Obituary: James Chester Harwell,  March 31, 1964

Contributed by Brenda Scott Hines
July 2015
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The Bronte Enterprise, Coke County, April 2, 1964

Services Here for Chester Harwell, Area Ranchman      

Funeral services were held Thursday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist 
Church in Bronte for James Chester Harwell, 58.  Mr. Harwell died 
Tuesday, March 31, 1964 about 3:30 p.m. at his ranch home southwest 
of Bronte from a gunshot wound.      

The Rev. Murrell johns, Baptist pastor, will conduct the funeral 
services and burial will be in Fairview Cemetery.  Clift Funeral 
Home is in charge of arrangements.

Justice of the Peace J. T. Liles ruled that Mr. Harwell died from 
a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was alone in his home at the time, 
his wife and father-in-law J. E. Mitchell, having stepped out of 
the house for a short time to attend to some chores on the ranch.

Mr. Harwell was a native of Coke County and a lifelong resident.  
He was born on the place where he lived at the time of his death, 
it being the family home of his parents.

Born Jan. 16, 1906, he was the son of Robert and Ida Caperton Harwell, 
pioneer ranchers in this area.  He and Miss Marjorie Mitchell were 
married Dec. 24, 1930, in Clovis, N. M. He was a member of the 
First Baptist Church in Bronte and served 13 years as a member of 
the Bronte School board.                                                     

Mr. Harwell's survivors include his wife; two daughters, Mrs. David 
Dixon of Austin and Mrs. Ike Billings of Del Rio; five sisters; 
Mrs. Russell Haney and Miss Myrtle Harwell, both of Roscoe,
Mrs. Floyd Modgling of Bronte, Mrs. Roe Williams of Odessa and 
Mrs. Ernest Buford of McCamey; and four grandchildren.        

Pallbearers will be Bert Blaylock, T. F. Sims Jr., A. Z. Denman, 
Clarence Arrott, Lake Smith, W. J. Martin, Collins Sayner and 
Robert Forman.  Members of the Baptist Men's Bible Class will 
be honorary pallbearers. 

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