Gentry county Missouri, Obituaries:  J. Frank Shoemaker


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Submitted by: <dhr1953@hotmail.com>  Don Raymond

The Stanberry Owl-Headlight, Gentry County, Missouri, Tuesday, January 10, 1911:
     A Sad Death: Tuesday, Jan. 3rd, the home of Brother and Sister Shoemaker in
     North Stanberry was stricken with deepest sorrow by the sad intelligence
     that their second son, J. Frank, had been killed at Shawnee, Okla.

     Frank had come from Wyoming a few days before his death to the home of his
     aunt, Mrs. Durand, in Oklahoma City, and had left their home only a few
     hours before with the intention of returning in a few days and remaining in
     Oklahoma City permanently.

     It seems that at Shawnee the dispatchers' office is just near the depot and
     the station is called before the train slows down for this office.  frank,
     as nearly all passengers do, thought it was the depot, and started to get
     off, reached the platform, when the train gave a lurch.  The outside door
     was unfastened and he was thrown through the door to the platform and drawn
     under the train and one limb was almost severed from his body and the
     fingers cut from one hand.  Some delay occurred before he was taken to the
     hospital and the loss of blood made his recovery impossible.  He died on
     the operating table two hours later, where every effort was being made to
     save his life.

     J. Frank Shoemaker was born near Stanberry, Aug. 9th, 1878, and was
     educated in the Albany High school and for a while attended one of the
     colleges at the same place.  He had united with the church at twelve years
     of age and was a boy of unusual intelligence, kind and devoted in his home
     life.  He enlisted in the army Jan. 16th, 1899, and served three years,
     first going to Porto Rico and then to the Philippines.  A well read and
     intelligent man in this community said to me that Frank gave him the best
     description of the Philippines that he had ever heard.

     After thorough investigation it has been found that the reports of his
     death as received here were false in every particular.  We are assured that
     death came to him as it would have come to anyone else, as the above
     remarks show.  Those who attended him were impressed that he was well
     educated and well raised, giving their testimony freely, also that he
     displayed a courage through it all such as is seldom seen.

     Frank, as he admitted to his aunt, had become somewhat wild, but he
     realized that he had made a mistake and was going to change, and in his
     last letter to his mother written the night before he was killed, he had
     promised her that he intended to lead a different life.

     Dec. 29th, 1910, at the early age of 32 years, 4 months and 20 days he so
     suddenly met death.  Truly "We know not what a day may bring forth."  Life
     and death unite to prove Thy word true.  His life is in Thy had, Oh, God,
     and our comfort is that Thou dost know and that doest all things well.

     The funeral was conducted from the home Jan. 7th by the pastor of the M. E.
     church and his body laid to rest in High Ridge cemetery.  Kind friends
     brought their tokens of sympathy and the entire community was touched by
     the deep grief of a family who have had more than their share of the
     sorrows of life, but who through it all have lived so nobly and well as to
     win the high regard of all who know them.