Obituary of LEON SHELTON, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana

Copied and Submitted by: Doug McBroom, 902 Kilgore Court, Allen, TX, 75013

From The Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal; Jena, LaSalle Parish, La.  
Microfilm at the LaSalle Parish Library located in Jena, LaSalle Parish, La.

Many Thanks to The Times - Signal and to the LaSalle Parish Library for 
allowing the following to be added to the Archives.





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Date:  November 15, 1951

Headline:  Georgetown Youth Dies Monday in Blasting Accident

Leon Shelton, 26, of Georgetown, was killed in a dynamite blasting accident 
just north of Little Creek at about 4 p.m., Monday, according to a verdict 
rendered by Dr. F. A. Thomas, LaSalle Parish Coroner.

Shelton died of cerebral concussion and also incurred compound fractures of 
the lower jaw, according to the coroner's report.  A flying piece of blown 
stump supposedly inflicted the death injuries.

John Elkins, individual contractor working on a contract basis with Hercules 
Powder Company, said that he and his son found Shelton dead some time after 
he had told the Georgetown youth to light three pops (dynamite charges placed 
to break up stumps).  Shelton was employed by Elkins.  The fatal accident 
occurred about one-third of a mile north of Little Creek.

Elkins reported that eh and Shelton were engaged in blasting pieces of stumps 
and that his son was hauling them to the railroad in Searcy.  "I sent Shelton 
to light the last three pieces of stumps at about 3 p.m.," Elkins said.

Sometime later my son came back from Searcy and I remarked that Shelton 
should have had the job done by that time, he stated.  I asked my son if 
Shelton was at the pickup, he added.  (They used a pickup truck for 
transportation to and from work.)  When my son said that he wasn't, we 
decided that we had better check and see if something went wrong, he stated.

Upon checking, Elkins and his son found Shelton dead about 25 feet from the 
site of a blown stump.

Elkins reported that only two of the three pops he had assigned Shelton were 
exploded.

Three-minute fuses were being utilized in the operation, Elkins reported.

Funeral services for Shelton were held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, at the Georgetown  
Baptist Church, where he was a member.  Interment was in the Georgetown 
Cemetery under the direction of Kinner & Stevens Home for Funerals, Jena.

The deceased is survived by his father, William H. Shelton; four brothers, 
Henry Shelton of Pineville and Leo Shelton, Jake Shelton, William Shelton, 
and R. Shelton of Hardwood; and one sister, Rubye Faye Shelton of Pineville.