conservation and was active in various House agricultural affairs. The son of a farmer, he repeatedly preached the urgency of widespread adoption of scientific erosion control methods. Mr. CHRISTOPHER represented Missouri's Fourth District, which included Independence, the home of Harry S. Truman. He was elected to Congress in 1949, served in the 1954 session and was reelected in 1956 and last year. After one term, Mr. CHRISTOPHER left Congress to become assistant to the director of the agricultural conservation program of the Agriculture Department. While in the House, he served on the Agriculture, Veterans' Affairs, and Interior Committees. He was known among his congressional colleagues for his humor. Mr. CHRISTOPHER was a graduate of Hill's Business College in Sedalia, Mo., in 1907. He was a Mason, a Shriner, and Odd Fellow. A widower, he leaves two daughters, Mrs. Ray J. Ratliff of the home address, and Mrs. Edward Ward of Butler, Mo.; and seven sons, George D., Moreland F., Homer W., Charles S., Wallace A., Robert L., and Joseph M., all of Butler. Also surviving are two brothers, Frank, of Lake Grove, Oreg., and Edward, of Hardin, Ill.; and a sister, Mrs. Julia Reavis of Corcoran, Calif. [From the Kansas City (Mo.) Star, Jan. 26, 1959] A CHRISTOPHER TRIBUTE-LAWMAKERS GIVE EULOGIES IN CONGRESSSESSION THEN IS RECESSED TO PERMIT MEMBERS TO ATTEND RITES (By Jack Williams) WASHINGTON, January 26.-Twenty-three Members of the House of Representatives today eulogized the late GEORGE H. CHRISTOPHER of Missouri, who died Friday. "His career was a striking example of freedom of opportunity and limitless possibilities under our form of government," Representative Cannon, dean of the Missouri delegation in Congress, said “He started as a young man without land, capital or influence." SERVICES IN CAPITOL The House adjourned after the eulogies so that Members could attend funeral services here this afternoon. Flags atop the Capitol flew at half mast. A scheduled meeting of the Interior Committee, of which CHRISTOPHER Was a member, adjourned in honor of the deceased member. The body will be taken by train tonight to Kansas City, from where it will be moved to Butler, Mo., for services there at 2 o'clock Wednesday afternoon. A resolution was adopted by the House expressing sympathy to the family and naming the other 10 Missouri Representatives to be honorary pallbearers. Several of them will attend the funeral services at Butler. The fight the Congressman made for renomination last year was referred to by Cannon and Representative Bolling, of Kansas City. "A DECISIVE VICTORY" "When he announced his candidacy he was handicapped physically and politically," Cannon said. "He was marked for slaughter by his opponents. He fought through the primary and won a decisive victory on his record of service." Bolling said that in the last primary campaign CHRISTOPHER Was "opposed by forces so strong he was not thought able to survive." He added that after Mr. CHRISTOPHER's victory he held no malice against those who had sought to prevent his renomination. Representative McCormack of Massachusetts, Democratic floor leader, praised CHRISTOPHER's hard work in Congress and summarized him as "a great man who took his work but not himself seriously." Representatives Bolling, Karsten, Carnahan, Sullivan, and Brown of Missouri are planning to attend the services in Butler. [From the New York Times, Jan. 27, 1959] CHRISTOPHER EULOGIZED-HOUSE MEMBERS PAY TRIBUTE TO MISSOURI REPRESENTATIVE WASHINGTON, January 26.-Twenty-three House Members today eulogized Representative GEORGE H. CHRISTOPHER, Democrat of Missouri, who died of a heart attack here Friday. The House then adjourned out of respect to Mr. CHRISTOPHER after delegating its other Members from Missouri to attend a funeral service here and in Missouri. The service was held at a funeral home here this afternoon with the Rev. Bernard Braskamp, House chaplain, and the Rev. Arthur |