Selected Webster County Obituaries
Surnames Skeen to Slaton
The Providence Journal-Enterprise
1948 - 1961
Oscar W. SKEEN, 35, his wife Mary, 24, and their daughter, Sandra, 3, were killed instantly shortly before 8 o'clock Monday night when the car in which they were riding was struck by another car. The crash occurred on U.S. 41 near Slover church about four miles south of Dixon. The Skeens were enroute in a small Crosley automobile to their home at Cedar Lake, Ind., from Madisonville where they had been visiting his father and stepmother, Mr. and Mrs. O.C. Skeen. Driver of the other car, a 1941 Ford, was J.B. BARNETT, 28, Providence. He was treated at Cardwell's Clinic for a back injury and laceration of the forehead and cheek, and was dismissed Wednesday at noon. Testimony of a resident of the neighborhood at an inquest conducted Tuesday afternoon by Coroner J. Murray BLUE indicated that a noise like that of a tire blowout was heard just before the sound of the collision. However, Barnett, Coroner Blue said, testified that his tire did not blow out. Verdict of the coroner's jury was that each of the deaths was due to "auto accident caused by J.B. Barnett being on wrong side of road". A broken neck and internal injuries caused the death of Mr. Skeen, according to the coroner's report, that of Mrs. Skeen was caused by crushed chest and internal injuries, and of the child by fractured skull and internal injuries. Coroner Blue said charges would be preferred against Barnett in the three deaths. The bodies were brought to Melton Funeral Home in Providence and were taken from there to Reid Funeral Home in Earlington Tuesday afternoon to be moved later to the father's home in Madisonville. In addition to the father and stepmother, Mr. Skeen is survived by a sister, Mrs. Bee BURG; and three brothers, Oliver, Clint and Gilbert. Only name available of Mrs. Skeen's survivors was that of her father, Joe COMLIE, of Louisiana. Funeral for the three crash victims is to be held at 2:30 this afternoon in Grapevine Christian church, near Madisonville, with the Rev. Charlie PAGE officiating. Burial will be in Grapevine cemetery.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, March 23, 1950. Compiler's note: Oscar W. Skeen is noted as a World War II veteran on his stone in Grapevine Cemetery in Madisonville.
Mrs. Amy SKINNER, 71, of Clay, daughter of the late Ben Hugh and Sarah Skinner, died at 6 p.m. Sunday in an Evansville hospital where she was taken Tuesday of last week following a fall at her home. Mrs. Skinner was a member of Clay First Baptist Church and a charter member of the Builders Sunday School class. Surviving are the husband, O.M. Skinner; two sisters, Mrs. Emma CRAYNE of Norwalk Calif., and Mrs. C.D. HENDRIX of Evansville; and nieces and nephews. Funeral services were held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Franklin and Edwards Funeral Home, with Dr. C.O. SIMPSON officiating, assisted by the Rev. G.R. ABERNATHY. Pallbearers were Kelly HEARON, N.C. HAMMACK, Alton VAUGHN, T.R. POWELL, J.L. MAHAN, and Frank FORTENBERRY. Burial was in the city cemetery in Clay. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, April 22, 1954.
Mrs. America Josephine SKINNER, 88, formerly of Clay, died at 3:15 a.m. Friday in the home of her daughter, Mrs. C.E. ROTH, and Mr. Roth in Evansville, following a lingering illness. Mrs. Skinner was born and reared in Webster county and spent most of her life in the county, having lived in the same house on West Elm street in Clay for forty-one years, until the home was destroyed by fire about four years ago. During most of the last four years Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have lived in Evansville with Mr. and Mrs. Roth. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner celebrated their sixty-fourth wedding anniversary in August, 1945. Mrs. Skinner was a member of the Presbyterian church at Lisman. Surviving are the husband, J.A. Skinner; one son, O.M. Skinner of Clay; three daughters, Mrs. Kathryn MCCARTHY of Phoenix, Ariz., Mrs. C.E. Roth and Miss Myrta Skinner of Evansville; two sisters, Mrs. Ed Price of Providence, and Mrs. Lou Jenkins of Caruthersville, Mo.; ten grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. The body was taken to Franklin Funeral Home in Clay Friday morning and funeral services were conducted there at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon. Dr. C.O. SIMPSON officiated. Pallbearers were W.W. JOHNSON, N.C. HAMMACK, C.E. SMITH, J.L. MAHAN, Frank FORTENBERY, and Carl CURRY. Burial was in I.O.O.F. cemetery, Clay.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, January 24, 1946.
Ben SKINNER, 78, prominent farmer and landowner, died at 4 p.m. Thursday at his home near Providence after having been ill only eight hours. A lifelong resident of this section, he was a son of the late Robert Thomas and Delaney CURRY Skinner. He was married on February 6, 1904 to Miss Rosie GIVENS. He was a member of Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. Survivors are the wife; a son, James T. Skinner, Providence; four daughters, Mrs. Pearl PROW of Dawson Springs, Miss Mamie Francis Skinner of Louisville, Mrs. Ruby STEWART of Russellville, and Mrs. Blanche TROYAN, Cincinnati, Ohio; ten grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Funeral services were held at 7 p.m. Friday at Melton Funeral Home, with the Rev. Carl HARKINS officiating. The body was taken to Louisville for cremation.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, May 29, 1952.
Mrs. Burah SKINNER, 65, was found dead in bed Wednesday morning by
Mrs. Charlie THRELKELD in whose home in Wheatcroft she lived. She
appeared to have been dead for several hours. The verdict of an
inquest conducted by Coroner Herman VAUGHN was that death was caused
by a heart attack. Mrs. Skinner had suffered attacks previously.
Survivors are two sons, Charlie CLARK of Wheatcroft, and Audrey Clark
of Kevil; a brother T.H. LAND, Memphis, Tenn.; and ten grandchildren.
Mrs. Skinner was a member of the Baptist church at Diamond. Funeral
services will be held at the Union church in Wheatcroft at 2 p.m.
Friday, with the Rev. J.R. KING in charge, assisted by the Rev. Rupert
UTLEY. Burial will be in the Tosh cemetery, near Repton.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, September 10, 1942.
Funeral services for James A. SKINNER, 90, former Clay man, were held at 3 p.m. Friday at Franklin and Hunt Funeral Home in Clay. Dr. C.O. SIMPSON officiated and burial was in I.O.O.F. cemetery, Clay. Mr. Skinner died Thursday morning at the home of his daughter, Mrs. C.E. ROTH, in Evansville. He had suffered a stroke several days earlier. He was born and reared in Webster county and spent most of his life in the Clay section before going to Evansville two years ago. Surviving are a son, O.M. Skinner, Clay; three daughters, Mrs. Roth and Miss Myrta Skinner, of Evansville, and Mrs. Kate McCARTHY, Phoenix, Ariz.; ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, August 17, 1950.
James T. SKINNER, 74, of Clay, died at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday of last week in Cardwell's Clinic in Providence following a heart attack suffered at his home a few hours earlier. Surviving are three sons, Alta, of Valparaiso, Ind., George Hugh, of Lake Park, Fla., and A.L. Skinner, Cincinnati, Ohio; three sisters, Mrs. O.M. Skinner, of Clay, Mrs. C.D. HENDRIX, of Evansville, and Mrs. Emma CRAYNE, of Norwalk, Calif.; and five grandchildren. Mr. Skinner was a member of the First Baptist church in Clay. Funeral services were held at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Franklin and Hunt Funeral Home in Clay, with Dr. C.O. SIMPSON officiating, assisted by the Rev. Troy G. ROBBINS, pastor of First Baptist church, Clay, and the Rev. E.G. SISK, of Diamond. Burial was in I.O.O.F. cemetery in Clay.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, August 25, 1949.
C.J. SKIPPER, 54, for twenty-nine years a resident of Providence until two years ago, died at 12 o'clock Tuesday night in his home in Madisonville as the result of a heart ailment. He had been in ill health for some time and in August underwent examinations at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He was seriously ill for a week. Mr. Skipper was born in April 1891 near Atlanta, Ga., and came to Providence in 1914. For many years he operated a garage business here. He was in business in Madisonville until he disposed ot it because of his health several months ago. He was a member of Elks, Odd Fellows, and Rebekah lodges. Survivors are the wife; two sons, Calvin Skipper, Madisonville, and Sgt. Douglas Skipper, Camp Carson, Colo.; one daughter, Miss Mary Lee Skipper, Washington, D.C.; a brother, B.F. Skipper, Pensacola, Fla.; and a sister, Mrs. Edward REICH, Atlanta, Ga. The body is at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen MELTON in Providence where funeral services will be held at a time to be designated after arrival of the son and daughter. It is probable that services will be Saturday. The Rev. J. Edward CAYCE, pastor of Madisonville First Christian church, will officiate, and burial will be in Lakeview cemetery. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, December 6, 1945. Compiler's note: the following additional details were provided in the next issue of the newspaper: Funeral services were held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Melton in Providence. Members of Oriental Lodge No. 99, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Madisonville, conducted rites at the cemetery. Pallbearers were J.W. POWELL, James HOOVER, M.B. BROWN, Clyde ALLINDER, Luther GIVENS, and P.C. MOSS, members of the lodge. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, December 13, 1945.
Mrs. Doll SKIPPER, 50, widow of the late C.J. Skipper, died suddenly at 9 a.m. Wednesday in Poole. She had gone to town from her home near Poole and when she complained of being ill was taken into the home of Mr. and Mrs. L.L. STRUM where she died. Mrs. Skipper lived in Providence until a few years ago. Surviving are two sons, Calvin, who returned to Australia following the war and married and remained there, and Douglas, of Nashville, Tenn.; a daughter, Miss Mary Lee Skipper, Providence; mother, Mrs. Nora BRACKETT, Poole; a sister, Mrs. Vera KOESTNER, Staten Island, N.Y.; and two brothers, Ruby Brackett, Morganfield, and W.W. (Buster) Brackett, Corydon. The body is in Melton Funeral Home in Providence. Funeral arrangements had not been made at press time.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, December 2, 1948.
Mrs. Ada Mary SLATON, 81, Slaughters Route 2, died at 11:45 p.m. Friday in her home after a year's illness. Surviving are a son, Clifton Slaton, Slaughters Route 2; two grandchildren, Mrs. C.E. PARKS and Richard Slaton, Madisonville; a great-grandchild; sister, Mrs. Roland CRABTREE, Hanson Route 1; and two brothers, Richard BROWN and Smith Brown, Hanson Route 1. Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Methodist Church in Slaughters, with the pastor, the Rev. T.H. PICKERILL, officiating. Burial was in Slaughters cemetery.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, February 25, 1954.
John T. SLATON, 72, retired Union county farmer and father of Joe
Slaton, former Providence resident, died Wednesday, Dec. 24, at his
home in the Pride community near Sturgis. Funeral services were at 2
p.m. Friday in Salem church, with burial in Pythian Ridge cemetery,
Sturgis. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, January 1, 1942.
Lawrence SLATON, 75, died in his home in Slaughters Friday morning after a lingering illness. Survivors are the wife, Mrs. Alice
Slaton; son Kenton Slaton of Evansville; and a daughter Miss Eula Slaton of Slaughters. Funeral services were conducted at
2 p.m. Saturday in Slaughters Methodist church with the Rev. L.F. PIERCEY officiating, assisted by the Rev. J.E. HARTFORD.
Burial was in Slaughters cemetery. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, May 24, 1945.
Mrs. Margaret COX SLATON, 84, formerly of Providence, died Tuesday night in her apartment in a hotel in Greenville where she made her home. Mrs. Slaton, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. William F. Cox, was born and reared in Providence. She was the widow of Dr. Henry Slaton, who died a number of years ago. She was a member of the Christian church in Greenville. Only survivors are two nieces, Miss Cora Alleen Cox and Miss Elizabeth Cox, Providence. A funeral service was held at 10 a.m. Thursday in Greenville, after which the body was brought to Melton Funeral Home in Providence where services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Harold GIBBS officiating. Burial will be in Big Hill cemetery. Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, December 28, 1951.
Mrs. Nannie BARNHILL SLATON, died Saturday afternoon at her home in Hemet, Calif., following an illness of a week,
according to a telegram received by her brother D.L. Barnhill.
Funeral and burial were held in Hemet Tuesday morning. Mrs. Slaton
was the youngest child of the late John D. and Nancy James Barnhill and was reared near Providence. Besides her brother,
survivors are her husband, John Slaton, a daughter, two sons, and nine grandchildren.
Providence Journal-Enterprise, Thursday, Autust 31, 1944.