Beckham County, OK - Obits: George S. Cavis, 1930
17 Nov 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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CAVIS, GEORGE S.
(2 Jul 1930, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Sitting slumped in a chair and still clutching the smoking gun with which
he took his life the body of George S. Cavis, 65, was found by his
daughter Mrs. W. M. Vinson in a shed behind the Vinson residence at 518
West Eighth street yesterday afternoon shortly after five o'clock.
Funeral services for Mr. Cavis were held at 2 o'clock this afternoon in
the Killough-Hullum funeral parlors.  Rev. C. S. Moad, pastor of the
Church of God, read the last rites.
Cause for the suicide is accredited by Mr. Vinson, son-in-law of Mr.
Cavis, to poor health which Mr. Cavis had suffered for the past several
years.  About 10 days ago he was taken to Oklahoma City to a specialist
for treatment.  He was brought back to Elk City to carry out the
instructions of the doctor.  A growing fear of the hopelessness of his
case and his advanced age are believed to have been directly responsible
for the violent actions of Mr. Cavis.
Had Talked of Suicide.
No intimation of intentions to take his life were ever made known by Mr.
Cavis to any of his immediate family, relatives said, however, one or two
in the neighborhood said that they had heard him speak of such action. 
Those who are said to have heard the elderly man talk of committing
suicide did not mention it to members of the family and were inclined to
disregard the statements, they said.
Mr. Cavis had been out of the house a short while when his daughter, Mrs.
Vinson, heard the report of a gun.  Rushing out to the shed from where the
shot was heard Mrs. Vinson found her father sitting in a chair with a
bullet hole through his head and still holding the gun.  Screams for help
by Mrs. Vinson brought neighbors who summoned Dr. L. V. Baker and Chief of
Police C. H. Smitherman.  The man died instantly, Dr. Baker said.
The gun which Mr. Cavis used belonged to his son, Nate Cavis, who was away
working in the harvest fields near Fairview.  The pistol was a .38 caliber
off-brand weapon of Spanish make.  It had not been used for over two
years.  Only one bullet was fired.  The bullet entered the right temple
and came out on the left side of the scalp.
County Attorney H. C. Ivester rushed here from Sayre and ordered a
coroner's inquest into the death of Mr. Cavis.  Sheriff M. L. Inman and
Deputy M. Y. Baker also came to the scene.  Judge F. W. Snoddy, of this
city, was acting coroner for the inquest.  Serving on the coroner's jury
were J. W. Baxter, J. A. McCaslin, W. J. Kimball, R. A. Garrison, R. F.
Bonds and R. J. Clark.  The verdict was that Mr. Cavis "came to death by
his own hands."
Mr. Cavis had lived in Elk City since 1915 with Mr. and Mrs. Vinson.  He
came here from Forney, Texas, where he had lived for about 30 years, until
the death of his wife in 1913.  Mr. Cavis was born Sept. 3, 1864, in
Manchester, Tenn.  He moved to Texas when a young man and remained in that
state until coming here to live with his daughter.
Six Children Survive.
Mr. Cavis is survived by six children, one son and five daughters.  They
are:  Mrs. Sallie J. Norvell of South Pittsburgh, Tenn.; Mrs. Ellie Darby
of Carpenter, Okla.; Mrs. Willie J. Kelly of Ness, Ky.; Mrs. Maude Elshi
of Mercer, Ky; and Mrs. W. H. Vinson and Nate Vinson (sic) of this city.
Nate Vinson (sic) was reached last evening in Fairview and arrived last
night.  None of the children in Kentucky or Tennessee was able to attend
the funeral today.
Interment was made in the Fairlawn cemetery.

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