Montague Co., TX - Newspapers - Saint Jo Tribune: Friday, June 23, 1939 ****************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Anita Emberlin USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ****************************************************** The Saint Jo Tribune Saint Jo, Montague County, Texas Friday, June 23, 1939 Two More Big Fires Within 25 Mile Radius of Saint Jo An estimated loss of $30,000 to $35,000 was sustained when a fire lasted several hours in the Ringgold business district last Thursday. The blaze was extinguished only with help form the fire departments of Henrietta, Bowie, Nocona and Ryan, Oklahoma. The other fire was in Muenster. Miss Giles Wins Valued Prize MISS MARGARET GILES, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. E. GILES of here, received Thursday a $15 electric oscillating fan as first prize in a naming contest on the Woman’s World radio program. Miss Giles sent in on a penny card the name “Laureate Legacy” for a favorite frozen desert of the poet laureate of Texas. MISS EHTEL BROWNING Graduates from School of Nursing MISS ETHEL BROWNING, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H. BROWNING of Route No. 2 of Saint Jo, was among the graduates of the Wichita General Hospital School of Nursing at Wichita Falls. Bowie Couple Drown MISS VIVIAN LEWELLEN, 18 year old Bowie girl, and her fiancé, LAWRENCE EDGIN, 20, were drowned Thursday night June 15, in Lake Bowie. Two companions, WENDELL MCCLOUD, 22, and MISS LOLA BELL JACKSON, 21, were rescued by a fishing party as they clung to the life preservers after the boat overturned about 9:45. The accident occurred when McCloud, driving, made a right turn and the boat shipped water. The other couple jumped and the boat rocked back suddenly throwing all into the water. Life savers were tossed to the drowning couple but they were too excited to use it. Two men fishing on the lake shore about 150 yards away from the site pulled Miss Jackson and McCloud to safety. ROBERT E. MCMURRAY ROBERT E. MCMURRAY was born December 3, 1864 at Clayton, Alabama. His mother died when he was only three weeks old. He moved to Mount Pleasant, Texas in 1871 at the age of 7 years where his father died three years later. In 1882, he came to Montague County where he farmed until 1906 when he moved to Saint Jo. Part of the time between 1906 and 1916 he operated a cotton yard, part of the time he operated a dray line business and was agent for the Gulf Oil Co. in connection with the dray business. He married MARTHA ANN STOUT December 11, 1889 at Montague. In 1916 he moved to Knox City and from there to Dallas in 1925 where he has lived continuously since 1925. Mr. McMurray joined the church in 1895 and at the time of his death, was a member of the Tyler Street Methodist Church in Dallas. He was active in church work until a few years ago. He is survived by his wife; two brothers, JOE MCMURRAY of Dallas and J. F. MCMURRAY of Fresno, California; one sister MRS. REBECCA DONALDSON of Talco; two daughters MRS. JAMES D. BELLAH of Saint Jo and EUNICE MCMURRAY of Dallas; three sons, GROVER C. and JOLLY JL of Grapevine, and ALLEN E. MCMURRAY of Dallas, and twelve grandchildren. Those who attended the funeral from Saint Jo were MRS. JAMES D. BELLAH, who has been at his bedside for the past three weeks; his grandchildren MARY ELLEN, GORDON and ROY WAYNE BELLAH; and P. D. MORRIS, MISS MARIE MCMURRAY, a grandchild of Illinois Bend. MRS. EMMA RHONE BELCHER Friends in Saint Jo and Illinois Bend will be sorry to hear of the death of MRS. J. RICHARD BELCHER, 67, formerly EMMA RHONE, daughter of Captain and Mrs. T. J. RHONE. Mrs. Belcher was stricken with paralysis in February and at the time, her only sister MRS. JOE T. BURGHER of Dallas who was visiting her cousin, MRS. A. J. FRANKLIN in Saint Jo, was called to her bedside. Mrs. Franklin received a telegram Saturday stating that Mrs. Belcher had passed away Saturday in Los Angeles, California. Mrs. Belcher is survived by her sister MRS. BURGHER, one daughter MRS. LAWRENCE BIAS of Dallas and one son TOM of Los Angeles. Mrs. Belcher was born at Illinois Bend and lived there and at Saint Jo until a few years ago after her marriage here. She attended Saint Jo High School when the school was located at the site of the present T. E. GILES home. She attended Central College at Sulphur Springs in 1899 then Polytechnic College in 1890. (dates don’t match) MRS. MARY E. BRANDON MRS. MARY E. BRANDON, a resident of Saint Jo until the beginning of this century, died Tuesday June 20 at her home in Waurika, Oklahoma, where she had lived since leaving Saint Jo. Mrs. Brandon had many friends in Saint Jo. Her husband W. F. BRANDON preceded her in death by several years. Her daughters MRS. R. L. SHULTZ of Brownville and MRS. TURNELL of Sulphur, Oklahoma and her sons BILL and CECIL BRANDON of near Waurika were all present at her death. Fifteen of her nineteen grandchildren were at the funeral This information was received at the Tribune office Thursday afternoon given by Mrs. Brandon’s son-in-law R. L. SHULTZ who is with the Immigration and Naturalization Service at Brownsville. Mr. Shultz subscribed to the Tribune as he said it served as a letter from home. 30 Years Ago in the Tribune MISS NANNIE PEERY is visiting in Fort Worth. P. E. WAID and family of Bonita visited relatives in Saint Jo. W. H. WALKER had business at Gainesville. T. J. EASON had business at Gainesville. MISS FAY BELLAH will be one of the teachers at the Mrya school for the next term. R. J. ALLEN and wife of Dye Mound visited their son J. T. ALLEN and his family here. MRS. W. F. HORTON and children of Fort Worth are here to visit her sister MRS. W. E. BELLAH. MRS. E. F. ROSS and son EDWARD left to visit her sister MRS. J. B. RINKLE at Frederick, Oklahoma. A.PARSONS of Bonita and daughter MRS. SADIE HOLLAND of Grady, New Mexico, who is visiting her parents, visited DR. J. G. CRUMP and family in Saint Jo. LUKE GRANT returned home to Nocona. MISS LUDIE DESPAIN was re-elected as kindergarten teacher in the Saint Jo school while MISS LILLIE DESPAIN will again have charge of the music class. MRS. R. DICKERSON, whose home is with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. W. F. LANDERS near Hardy, took the train for Wetumka, Oklahoma to visit another daughter and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. WALTER HALE who live there. Illinois Bend The following left for the grain harvest in West Texas: LEONARD HALL, FLOYD HARRIS, CARL WILSON, DAY THOMPSON, WELDON FRANKLIN, LAWRENCE HUTCHINSON, FOSTER WHALEY and OTHA WHALEY. Mr. and Mrs. RAY DOWD returned home after visiting relatives in Fletcher and Cyril, Oklahoma. DELORES and JARVIS DEAN SHIFLETT accompanied them to Fletcher after spending the week with their sister MRS. DOWD.