Cleburne County AlArchives News.....Newspaper abstracts for DEC. 1940 December 1940 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/al/alfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: C Gravelle tealtree@comcast.net March 21, 2007, 1:25 am The Cleburne News December 1940 NEWSPAPER ABSTRACTS FROM "THE CLEBURNE NEWS", Heflin, Cleburne County, Alabama for DECEMBER 1940 NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 5, 1940 DEATHS MRS. R.D. BLANTON Mrs. R.D. Blanton passed away at her residence here on Nov. 26, after an illness of about two weeks. Mrs. Blanton was 82 years old and is survived by three sons, John, Wes and Jim, all of Heflin; three daughters, Mrs. W.E. Pulley of Fruithurst; Mrs. W.N. Henry of Birmingham and Mrs. L.R. Clark of Jacksonville. Funeral services were held Nov. 28 from Heflin Methodist church at 11 a.m. by the Revs. E.C. Johnson and Roy Niager. Interment was in the Heflin cemetery with Brown - Service in charge. ------- J.D. COSPER J.D. Cosper, age 47, passed away Nov. 18 at his residence near Ranburne. Funeral services were held at Lost Creek church by the Revs. Chester Dodd and Harmon Moore. Interment was in the Ranburne cemetery, directed by Brown - Service of Heflin. Mr. Cosper is survived by his wife and two children; three brothers and five sisters. ------- R.M. DUNNING Robert M. Dunning, age 76, a resident of Fruithurst for 40 years, died in an Anniston hospital on Nov. 26 after an illness of two weeks. Funeral services were held from his residence at 2 p.m. Nov. 27 by Rev. Johnny Patty. Interment was in Mt. Olive cemetery with Brown - Service in charge. Mr. Dunning is survived by one brother, James of Springfield Ont., Canada and a sister Mrs. Alma McCulley of St. Thomas Ont., Canada. ------ MISS ROMA STEADHAM Miss Roma Steadham, age 52, died at her residence on Delta, Rt. 1, Friday night at 8:10 o'clock after an illness of several weeks. Funeral services were held at Bethlehem church at 2 p.m. Sunday by the Rev. T.D. Stovall. Interment was in the church cemetery with Brown - Service of Heflin in charge. Miss Steadham is survived by three brothers and two sisters. ------- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 12, 1940 IN MEMORY OF O'NEAL HOWLE On Oct. 7, 1940 the death angel visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. D.F. Howle and took their beloved son O'Neal. O'Neal suffered terribly for nine days. It was so hard to give him up but God does all things well. O'Neal was loved by all who knew him. The days were never too stormy or the nights too dark for him to help someone who needed him. He was always willing to lend a helping hand. There is a place left vacant in our hearts that O'Neal alone can fill. But we know our loss is heaven's gain. Funeral services were held at Hurricane church on Oct. 8 with Rev. H.R. Carter in charge. O'Neal was born March 26, 1912 and died Oct. 7, 1940. He is survived by his wife; one child, Neal Eugene who died in infancy; a father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. D.F. Howle; four brothers, Virgil, John, Newell and Milton; four sisters, Mrs. Lillie Breedwell; Mrs. Inus Cofield; Mrs. Gertrude McCulley and Miss Fannie Lue Howle. ------ B.L. ADAMS TO CELEBRATE GOLDEN WEDDING ON SUNDAY Mr. and Mrs. Benton Lester Adams, for 21 years residents of Heflin, will celebrate their golden wedding anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 15. To make the event, their two youngest daughters, Mrs. M.M. Mandot Jr. of Atlanta, Ga. and Mrs. G.W. Winfree of New Smyrna Beach, Fla. are planning a reception from 3 to 5 o'clock Sunday afternoon at the Adams home. No written invitations are being sent locally. Friends of the Adams' are invited to drop in during the appointed hours however. Miss Mattie Williamson, long time friend of the honorees will have charge of the guest book. Mrs. Jack Knight of Anniston, great-niece of Mrs. Adams and Misses Lorraine and Levis Boyd, whose family has been very close to the Adams for many years, will assist in the dining room where a wedding cake decorated with the golden wedding motif will be served with coffee. Others assisting in serving will be daughters-in-law of the honorees. Mrs. Adams is the former Georgia Esther Striplin, a native of Cleburne county and has resided here throughout her life. She was the daugher of Samuel Oliver (Uncle Dick) and Mrs. Striplin. Mr. Striplin was engaged in the leather industry in the pioneer days. He was well known for his hospitality, always entertaining open house to a host of friends. Mr. Adams was born in Georgia but moved with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Adams, to Cleburne county in early childhood. Mr. Adams has resided in or hear Heflin the remainder of his life. The couple were married in Georgia where they had eloped since the bride was under age. Mr. and Mrs. Adams lived their early married life on their farm in the Chulafinnee community, but in 1919 they moved to their present home in Heflin. Besides Mrs. Mandot and Mrs. Winfree, the couple has seven other children: V.L., O.P., J.K. and Miss Sammie Adams of Birmingham; B.T. and J.S. of Delta and Mrs. Pauline Haley of Heflin. There are also six grandchildren, Henry Benton, Joe Striplin Jr., Billy Tom and Phil Adams of Delta; Caroline Adams of Birmingham and Anita Mandot of Atlanta. All of the children and grandchildren plan to assist the honorees in celebrating their golden wedding anniversary. ------- DEATHS G.T. SEARS George Thomas Sears, age 63, passed away at his home Dec. 3 at 7 p.m. in south Cleburne after an illness of several weeks. Mr. Sears is survived by four sisters, Mrs. J. Lebus Casey of Heflin; Mrs. Dorothy Morrison of Akron, Ohio; Mrs. Laney Ayers of Heflin, Route 3 and Mrs. R.H. Campbell of Tampa, Fla. Funeral services were held Dec. 5 from the Micaville church at 1 p.m. by the Rev. T.D. Stovall. Interment was in the Blake Cemetery, with Brown - Service in charge. ------- GEORGE W. BALLENGER George W. Ballenger, age 69 of Heflin, Route 2, died Dec. 4 in an Atlanta hospital. Funeral services were held from the Ranburne church on Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. by the Rev. Leonard Burson. Interment was in Lost Creek cemetery, directed by Brown - Service. Mr. Ballenger is survived by his wife, six sons, one daughter and three brothers. ------ MRS. J.W. BENTLEY Mrs. J.W. Bentley, age 62, died at her residence at Muscadine on Dec. 2 at 2:40 p.m. after an illness of six days. Mrs. Bentley is survived by her husband, five sons, three daughters, two sisters and seven brothers. Funeral services were held Dec. 3 from the residence at 11 a.m. by the Rev. Ted Wright. Interment was in the State Line cemetery with Brown - Service in charge. ------- MRS. ADA JORDAN Mrs. Ada Jordan, age 32 of Edwardsville Route 2, died Dec. 4 at her home at 4 a.m. after an illness of two days. Mrs. Jordan is survived by her husband John Jordan; her parents Mrs. and Mrs. Ab Warren; and five children. Funeral services were held Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at Harmony church with the Rev. Pete Johnson officiated, directed by Brown - Service. ------- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 19, 1940 NO ARRESTS WILL FOLLOW SHOOTING Wrestling a pistol from the hands of Ed J. Stewart, who in turn had taken it from her husband and snapped it once on an empty cartridge, Mrs. Minnie Wager, city clerk of Heflin, fired one shot at her husband's assailant Thursday of last week, in a tense, midnight drama. Mrs. Wager's father, who was also present, fired two shots at Stewart a few minutes before Chief of Police Rhodes Robinson and Sheriff W. Prestridge arrived on the scene. The back seat of Stewart's car, which had been driven into the Wager's side yard near the saw mill, was piled deep with 80 one-gallon cans of moonshine liquor, Chief Robinson said. Chief Robinson said he and Sheriff Prestridge had been "tipped" that a car of liquor would come over from the Georgia side of the state line. Chief Robinson stated they passed the car above Heflin a few miles but did not recognize it, because they had reports that the car was suppose to have about 400 gallons in it and they were looking for a heavy loaded car. Chief Robinson was at a local restaurant when a call was made over the police call system that a shooting had taken place at the Wager's home. The driver of the car drove into the road leading into the mill yard and backed into the road beside the log skids. Mrs. Wager stated she didn't pay much attention until she heard hammering as if someone was beating on the saw at the mill. On going to the window she could not see anyone until one of the men began striking matches about the engine which pulls the mill and stated the sound of hammering came from within the planer mill. After watching for about 20 minutes, Mrs. Wager awoke her husband; they watched and listened about five minutes before going to the mill to investigate. Upon their appearance, two men came from the mill, Stewart shutting the car door in his companions' face. Mr. Wager walked up taking ahold of the steering wheel, asking Stewart what they were doing in the mill house. It was told to this newspaper that at this time, Stewart grabbed Wager, dragging him into the car, taking Wager's gun from him and snapping it once at his side, at which moment Mrs. Wager was struggling to get the gun from Stewart. Finally wrenching the gun from Stewart while he was choking Mr. Wager, she hit him in the head, not fazing Stewart at all, she stated. Stewart was trying to drive away with Mr. Wager, who was by that time choked unconscious. Mrs. Wager struggled to get into the car and turning the steering wheel; it was then the only words the man ever spoke, in telling Mrs. Wager "to get the hell out." About this time, according to our information, A.J. Adams had arrived on the scene. In seeing Mr. Adams, Stewart began to choke and bend Mr. Wager's head over the back of the front seat. Mr. Adams told the man twice to quit and let Mr. Wager out of the car. Not heeding Mr. Adams' warning, Mr. Adams shot twice and as he fired, Mrs. Wager shot once, it is understood. At the time when Mr. Wager was in the car being choked, the second man, whose name is not known to this newspaper had crawled under the log skids and disappeared. Stewart was employed at a shipping clerk at a manufacturing plant in Gadsden. The automobile and the whiskey were confiscated. ----------- SERVICES CONDUCTED FOR SAMUEL LORREN Piedmont, Ala. Dec. 13 Funeral services were conducted this afternoon from the New Bethel church for Samuel P. Lorren, age 61, a merchant at Borden Springs, who died at his home late Wednesday afternoon following an illness of four months. Interment was in the church cemetery with Usrey directing. Mr. Lorren is survived by his widow, two sons, Jasper of Borden Springs and Emmett of Esom Hill, Ga., and four daughters, Mrs. Frank Lyle and Mrs. Laura Mae McWhorter of Borden Springs; Mrs. Clarence Erwin of Esom Hill, and Mrs. Frank Williams of Shannon, Ga. ------- DEATHS ROBERT LINER Muscadine, Ala. Dec. 16 Funeral services were held this morning for Robert C. Liner, age 73, farmer of Muscadine, Route 1, who was found dead Saturday night at his home by investigating neighbors after an absence of several days. It was believed that Mr. Liner was stricken with a heart attack and had been dead about two days. He lived alone. Services were conducted from the Providence church with the Rev. J.W. Williams officiating. Interment was in the church cemetery with Jones of Anniston directing. Mr. Liner is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Johnnie Dryden and Mrs. W.A. Windom; three brothers, Henry, W.V. and Harvey Liner; five sisters, Mrs. J.W. Clayton, Mrs. J.W. Sims, Mrs. M.K. Kelly, Mrs. M.M. Kite and Mrs. Susan M. Clardy, all of Muscadine. ------- NEWSPAPER Issue of Thursday, DECEMBER 26, 1940 IN MEMORY OF MRS. ADA JORDAN Mrs. Ada Jordan, age 32, died suddenly at her home near Ai on Dec. 4. Funeral services were held at old Harmony Church by the Rev. P.P. Johnson on Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.; interment was in the church cemetery. She is survived by her husband John Jordan; four sons, William, Edward, Marrell and F.C., one daughter Barbara Jean, all of Ai; her father and mother Mr. and Mrs. A.L. Warren; five sisters, Mrs. Ella Southerland of Dallas, Ga., Mrs. Destie Huey; Mrs. Effie Williams of DeArmanville; Misses Susie and Bessie Warren of DeArmanville and two brothers, Tommie Warren of DeArmanville and Frank of Fort McClellan. -------- File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/al/cleburne/newspapers/newspape1409gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/alfiles/ File size: 12.9 Kb