Southampton-Isle of Wight County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Edwards, Thomas G., 1936 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ THOMAS GARLAND EDWARDS AND JUNIUS OVERBY Two Die In Train-Truck Crash as Crossing At Carrsville Franklin, April 19 - (Special) - Thomas G. Edwards, aged 33, who resided near Franklin, was instantly killed, and his companion, Junius Overby, aged 19, who lived near Courtland, was fatally injured this morning about 10 o’clock when the truck in which they were riding was struck by a fast east- bound Seaboard Air Line passenger train at the crossing at Carrsville. Edwards and Overby were headed toward Suffolk with Edwards driving at the time of the accident. Edwards’ mangled and lifeless body was picked up some distance from the crossing. Overby was brought hurriedly to Raiford Hospital here, where he died at 11:30 o’clock without having regained consciousness. He also had been thrown clear of the truck. The truck was demolished, and the electric crossing signal was torn from its base by the impact. Persons in Carrsville said the signal was working as usual at the time of the accident. According to Sol W. Rawls, of Franklin, distributor for the Gulf Refining Company here, for whom Edwards had worked as a truck driver for about eight years, the truck had been taken for the trip without his knowledge. Sergt. E.O. Forbes investigated the accident. VICTIMS UNMARRIED Both men were unmarried. Edwards, known to his friends as "Hambone" was popular throughout Southampton County. He was a son of B. Frank and Mrs. Billie Whitley Edwards, of the Franklin community, and is survived by five sisters, Mrs. James Hill, of Boykins, and Misses Gracie, Jessie and Ruth Edwards, of Franklin; and three brothers, James Frank, William and Hurley Edwards, all of Franklin. Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 o’clock at the Franklin Baptist Church by the Rev. Floyd P. Davis, assisted by the Rev. R.D. Stephenson. Burial will be in Poplar Spring cemetery here. Overby was a son of Charles Davis Overby and Mrs. Mary Jane Overby, of Courtland. Besides his parents, he is survived by five sisters, Mrs. Addie Sue Fuller, of Richmond; Mrs. Gertrude Overby, of Branchville; Mrs. Alice Cutchins, of Courtland, and Misses Myrtle and Cornelia Overby, of Courtland, and five brothers, Joseph T. Overby, and Paul David Overby, of Richmond, and George C. Thomas and Marvin Dudley Overby, of Courtland. Funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 3 o’clock at the grave in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland, by the Rev. A.W. Roten. Active pallbearers will be William Drake, Wilbur and Edwards Bass, David Kitchen, and James and Willis Cooke. ****************************************************************************** THOMAS GARLAND EDWARDS AND JUNIUS OVERBY TWO MEN DIE AS TRUCK COLLIDES WITH FAST TRAIN Thomas G. Edwards, 33, of Franklin and Junius Overby, 19 of Courtland, are Killed Sunday morning at Carrsville Grade Crossing. - BODIES THROWN MANY FEET FROM CROSSING Two Southampton County men were killed last Sunday morning about 10 o’clock when the truck in which they were riding was in collision with a through Seaboard Airline passenger train at the Carrsville grade crossing in Isle of Wight County a few miles from here, Thomas G. Edwards, 33 year old Franklin resident apparently dying instantly, while his companion, Junius Overby, 19, of the Courtland community, lived until around 11:30 at Raiford Hospital here. The vehicle, driven by Edwards, was the property of the Gulf Refining Company distributing plant here, where he had been employed for the past several years. The men were not on a business trip, and were apparently headed for Suffolk in the light one and one-half Ford delivery truck when they were struck by the fast train, which does not stop at Carrsville, the truck being dragged down the track several yards and reduced to a heap of twisted wreckage, while the bodies of the men were thrown clear of the truck for many feet. Both men died of head injuries, Edwards’ head having been practically severed from his body, Overby only partially responding to treatment at the hospital, where he was brought within a few minutes of the smash. The force with which the truck was pushed aside and carried down the tracks was attested by a solid concrete signal control box near the crossing, which was rooted from its base into the air. The signal post was not harmed. Carrsville people who were witnesses to the accident said that the signals were working as usual when the train approached the crossing. Funeral Rites for Victims Funeral services for Edwards were conducted from the Franklin Baptist Church Monday afternoon at 4:30 o’clock by Rev. Floyd P. Davis, his pastor, assisted by Rev. R.D. Stephenson of the local church, burial being made in Poplar Spring Cemetery here. Mr. Edwards, familiarly known as "Hambone," was generally popular in the community, was a member of Sycamore Baptist Church and a member of the local Holly Camp No. 18, Woodmen of the World. He was a son of B. Frank and Mrs. Lillie Whitley Edwards of the community and is survived by five sisters: Mrs. James Hill of Boykins, and Misses Gracie, Jessie, Ruth and Jennie Edwards of Franklin; three brothers; James Frank, William and Hurley Edwards of Franklin, two nephews and one niece. Pallbearers were: Paul F. Rose, T.R. Pierce, George Watkins, R.I. Beale, John E. Beale, Clifford A. Cutchins, Jr., W.O. Modlin and Burnett Johnson of Capron. Overby, known to his friends as "Dick," was a son of Charles Davis Overby and Mrs. Mary Jane Overby of the Courtland community. Besides his parents he is survived by five sisters: Mrs. Addie Sue Fuller of Richmond, Mrs. Gertrude Overby of Branchville, Mrs. Alice Cutchins of Courtland, and Misses Myrtle and Cornelia Overby of the Courtland community; five brothers: Joseph T. Overby and Paul David Overby of Richmond and George C. Thomas and Marvin Dudley Overby of the Courtland community. Funeral services were conducted Monday afternoon at 3 o’clock by Rev. A.W. Roten at the grave in Riverside Cemetery, Courtland, young Mr. Overby being a member of the Courtland M.E. Church. Pallbearers were William Drake, Willmar Bass, Edwards Bass, David Kitchen, Ryland Edwards, Clinton Edwards, Robert Bradshaw and Godwin Kitchen. The following young ladies acted as flowerbearers: Miss Bonnie Holcomb, Rainey Blythe, Stella Blythe, Lola Blythe, Margaret Blythe, Virginia Kitchen, Eula Bass and Doris Holcomb. Thomas Garland "Tommie" "Hambone" EDWARDS, of Franklin, Gulf Refining Co. employee, truck struck by train, 19 Apr 1936, Carrsville, d. instantly, age 33, interred in Poplar Spring Cemetery (Annex 2, Plot 51/52*), Franklin, 20 Apr 1936, "The Virginian-Pilot" (Norfolk, VA), Apr. 20, 1936, p. 14; "The Tidewater News" (Franklin, VA), Apr. 24, 1936, p. 1 *His parents are also buried there. Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Poplar Spring list: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/psanx2.txt Additional information: His father's obit ("Tidewater News," Apr. 30, 1937, p. 4) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/e363b4ob.txt His mother's obit ("Tidewater News," Mar. 2, 1945, p. 5), with their marriage record appended, is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/e363l8ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/e363t3ob.txt