McCurtain Co. OK - OBIT:    Mrs. Vera Taylor

Submitted by:  Sandie Welch  sandiewe@verizon.net
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::Antlers Cemetery--Antlers OK

McCurtain County Local Newspaper:

Aug. 28, 1925

SMALL CHILD KILLED MOTHER
       ______
LOADED GUN IN BOY'S HAND WAS ACCIDENTALLY DISCHARGED.

HUGO, Aug. 28. -- Mrs. Vera Taylor, 23 years old, was instantly killed at her
home three miles west of Antlers, when a shot gun in the hands of her son,
Stewart, Jr., 5, was accidentally discharged.

Mrs. Taylor, her husband, and child, had been staying at the home of her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. R.M. Plunkett, of Moyers, who were away on a vacation
trip in south Texas.  Mr. Taylor went to his home near Antlers Sunday and 
learned that a hawk had been bothering his chickens.  He loaded his shotgun
but was unable to find the hawk.

Leaving the loaded gun in his home for use later, he returned to the Plunkett
home and joined his wife and child.  Monday, Mrs. Taylor and her child 
returned to their home, as she had some household work to do.

While she was cleaning the house, the child picked up the gun and began
playing with it.  He had been playing with the gun before and the mother not
knowing it was loaded, paid no attention to him.

While the child was standing only a few feet from his mother, the gun went
off, blowing the top of her skull off.  When she did not answer he ran to a
neighbors and said "I've shot mother.  She is asleep and I can't wake her
up."

The neighbor returned with the child to find Mrs. Taylor dead.

Mr. and Mrs. Plunkett, the woman's parents, could not be reached in Galveston
or Houston and they have not yet learned of the tragedy.

Funeral services were conducted at the Antlers cemetery Tuesday afternoon
by the Rev. Mr. Carlton, Baptist pastor at Antlers, and interment was made
in the Antlers cemetery.

Mrs. Taylor leaves four brothers and seven sisters: Lester Plunkett, Harvey
Plunkett and George Plunkett, of Wortham, Tex., Mrs. C.G Caylor of Hugo,
Mrs. Worth Crawford, of Moyers, Mrs. Ed Guyers, of Moyers, Mrs. John Skeggs,
of Wellington, Texas, and May, Lydia and Gladys Plunkett of Moyer.  The
three younger sisters were with their parents in Texas when the tragedy
occurred.
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