Rogers Editor Erwin Funk Dies
February 1, 1960

Retired Rogers editor Erwin Funk, one of Arkansas most honored newspapermen, died at his home early today. He was 83.

Death came to the former publisher of the Rogers Demo at in the home where he had lived for about 50 years.
Funk phoned a doctor about 4:00 a.m. and complained of being sick. He was dead when the doctor arrived at the house, at 612 South Sixth Street.
Funk lived alone.

Funeral arrangements are pending under the direction of the Cellist Funeral Home.
His death marked the end of the longest and most decorated career of any Rogers newspaper man.

He built the weekly Rogers Democrat into a prize-winning newspaper, served as president of the Arkansas State Press Association and became president of the National Editorial Association.
An active civic leader he helped found the Roger's Rotary Club in 1917 and was the last surviving charter members with continuous service.
He was the Rotary Club's first secretary and was elected president in 1930. Through the years he served seven other terms as secretary.

At the time of his death he was president of the Rogers Library Board, a post he had held since 1940. He was one of the three presidents the board has had since 1933.
His factual information on the early history of Rogers and Benton County won him a reputation as one of the state's foremost authorities on the history of Northwest Arkansas and the battle of Pea Ridge.

Funk was born Jan. 5, 1877 Powsheik County, Iowa.
He entered the newspaper business at an early age and became editor of the Manning (Iowa) Monitor when he was only 17.
He and his father, the late Emanuel M. Funk, came to Arkansas in 1896 and started the Springdale Democrat. That same year they purchased the Rogers Democrat.
His father continued as a part owner of the newspaper until 1910 when the younger Funk assumed full ownership and operated the paper himself until 1829.

During the years Funk owned the Democrat it gained the distinction of having won more prize contests than any newspaper in Arkansas. A number of times it was declared the best printed and best all-around weekly newspaper in the state.
He sold the Rogers Democrat in 1929 and became managing editor of the now defunct Fayetteville Daily Leader in 1931.
At one time during his career he was a staff correspondent for the Kansas City Packer.
His travels as a correspondent took him to Mexico and Cuba and every state in the Union. Once on a trip to Alaska he was dubbed the "Arkansas Traveler," a title which stuck with him for many years.
Funk's circle of friends in the newspaper profession stretched from coast to coast. He was one of the oldest living members of the National Editorial Association of which he served as president in 1928.
Funk also had served as president and recording secretary of the Arkansas Press Association, which he first joined in 1898.

In 1935 he served as a special legislative representative in Washington for the NEA.
He was Arkansas newspaper code administrator for the National Recovery Act, in 1934.
Funk became president of the Arkansas Press Association in 1925 and served as its recording secretary for several consecutive years.

During World War I he served two years with the Young Men's Christian Association, eight months of which were spent in France.

His wife, the late Mintie Funk, died in 1953.
He was a member of the Rogers Presbyterian Church.
Survivors are two sisters, Mrs. C. J. Greene of Conway, Ark., and Mrs. H. Edwin Andrews of Philadelphia, Penn.