1946 Jan 3: Thomas R Kirkland, 55, died at the family home in East DeFuniak Saturday afternoon,
Dec 29 1945 from a bullet wound thought to be self inflicted. Mr Kirkland was a veteran of
of WWI. Survivors are Mrs Kirkland 2 daughters, Mrs Bobbie Jean Burgess, wife of Sgt.
Adga Burgess were on honeymoon in New York; and MissBetty Kirkland; 2 sons,
John & Dave Kirkland. Services were held Monday with interment at Magnolia cemetery.
Olive Jenks Murphy 86, widow of Marion A Murphy died Dec 28. Mrs Murphy was born
in Terre Haute, Ind, Sep 2 1859. Her father was Daniel Jenks, born in New York State and
her mother was Margaret Braden born in Virginia. Her father died, leaving mother to sup-
port 2 small children. Later her mother married Alfred Thomas, of Kentucky. Marion & Olive
were married in 1879, moved to St Louis, Mo til coming to DeFuniak some 40 yrs ago.
Marion died in 1920. Olive is survived by Mrs Edith Bundy, Mrs F W Huf and son Francis
Marion Murphy, 5 grandsons, 5 gr daughters and 18 gr grands. Services were held Sunday
With interment in Magnolia. (article names all grand- children)
Mrs W A Underwood passed away at her home on Dec 13 1945. She was born in Dale Co, Ala.
She was Miss Minnie Lee Kennedy before her marriage to William Anderson Underwood in
1887. In 1900 they moved from Dothan to Glendale where they lived for more than 35 yrs.
Survivors are her husband, 3 sons, J L, B G & Burl Underwood; 4 daughters Mrs J H Laird,
Mrs Larry Stein, Mrs A W Dannelley and Mrs Jack Bodiford.
Miss Mary Butler Kennedy d/o Mr & Mrs J J Kennday & Lt Thomas Joseph Smart s/o
Mrs Ellon Wales Smart and the late Mr Smart of Cincinnati, Oh married on Jan 12 1946.
1946 Jan 10: Mrs Charlotte Adeline Cawthon, widow of the late John Cawthon whose death
occurred Tuesday at the Pensacola Hospital will be held Thursday at Steele church.
Survivors are 2 sons, Dudley & Dawson Cawthon, daughter, Mrs Lois Hetherington,
Brother Tom Steele, 2 sisters Mrs W A Woodham of DeFuniak, and Mrs A W Woodham
of Andalusia.
E R McKee 71, the South’s first forest ranger died in Pensacola today of heart ailment.
In 1909 McKee was assigned to Choctawhatchee National Forest and he retired after
22 yrs of service as a ranger in 1934, because of disabilities suffered while fighting
forest fires.
Mrs J Z Mayo died at her home in Ponce de Leon on Saturday Jan 5. Services were
Held Monday from the Baptist Church in Ponce de Leon. Surviving are her husband,
J Z Mayo, 3 sons, Curtis M, Dewey, & Broward; 7 daughters, Mrs Annie Lou Hardwick,
Mrs Ola M Evans, Mrs Mary Lee Sockett, Lillie Mae Mayo, Mrs Gladys M Cook, Mrs
Lynette West, Mrs Winifred Smith; one brother Mr John Sutton, 3 sisters, Mrs Nancy
Padgett, Mrs Lou Matthews & Mrs Sarah Ward, 14 grandchildren & 1 gr grand.
Mr G D King 70, died from pneumonia Jan 4 in the Highland Baptist hospital in
Birmingham, Ala. He is survived by his wife, Mrs Willie Maud King, 3 sons, Hercules,
David and Gilbert King; 8 daughters, Mrs Jack Griffin, Mrs J M McNabb, Mrs T A
Gordy, Jr, Mrs C B Clark, Mrs W C Morris, Mrs J P Tart, W A V E June King, Cadet
Nurse Joan King. Also 3 step children Eulon Howell, Mrs Herman Roney, Mr Leroy
Howell. Services were held Sunday at the home, interment at Perry Grove Cem, near
Samson.
Mrs Mary Jane Bryan, widow of the late John A Bryan, died at her home Friday Jan 4.
Born near Dothan Ala in 1878 she lived in DeFuniak for past 18 yrs, she was 67 yrs.
Funeral held from home Monday with burial in Steele Cemetery. Survivors son Jesse
Franklin Turberville, 3 daughters, Mrs Claudie Lolly, Sella Pullum and Miss Ester
Turberville; 5 brothers and 5 sisters.
John Edward Bowers, a lifelong resident of Walton Co died at his home on Alaqua,
Friday, Jan 4. Mr Bowers was 75 yrs of age. Services were held at Steele church on
Sunday, and interment was made in the church yard cemetery. Survivors include 2
Sons, Charles E and Lt James C Bowers; a daughter Mrs Hardy B Crawford, and
7 grand children.
1946 Jan 17: Grady Theron Davis T M II declared dead. Mr & Mrs B M Davis received notice
from Secretary of the Navy that their son is presumed dead. He was a torpedo-man
aboard the submarine “Pickerel” that failed to return from patrol in the West Pacific
in August 1945. (picture)
Edward D Brownell died at home of John A Gillis, Ponce de Leon Sunday. He was
a native of Holmes Co and was 87 yrs old. Funeral Monday from Camp Ground Church
with interment following at Camp Ground Cemetery.
Eugene W Faircloth died at home Thursday Jan 10. He was a native of Georgia and had
lived here all most all his life. He was 50 yrs old and veteran of WWI. Services held on
Sunday from residence of Mrs Gertrude Lodge Cooper, interment at Magnolia with
Military honors.
Joe Arrington, son of Mr & Mrs Bob Arrington was killed near Jacksonville on Tuesday
having been struck by a pile driving machine. He is survived by a widow and son Joe, Jr.
his parents and one sister, Mrs Alyne (Kenneth) Smith. The body will be brought here.
Services will be held Sunday, with interment in Magnolia.
Mrs Eva Raley died at the home of her daughter, Mrs Lulu Evans on Monday Jan 14. She
was born in Alabama in 1855, she was 90 yrs and had lived in DeFuniak for 45 yrs. Mrs
Raley is survived by one son, Mr Angle, 2 daughters Lulu Evans & Mrs Gainey. Services
were held Tuesday at the Baptist Church, with interment at Magnolia.
Wm Lee Cawthon, died Wednesday. Born March 2 1864 near Paxton, the son of late
Mr & Mrs Murray & Mary Cawthon. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Lucy Ellis,
by several years and by his youngest son Landrum Cawthon who died abt 4 yrs ago.
Survivors include 2 sons, Howard & Dr Wm Davis Cawthon, 2 gr children Sarah Catharine
& Landrum Cawthon Jr; one Sister Mrs Mary Lou Turner and 4 brothers, Buruss, Dr Frank I,
T Hope, and Walter Cawthon. Funeral services are Thursday (Today) at the Presbyterian church.
Mrs Elsie Brannon Newman died at her home Wednesday with the funeral services this
morning, Thursday at Baptist church at Ponce de Leon.
William Lincoln Mathews died Wednesday Dec 19, 1945. He was born in Storington
County, Ontario, Canada on Apr 9 1865 was was united in marriage to Eva Charolet
Robinson on Sep 14 1887. This was a pioneer family in Western Canada, then the
family moved to Florida in 1910 being residents of Walton ever since. He leaves
one son, G F Mathews and wife, 5 gr children, and one daughter Ruby who stayed with
him in the home.
FAMILY REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT – 1946 Jan 24: Harrison family reunion. The 13 children of Mr & Mrs Sam Harrison gathered at
the family home near Darlington on Sunday. The 11 sons and 2 daughters with their
families enjoyed dinner. Mr & Mrs Harrison are each 67 yrs old.
WEDDING: Miss Edna Shuler d/o Mr & Mrs Gary Shuler became the bride of MSgt Thomas Franklin
Nelson Jr s/o Mr & Mrs T F Nelson of Culpepper, Va on Tuesday at the chapel of the
Orlando Army Air Base.
1946 Jan 31: Robert E L McCaskill Tuesday Jan 29 at the age of 74 yrs, his birth date being
June 4 1871. The eldest of the children of J J & Sarah Elizabeth McCaskill he was born
near Euchee Valley church. Mr McCaskill was married to Miss Florence Griffin on
September 18 1895 at Methodist Church in DeFuniak. Mrs McCaskill and 3 daughters
Survive. The only son Harold died from injuries received in auto accident some 3 yrs
ago. The daughters are Mrs Margaret Paulson, Mrs Angeline Levy, and Miss Evelyn
McCaskill. Three grandaughters Charlene Levy, Adelaide & Susanne McCaskill and
a daughter in law, Mrs Harold McCaskill, sisters Mrs D W Burke, Mrs W O Campbell
and Mrs W I Stinson and brother J J McCaskill. Services were held Wednesday with
interment in Magnolia.
Alton Hurley, s/o Mr & Mrs Walter Hurley was fatally burned on Friday, Jan 25, when
his nightgown ignited from heater and lived until Saturday. Services were Sunday at the
home and interment was made in Magnolia.
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENT: R L Sikes, 3rd District Representative proposed an bill for further reparation to the families
who were so sorely bereft when a saturation bomb was accidentally dropped during a night
bombing operation at Eglin Field on Aug 11, 1944. The families were awarded $29,000.
with Sikes’ bill an additional payment would be $3,000 to estate of James M Cosson; $3,000
to estate of Winnie Cosson, $3,000 to estate of James M Cosson Jr, all deceased, $2,500 to
Mrs James Cosson; $2,000 to guardian of Thomas Cosson, $3,000 to the guardian of Franklin
D Cosson, $4,000 to Mrs Pearl Cosson, $4,000 to the guardian of I D Cosson.
John A Van Deman of Benzonia, Michigan, a former resident of this place was received
this week. Mr Van Deman and his 2 sisters, Misses Alyce & Harriett spent several
winters here, the sisters preceded their brother in death, no relatives known as none
of the trio had ever been married.
Contributed by Lois Danley and Sharon Watson