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Waco Tribune-Herald
Waco, Texas
Monday, January 2, 1956
67-Year-Old Dies in Fire At Marlin
MARLIN, Jan. 1 -- SPL -- A 67-year-old man died Sunday in a used car lot blaze that destroyed two cars, damaged four others and damaged some farm implements on the lot.
Dead was Jesse F. Ray, a retired farmer, who lived at the W. N. Stone home in McClanahan. He was found about 5 a.m. in a flaming car at the Sanford-Hancock Company. Marlin firemen found his body after the fire was brought under control.
Mr. Ray had farmed in the Oklahoma community before he moved to McClanahan. He had been retired for three years.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Criswell Church and burial will be in the Criswell Cemetery.
Survivors include five daughters, Mrs. W. N. Stone of Route 2, Marlin, Mrs. Ray Morgan of Houston, Mrs. John Barosky of Nanty Glo, Pa., Mrs. Russell J. Alcott of Huntsville, Ala. and Mrs. W. S. Patterson of Waco; six sons, J. E. Ray and Murray Ray, both of Marlin, Lester Ray, W. L. Ray and Glen Ray, all of Houston and Kenneth Ray of Pittsburgh, Pa., one brother, Ernest Ray of Electra; two sisters, Mrs. Collie Woodson of Oklahoma City, Okla. and Mrs. Lettie Smith of Los Angeles, Calif.
The Daily Democrat
Marlin, Texas
Tuesday, January 03, 1956
Front page
MAN’S BODY FOUND IN BURNED CAR ON LOT HERE EARLY SUNDAY
The body of a man identified as that of Jesse F. Ray, age 67, was removed from a burned used car on the Sanford Hancock Company’s used car lot at the intersection of Wood street and Golden Lane after Marlin firemen had extinguished a blaze on the lot at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, January 1, 1956.
Mr. Ray was born in Texas on June 25, 1888. He had engaged in farming in Oklahoma, and also in the Big Hill, Criswell and McClanahan communities. He had retired about three years ago and was residing alone in a house on the W. N. Stone place, Rt. 2, Marlin, in the McClanahan community. His wife died on June 13, 1954.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday from the church in the Criswell community and burial was in the cemetery there. Arrangements were in charge of the Adams Funeral Home.
He is survived by five daughters, Mrs. W. N. Stone of Route 2, Marlin, Mrs. Ray Morgan of Houston, Mrs. John Barosky of Nanty Glo, Pa., Mrs. Russell J. Alcot of Huntsville, Ala. and Mrs. W. S. Patterson of Waco; six sons, J. E. Ray and Murray Ray, both of Marlin, Lester Ray, W. L. Ray and Glenn Ray, all of Houston and Kenneth Ray of Pittsburgh, Pa.; one brother, Ernest Ray of Electra; two sisters, Mrs. Collie Woodson of Oklahoma City and Mrs. Lettie Smith of Los Angeles, Cal.
Marlin firemen answered the early Sunday morning alarm to the parking lot. Fire had apparently spread from the worst burned used car, a Chevrolet, to also damage five other used cars and caused damage to six new farm implements nearby. The blaze also caused slight damage along the bottom edges of a small office building on the lot.
While firemen were finishing up their fire fighting job and generally wetting down the grass and smoldering upholstery materials in the damaged cars, Joe Matelski, a volunteer who was helping firemen at the scene called to Captain Tom Allen Rogers Sr., reporting that he had discovered the body of a man in the Chevrolet.
Night Officer Arthur Thomas was at the fire and went to Justice of the Peace R. T. Brothers’ home and returned with Brothers to the scene. Falls County Sheriff Brady Pamplin arrived at the scene and an investigation toward trying to determine the identity of the body started. The body of the victim was badly burned and the extremities burned away. The remains were taken to the Adams Funeral Home.
Fragments of a plaid shirt, piece of a leather belt, a part of a pair of blue jeans, portion of underwear and a part of a handkerchief, and a truss were main objects used by the officers in their efforts leading to the man’s identification.
The monogram on the handkerchief matched with another handkerchief found in the home of Mr. Ray. Two handkerchiefs of that design had been Christmas gifts to Mr. Ray by his 13-year old granddaughter Nelda Stone.
Justice of the Peace Brothers said it was his opinion that the man’s death was due to fatal burns and he was satisfied that the identification was satisfactory to determine that the dead man was Mr. Ray. City Night Officer Thomas said he saw Mr. Ray in the downtown business area about 10 p.m. Saturday.
Waco, Texas
Monday, January 2, 1956
67-Year-Old Dies in Fire At Marlin
MARLIN, Jan. 1 -- SPL -- A 67-year-old man died Sunday in a used car lot blaze that destroyed two cars, damaged four others and damaged some farm implements on the lot.
Dead was Jesse F. Ray, a retired farmer, who lived at the W. N. Stone home in McClanahan. He was found about 5 a.m. in a flaming car at the Sanford-Hancock Company. Marlin firemen found his body after the fire was brought under control.
Mr. Ray had farmed in the Oklahoma community before he moved to McClanahan. He had been retired for three years.
Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Criswell Church and burial will be in the Criswell Cemetery.
Survivors include five daughters, Mrs. W. N. Stone of Route 2, Marlin, Mrs. Ray Morgan of Houston, Mrs. John Barosky of Nanty Glo, Pa., Mrs. Russell J. Alcott of Huntsville, Ala. and Mrs. W. S. Patterson of Waco; six sons, J. E. Ray and Murray Ray, both of Marlin, Lester Ray, W. L. Ray and Glen Ray, all of Houston and Kenneth Ray of Pittsburgh, Pa., one brother, Ernest Ray of Electra; two sisters, Mrs. Collie Woodson of Oklahoma City, Okla. and Mrs. Lettie Smith of Los Angeles, Calif.
The Daily Democrat
Marlin, Texas
Tuesday, January 03, 1956
Front page
MAN’S BODY FOUND IN BURNED CAR ON LOT HERE EARLY SUNDAY
The body of a man identified as that of Jesse F. Ray, age 67, was removed from a burned used car on the Sanford Hancock Company’s used car lot at the intersection of Wood street and Golden Lane after Marlin firemen had extinguished a blaze on the lot at 5:05 a.m. Sunday, January 1, 1956.
Mr. Ray was born in Texas on June 25, 1888. He had engaged in farming in Oklahoma, and also in the Big Hill, Criswell and McClanahan communities. He had retired about three years ago and was residing alone in a house on the W. N. Stone place, Rt. 2, Marlin, in the McClanahan community. His wife died on June 13, 1954.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday from the church in the Criswell community and burial was in the cemetery there. Arrangements were in charge of the Adams Funeral Home.
He is survived by five daughters, Mrs. W. N. Stone of Route 2, Marlin, Mrs. Ray Morgan of Houston, Mrs. John Barosky of Nanty Glo, Pa., Mrs. Russell J. Alcot of Huntsville, Ala. and Mrs. W. S. Patterson of Waco; six sons, J. E. Ray and Murray Ray, both of Marlin, Lester Ray, W. L. Ray and Glenn Ray, all of Houston and Kenneth Ray of Pittsburgh, Pa.; one brother, Ernest Ray of Electra; two sisters, Mrs. Collie Woodson of Oklahoma City and Mrs. Lettie Smith of Los Angeles, Cal.
Marlin firemen answered the early Sunday morning alarm to the parking lot. Fire had apparently spread from the worst burned used car, a Chevrolet, to also damage five other used cars and caused damage to six new farm implements nearby. The blaze also caused slight damage along the bottom edges of a small office building on the lot.
While firemen were finishing up their fire fighting job and generally wetting down the grass and smoldering upholstery materials in the damaged cars, Joe Matelski, a volunteer who was helping firemen at the scene called to Captain Tom Allen Rogers Sr., reporting that he had discovered the body of a man in the Chevrolet.
Night Officer Arthur Thomas was at the fire and went to Justice of the Peace R. T. Brothers’ home and returned with Brothers to the scene. Falls County Sheriff Brady Pamplin arrived at the scene and an investigation toward trying to determine the identity of the body started. The body of the victim was badly burned and the extremities burned away. The remains were taken to the Adams Funeral Home.
Fragments of a plaid shirt, piece of a leather belt, a part of a pair of blue jeans, portion of underwear and a part of a handkerchief, and a truss were main objects used by the officers in their efforts leading to the man’s identification.
The monogram on the handkerchief matched with another handkerchief found in the home of Mr. Ray. Two handkerchiefs of that design had been Christmas gifts to Mr. Ray by his 13-year old granddaughter Nelda Stone.
Justice of the Peace Brothers said it was his opinion that the man’s death was due to fatal burns and he was satisfied that the identification was satisfactory to determine that the dead man was Mr. Ray. City Night Officer Thomas said he saw Mr. Ray in the downtown business area about 10 p.m. Saturday.