Mattie's Scrapbook of Obituaries, page 22 Rites for Beshear Sunday Funeral services for State Representative Fred Beshear, 77, Dawson Springs, who died at 3:55 pm Thursday, will be conducted at 2:30 pm Sunday in the Dawson Springs Primitive Baptist Church, with Elder J D Shain, Madisonville, officiating. Burial will be in Rosedale cemetery, Dawson Springs. The body will be at Beshear Funeral Home, Dawson Springs, until time for the last rites. Representative Beshear, for many years a Hopkins county democratic leader, died in Vanderbilt Hospital, Nashville, Tenn., where he was admitted two weeks ago for treatment. He had been in ill health for some time and had been in a comotose condition since early Monday night. He was serving his fourth term as a member of the house of representatives of the Kentucky General Assembly. Last February while attending the sessions of the General Assembly Representative Beshear suffered a slight paralytic stroke. He formerly operated Beshear Funeral Home at Dawson Springs. Representative Beshear was born in 1879. He was a former member of the State Board of Education; of the State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers; was a former mayor of Dawson Springs; and was a member of the Dawson Springs Primitive Baptist Church. The death of Representative Beshear creates a vacancy in that post from Hopkins county until the November, 1957 election, with his successor assuming his legislative duties in January, 1958. Nomination for that office will be made at the May, 1957, primary. However, if he deems it necessary, Governor A B Chandler can call a special election before the November, 1957 election, but this is not expected to be done. Initiated Mosquito Bill During his long legislative career, which included the 1932, 1948, [a picture of Fred Beshear appears at this location] 1950 and 1956 sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly, Representative Beshear succeeded in having enacted important legislation affection Hopkins county. While the 1956 session of the General Assembly was being held, Representative Beshear initiated and the state legislative body enacted into law the mosquito control bill. He also obtained approval of the Pond river bridge project which is now under construction near Jewel City. (Please Turn To Page Three) Rites For Fred Beshear Sunday (Continued From Page One) Surviving are two grandchildren, Frederick Nichols and Miss Elaine Nichols, both of Madisonville; two sisters, Mrs Ben Dame, Madisonville, and Mrs Henry E Davis, Dawson Springs, and a half-brother, James M Beshear, Dearborn, Michigan. Rosedale Cemetery, Dawson Springs, Hopkins Co, Ky Opal Beshears Nichols, 1904-1934 Tella M Beshears, 1884-1955 Fred Beshears, 1879-1956 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- B M Slaton, Former Mortician Here, Died Ben M Slaton, 74, former Madisonville funeral director who had been living in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. since 1924, died in his home there Saturday afternoon after several years of ill health. Death was the result of a paralytic stroke a few weeks ago. Surviving are the widow, Mrs Lula Slaton, four children, Lieut. Clifton Slaton, United States army; W H Slaton, George Ray Slaton, who will accompany his mother here for the funeral, Mrs Martha Murray, all of Fort Lauderdale, and a grandson, George Ray Slaton Jr., also of Fort Lauderdale, survive. The body will arrive in L & N station here tonight about 8:40 and be taken to W F Strother Funeral Home, 406 South Main, where funeral will be conducted at 4 pm Tuesday. Burial site has not been announced. Former Undertaker Is Buried Here Funeral for Ben M Slaton, former Madisonville funeral director who died in his home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla, Saturday from the effects of paralysis, was conducted in the W F Strother Funeral Home, 406 South Main, at 4 pm today, Rev. A C Wyckoff, pastor of the Main Street Presbyterian Church, officiated. Burial was in Odd Fellow Cemetery. The pallbearers were C L Ross, Ashley Holloman, F K Ashby, Phil Simons, T C O'Bryan and V Y Moore. The body arrived Monday night, accompanied by the widow, Mrs Lula Slaton, and children; Wm H Slaton, naval lieutenant junior grade, George Ray Slaton, and Mrs Martha Murray, all of Fort Lauderdale. Oddfellows Cemetery, Madisonville, Hopkins Co, Ky Infants of B M Slaton and wife 1903 - 1904 1907 - 1907 Frank Nisbet Slaton, 1900 - 1917 B M Slaton, 1875 - 1943 Father Lula C Slaton, 1875 - 1948 James H Clinton, 1849 - 1918 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- R H Whitson R H Whitson, 69, retired Slaughters merchant, died at his home Thursday afternoon of a brain ailment. He had been an invalid two years. Surviving are the widow and other relatives. Funeral will be conducted at the Slaughters Christian church at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon and burial will be in the Slaughters cemetery. Mrs Robert Whitson, Slaughters, Dies Slaughters, Ky, Jan. 11 -- Special-- Mrs Robert Whitson died at her home here last night after an illness of two months. She is survived by two sisters, Mrs Pearl Boston of Louisville and Mrs J T Hayden of Buffalo, NY. Several nieces and nephews also survive. Funeral services will be conducted from the Christian church Friday afternoon at 2 o'clock, with the Rev. H B Self of Henshaw officiating. Slaughters Cemetery, Slaughters, Webster Co, Ky Robert H Whitson, 1867 - 1937 Eva Whitson, wife of Robert H, 1867 - 1940 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- J F Whitsell Dies At Sturgis Jesse Forrest Whitsell, 72, owner of the Whitsell Funeral Home at Sturgis and Morganfield, died at 7:45 pm Tuesday in his home at Sturgis. Surviving are the widow, Mrs Stella Whitsell; a son, James N Whitsell, Morganfield; three sisters, Mrs Pete Morton, Mortons Gap; Mrs Effie Northern, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Mrs Ida Whitfield, Hopkinsville; and a brother, J D Whitsell, Madisonville. Funeral arrangements had not been announced this morning. [Need burial information] -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Heart Seizure Fatal To R H Bowmer, Druggist Robert H Bowmer, 304 Union street, well-known Madisonville druggist, was found dead in his home at 5 pm Monday. Death was attributed to a heart seizure. Mr Bowmer had been dead for approximately two hours when found. Mr Bowmer was associated with his father, the late Frank Bowmer, in the drug business in South Main street for many years, and later with his mother after his father's death in 1935. The drug store, first known as Gardiner & Bowmer, and now Bowmer & Bowmer, is one of the oldest drug firms in western Kentucky. A veteran of World War Two, Mr Bowmer served in the medical corps of the army in the Pacific area. He was a member of Madisonville First Christian church, of Hopkins County Post No. 6, American Legion, and of the Madisonville Elks lodge. Funeral Wednesday Funeral services will be conducted at 3 pm Wednesday in the Bowmer home in Union street, with the Rev. John M Hardy, pastor of First Christian church, officiating. Burial will follow in Odd Fellows cemetery. Surviving are the mother, Mrs Neva Bowmer; a sister, Mrs H Lawrence Casner, both of 304 Union; five aunts, Mrs Charles G Franklin, Mrs Lonnie Hall and Mrs C J Waddill, all of Madisonville; Mrs Lora Montague, Washington, DC and Mrs M J Wells, Ft. Worth, Texas, and an uncle, Berry Sugg, Washington state. The body was taken from William L Barnett Funeral Service, East Center street, to the Bowmer home late this afternoon to remain until the last rites. Oddfellows Cemetery, Madisonville, Hopkins Co, Ky Franklin C Bowmer, 1868-1935 Robert H Bowmer, 1898-1952 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Funeral Director Dies Barnett Rites Wednesday Funeral services will be conducted here Wednesday afternoon for William L Barnett, 55, well-known Madisonville funeral director who died Sunday night from a sudden heart attack. Services will be at 3 pm tomorrow at Barnett-Strother Funeral Home in South Main street, with the Rev. William Kimball Underwood, rector of St Mary's Episcopal Church, officiating. Interment will be in Grapevine Cemetery. Barnett died at 7:15 pm Sunday in the home of a son, Charles Barnett, 223 Richmond Drive, shortly after being stricken with a heart attack. A physician was summoned and the fire department's emergency unit made a run to the Barnett home, but their efforts to save Barnett were of no avail. Had Not Been Well Barnett had not been well for some time and had made his home with the son since last December. He was proprietor of William L Barnett Funeral Service in East Center street until several months ago. Born August 2, 1907, he was the son of the late Thomas H Barnett and Elizabeth Laffoon Barnett, members of prominent Madisonville and Hopkins county families. He was associated with his father years ago as funeral directors, a profession he engaged in for more than thirty years. He attended Castle Heights Military Academy and the University of Alabama. He was a member of St Mary's Episcopal Church and served two terms as coroner of Hopkins county. Surviving are his wife, Mrs Helen Barnett; a daughter, Mrs Barbara DeMoss, Mt Vernon, Ill; two sons, Charles Barnett, Madisonville, and Tommy Barnett, Pasadena, Calif.; five grandchildren; two half- sisters, Mrs Roy Schmetzer, Harrig street, Madisonville, and Mrs Chester Crumbaker, Danville, Ky; three aunts, Mrs C W Maloney, Anton; Mrs Vida B Conner and Mrs Ray McClellan, both of Pasadena, Calif, and other relatives. Matties note: Sept 2, 1962. Grapevine Cemetery, Madisonville, Hopkins Co, Ky William Laffoon Barnett, no dates, funeral marker. --------------------------------------------------------------------------