Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Roscoe Thurman Jester, 1923 17 April 2008 Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) ********************************************************************* USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************************* JESTER, ROSCOE THURMAN (17 May 1923, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK): Our people were shocked to hear Saturday morning of the death of Roscoe Jester in an accident in Kansas City that morning. His father, Dr. Jester was in the country at the time the message came, and Mrs. Jester in the home alone had the message read to her over the telephone, little dreaming of the terrible news it contained. She thought when told it was a death message that it was about a friend whose death they had expected. Her screams soon brought the neighbors to her who did all they could for her and also to notify other members of the family. The message did not give particulars only stating he had been killed and asked what to do with body. Later Dr. Kilpatrick telephoned to Kansas City and found he had been killed in car accident. The Kansas City Star of evening had the following report: R. T. Jester, a drug salesman, whose home is in Wichita, Kas., was fatally injured early this morning at Nineteenth and Main streets when a motor car in which he was riding with W. F. Conroy, Bray hotel, collided with a car driven by Jack Roth, North hotel, 2027 Main street, manager of the Isis theatre. Jester died at the General hospital a few minutes after he was taken there. Roth was driving a Cadillac roadster south on Main street, witnesses told the police. His motor car was struck admidship by the motor car driven by Conroy, a Chevrolet sedan. The sedan turned over. Jester was pinned under the motor. Conroy was arrested and held by the police. He is a traveling salesman for the Franklin Machine Company, Springfield, Mass. Joe Brown, 510 Harrison street, foreman of a track gang of the Kansas City Railway Company, working on a section of track at Nineteenth and Main streets, told the police of the accident. He said Roth's motor car was being driven swiftly. This statement was supported by John Payne, negro, 421 Claremont Avenue, a member of the track crew. ------ Roscoe's wife with baby was visiting at the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. McKahan of Moline, Ill., and when notified of the death of her husband left immediately for Kansas City, her father accompanying her. They came on to Elk City with the body. Funeral services were held on Monday afternoon at the M. E. Church, South, conducted by Rev. Harry DeVore. Floral tributes were massed around the casket and on top of same, coming from friends in Missouri, Fort Worth, Woodward, Cordell and many, many friends here showing the love and esteem in which Roscoe and his family were held by all. The church was crowded with friends who came to pay the last tribute of respect to one of Elk City's young men. A rain coming just at the time of the funeral caused many not to be able to attend. Special music was rendered by the male quartette composed of Messrs Lee, DeVore, Steele and Marsh. Rev. DeVore made a helpful talk bringing much consolation to the relatives and friends. The body was taken to Fairlawn cemetery where interment was made under auspices of Grubitz & Son. Roscoe Thurman Jester was born in Ladonis, Fannon county, Texas, July 3, 1888. Later went to Montague county where the family lived until 1894 when they moved to Washita county, Okla., and eleven years ago they moved to Elk City. He made a study of pharmacy and practiced it three years in Hammon, one year in Cordell. He joined the State militia just before it was nationalized. He enlisted in the medical corps during the late war and served three years. He was in France eleven months. While there he was gassed a couple of times but he never let his parents know a thing about it and never spoke of it to them, but they found out from friends. He was discharged from the army in 1919. On March 19th, 1921 he was married to Miss Bessie D. McKahan at Tuscon, Arizona, and to this union one child was born, Dec. 8th, 1923 (sic), both of whom survive him. Besides many relatives, he leaves his parents, and brothers, Tony Jester of Muskogee, Okla., Fridge Jester of Elk City, Mrs. Vera Tolbert of Woodward, Mrs. Ina Skillman of Amarillo, Tex., Mrs. Una Custer of Elk City, sisters. Note: Mrs. Roscoe Jester and baby and her father, H. B. McKahan left yesterday for his home in Moline, Ill., and where Mrs. Jester will make her home. Mr. McKahan is manager of the John Deere Company in Moline. --------------------------------------------------- Return to Beckham County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/beckham/beckham.html