Obit of Underwood, Henry Everett - Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 17 Aug 2008 Return to Roger Mills County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::NOT LISTED Surnames: Underwood Originally posted at: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.oklahoma.counties.rogermills/8600/mb.ashx Henry Everett Underwood, former resident of Strong City, and a colorful character died December 13, 1971 in Ft. Worth, Texas, from a heart attack. He was 68 years of age. Recently Underwood spent about two years in Cheyenne came to be near his mother Mrs. G.E. Underwood, who was at that time a resident of the Convalescent Hospital in this city. He visited his mother every day until her death, and according to the supervisor, Mrs. Weaver, was very attentive. Kemo, his dog, accompanied him on all these visits. The following account of the adventures of H.E. Underwood, appeared in the December 14, 1971 issue of the Fort Worth, Texas Star Telegram. A rugged individualist, who for three years - through a government good-up-owned part of the Alaskan Hwy., was dead today at 68. Henry Ernest Underwood was not the type to settle down to routine living. "He was always out looking for a new adventure," his brother, Harvey Underwood said today. As a young man he took a construction job on the Panama Canal. At age 37, he took off for Alaska, still looking for new adventures. He found them. He had always dreamed of having a cabin by a lake in Alaska, and in 1957 applied for a land grant. Under the terms, his brother related today, those making application drew for property, with the promise they'd improve it. Harry Underwood drew and got some land in 1959. It was near a lake. An Alaskan bank loaned him $1200, to build his cabin. Three years later the government land office in Fairbanks, Alaska, discovered that the land he drew included one fourth of a mile of the Alaskan Hwy. An adventurer with a sense of humor, Underwood barricaded that part of the highway one day for three hours. He erected a big sign: "This highway is under new ownership: Underwood Turnpike." The bank was in the act, too It held a mortgage on the highway. After three months of fun with the government, Underwood paid off the mortgage to the bank and gave the land back. Then the government gave him some more land by a lake. When Underwood returned to Fort Worth in 1968, he brought his faithful Samoye dog Kemo, with him. Kemo, whose name stands for friend, once saved his life. Returning to his cabin through waist deep snow, he fell into an ice crevice and fractured an ankle. He called to Kemo. The dog hovered over him and Underwood put his arm around the dog's neck, Kemo pulled him out of the crevice and dragged him to a highway where he summoned help. Kemo was at Harvey Underwood's home at 4212 Little John today while funeral arrangements were being made for his master. Harry Underwood died yesterday at his home, 3642 Ave. I. He is also survived by his wife; another brother, Paul Underwood of Fort Worth, and a sister in California. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 3-Feb-1972 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Roger Mills Archives http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html