OBIT: William "Bill" Mortis, d. 1957, Union Co., KY


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Submitted by Brenda Gayle Stubblefield - angelflyinghi52@aol.com
Date 12 Feb 2002
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Taken from The Gleaner And Journal Henderson, Ky. Friday, October 18, 1957
    Willie Sawyer, 14, Shoots As Father Beaten


A 14 year old Henderson youth is in jail in Morganfield today held on an open charge after allegedly shooting 
and killing Will Mortis, Sturgis, during an argument yesterday afternoon. The boy, Willie Sawyer, was jailed, 
along with his father Bill Henderson Sawyer, who was involved in a violent fight with the victim in front of 
Bill's Grocery, ninth street, in Sturgis about 3:30 yesterday afternoon and his mother. According to Sturgis
Police Chief Ernest Hina, the elder Sawyer and Mortis had gotten into an argument and Mortis struck Sawyer
several times in the head with a hammer.

Sawyer Treated
Sawyer, a poultry truck driver, was hospitalized for treatment of head wounds and released. Chief Hina said
 he drove to the scene of the fight after he was informed by telephone of the trouble and found two cars parked
 in the road in front of Bill's Grocery. As soon as he had parked his car, he said, he heard a shot and spotted
 the boy with the gun. He said the youth had the second chamber of the double barrel shotgun cocked and was 
ready to fire again when he snatched the gun away from him. Mortis was slumped on the rear steps of the home
 of the owner of the grocery store, Bill Wallace, with most of his right arm torn away and his right side 
blasted open by the shot.

Dead On Arrival
  He was rushed to Sturgis Hospital by ambulance, but was pronounced dead on arrival.
  According to one version of what happened, Mortis went to the car to get the shotgun and the boy took it 
away from him, but another version had it that the boy went to the car and got the gun. The point will be 
established at an inquest to be held today in Sturgis, Chief Hina said. The Sawyers also have an 11 year 
old daughter living here.

Sturgis, Ky. Oct. 18, 1957
          Bill Mortis --
Funeral services for Will Mortis, 68, Sturgis, who was slain Thursday by a 14 year old Henderson boy on the
streets of Sturgis, will be held at 1:30 p.m. today at the Tapp funeral home here. The Rev. Ira Hargis will
 officiate. Burial will be in Fernwood cemetery. 



(Will married Nola Catherine Moman. He was born 24 Dec 1887 Webster Co., KY. Nola born 25 Mar 1889, died 3 May 1972.)