Obituaries: John Bodley Davis, 1952, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: January 17, 1952 Winn Parish Enterprise

John B. Davis Dies In Wreck Near Minden Tuesday

John Bodley Davis, 32, son of Mrs. Isabelle Davis of Winnfield, was killed
instantly early Tuesday morning when his car failed to make a sharp curve in
highway 79, jumped a ditch, knocked down a telephone pole, smashed into a tree
and then burst into flames about eight miles northeast of Minden, according
to the Webster Parish coroner.

Davis, co-owner of the Davis Hudson Sales Co. of El Dorado, Ark., whose
charred body was pulled from the wreckage shortly after the accident occurred
at 1:15 a.m., suffered a fractured skull and fracture of the right thigh and
left leg.  Dr. Richardson, Webster Parish coroner, said that Davis
apparently went to sleep at the wheel, and died instantly of injuries received
in the crash.

John Davis and his brother, Atwood, his partner in business in El Dorado, went
to Shreveport Monday to pick up two new model automobiles at the M. I. Davis,
Inc., visited several of their relatives and friends, and were enroute to
El Dorado when the accident occurred.

M. I. Davis, uncle of the two Davis brothers, quoted Atwood as saying that
he was driving the lead car and thought he saw lights on his brother's car
until after he had passed Haynesville.  He then drove very slowly into El
Dorado and when his brother did not arrive shortly thereafter, he started back
to search for him and was told of the death when he reached Haynesville.

Flames Prevent Rescue

Dr. Richardson said the accident was first discovered by L. H. Logue, Jr. of
721 West Seventy-First Street, Shreveport, who saw the car burst into flames. 
Logue, who was enroute to rescue Davis but could not do so because of the
flames, and then flagged the first car which came upon the scene and summoned
help.

The Davis car was a total loss.

The victim, who was born and reared at Winnfield, and was a graduate of the
Winnfield High School, was employed at the M. I. Davis Co. in Shreveport about
five years prior to moving to El Dorado six months ago.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Shirley Berry Davis, a native of Winnfield;
one son, John Michael Davis, almost two years of age; his mother, Mrs.
Isabelle R. Davis of Winnfield; one sister, Mrs. Dudley Shell of Winnfield,
and his brother, Atwood of El Dorado.

Funeral services were conducted at the Winnfield Presbyterian Church,
Wednesday, at 2:30 p.m. with Rev. Alwin Stokes and Rev. P. M. Caraway
officiating.  Burial was in the Winnfield Cemetery under direction of Hixson
Funeral Home.

Acting as pallbearers were J. R. Madden, Jr., Denton Shell, J. W. Wroten,
Bonner Etheridge, Harper Terrill, Prentice Cole, and James Russell, Jr.