Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Vallie M. Downey, 1925
10 Jan 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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DOWNEY, VALLIE M.
(16 Jul 1925, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Mrs. Vallie Downey, of Erick, died at a local hospital, Sunday at three
o'clock, p.m., from burns received when the lamp on an incubator exploded.
 The accident happened late Saturday night when Mrs. Downey turned the
lamp low, it exploded, and set fire to her clothing, and she was badly
burned before the fire could be extinguished.  She was brought to Elk City
early Sunday morning.  Mrs. Downey was twenty-three years old, and is
survived by her husband and one child.  Funeral services were held in
Erick, Monday.
(16 Jul 1925, Beckham County Democrat, Erick, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Saturday night, Mrs. Roy Downy (sic) while attempting to blow out an
incubator, which exploded when she blew on the flames, resulted in her
death Sunday afternoon.  She was badly burned from her knees to her head.
At the hour of twelve on Saturday night last, death reached forth its icy
fingers and claimed for its own, the beautiful young wife of Roy Downy,
nee Vallie King, step-daughter of W. W. Smith; at their home twelve miles
southeast of Erick.
Mrs. Downey was awakened at twelve o'clock by the glare of the light which
was burning in the incubator in an adjoining room.  In her attempt to
extenguish (sic) the flames, she blew the fire down into the kerosene
which exploded and thoroughly saturated her clothing, and being thinly
clad, the oil penetrated the pores of her skin and made the fire very
stubborn to handle.  Her husband rushed to her rescue and after some
minutes thought that the fire had been put out.  Suddenly however, locks
of her beautiful hair fell on her body and rekindled the flames, by the
time Mr. Downey succeeded in fully eliminating the flames, Mrs. Downey had
been so painfully burned that it was necessary to rush her to the doctor
for help.  She was brought to Erick and after receiving temporary relief,
Mr. H. G. Garrett and party, took her in their car and rushed to the
hospital in Elk City, unfortunately, death soon was the victor.
Death occurred Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock.  The body was brought across
the country in a hearse and funeral services were conducted at the
cemetery Monday afternoon by Rev. Mann of the Texola Church of Christ.

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