Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Gay, C. Rufus, 1938 

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RUFUS GAY 

RUFUS GAY, 16, KILLED SUDDENLY 

Steering Gear Locks Rounding Curve Near Old Whitehead Home

  Tragedy again Saturday night visited the home of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Gay, 
who lived in Nansemond County on Rt. 4 near Zuni taking the life of their son, 
Rufus, aged 16.

  Rufus Gay was a member of a party of six young men and boys riding in a 
truck driven by Herbert Floyd Gay, of Driver, also aged 16, when on a side 
road between Longview in Isle of Wight County and the Suffolk-Smithfield 
Highway at 11 o'clock Saturday night, the truck failed to make the curve and 
turned over, crushing Rufus Gay and causing almost instant death.

  Johnny Griggs, 15, of Windsor sustained serious injuries and is now under 
treatment at Lakeview Hospital for a fractured arm, dislocated shoulder, cuts, 
bruises and shock.

  Other member of the party were Oliver Stanley of Smithfield, 16; Clyde 
Griggs of Windsor, 21, and Richard Griggs, of Myrtle, 32, who escaped with 
slight injuries.

  According to the account given by Herbert Gay, the steering gear of the 
truck locked and the vehicle failed to round the curve, causing the accident.

  Rufus Gay sustained a crushed chest and internal injuries.

  The accident was investigated by State Traffic Officer Hubbard of Suffolk 
and the body was viewed by Dr. Rea Parker, coroner of Smithfield.

THREE BURNED TO DEATH

  Rufus Gay was a member of a family who a few years ago were victims of a 
tragedy which claimed three members, two daughters and a grandchild, Mrs. 
Lucille Gay Pittman, her infant child and Miss Ellen Gay, having been burned 
to death in the home at Zuni.

  Rufus Gay is survived by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Clarence T. [sic; H.] 
Gay; a sister, Miss Ethel Gay, four brothers, Silas Mack, Homer, B.P. and 
Milton R. Gay, all of Nansemond County and several aunts and uncles.

  The body was taken to the funeral home of I.O. Hill & Co., and funeral 
services were conducted at 3:30 o'clock by the Rev. H.C. Crutchfield assisted 
by the Rev. R.P. Downey at Antioch Christian Church.  Burial was in the church 
cemetery.


Clarence Rufus GAY, truck driver, 
son of Clarence H. & Odie Blanche (GRIGGS) GAY, 
b. 22 Jun 1921, Isle of Wight Co., d. 19 Feb 1938, near Long View, IoW.Co., 
interred in Antioch Christian Church Cemetery*, near Windsor, 
"The Smithfield (VA) Times," Vol. 18, No. 48, Feb. 24, 1938, p. 1, col. 2-7 

*Additional information: 

Unmarked? Not on Isle of Wight County Historical Society {IWCHS} 
   Grave Site Survey Task Force {GSSTF} Antioch list (#20): 
   http://www.iwchs.com/Cemetery-Reports.html 

Birthdate &c. from D.Cert. #4278 (Newport #6); the informant was his father. 

It is hard to account for the mentions of Nansemond Co. - no part of which is 
   near Zuni- except that their address was Suffolk R.F.D. 

The family appears in the 1940 Census on Hwy. 646, Hardy Dist. (e.d. 47-3), 
   Isle of Wight Co., and they resided at the same place in 1935. 

The article ("Smithfield Times," Dec. 28, 1933) on the fire that killed 
   Rufus' sisters Elsie {not Ellen} & Lucille and his infant nephew, 
   12:30 a.m., 23 Dec 1933, is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/p355l1ob.txt 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
Carolyn Keen (VAHistoricHouses@aol.com) & 
Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), 
and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/isleofwight/obits/g000r3ob.txt