  Gertru J. Stubbs 1880 - 1931 w/o L. J. Stubbs  Leonard Jack Stubbs 1871 - 1946  Ralph Stubbs 1919 - 1934 The Denison Press
Monday, August 20, 1934 pg. 1 RALPH STUBBS, AGE 14, STEPS IN DEEP HOLE, BODY FOUND IN 2 HOURS A joyful holiday outing was turned into grim tragedy Sunday morning at 10:45 when Ralph Stubbs, 14, son of L.J. Stubbs, who resides one mile east of Denison on Route 1, was swept to his death in the swirling muddy waters of Red River underneath the toll bridge in the old Durant-Denison highway. The youth was one of a party of four youngsters, accompanied by Mrs. Dean Ryle, who had gone out to the river Sunday morning for a day's outing. Keith Ryle, son of Mrs. Ryle, had gone into the water first and was wading along the shore. He was followed by Ralph who was not able to swim. Suddenly stepping into a deep hole, Ralph started sinking. Realizing his position, Mrs. Ryle stepped into the water in an effort to pull him out, as did likewise his sister, Miss Gladys Stubbs, another member of the party. They grabbed him but he managed to break away going out of sight in the muddy water. Mrs. Ryle was helpless as the boy swept down the stream and as Gladys started sinking also. Although Gladys could not swim, she managed to make her way out of the water. Some boys on the Oklahoma side heard the screams and rushed over to offer assistance, quickly disrobing and starting a search for the drowned boy. He was seen once to rise to the water's survace but promptly went down again, not to reappear. Denison police and firemen were notified immediately, as was likewise Short-Murray funeral directors, who sent an ambulance to the scene. A large crowd of people gathered by the banks of the river and many volunteers sought to find the lost boy, many diving into the water in only their underwear. Not until 11:55 a.m. was the body found by Milton Tall, Oklahoman, residing near the bridge, in a shallow part of the river about 20 feet down stream from the scene of the accident. Artificial respiration was immediately and contiued for nearly three hours, bit without life showing in the lifeless body. Fire Chief Otis Garvin stated that the many spectators lining the bank interfered materially with the rescue efforts made to find the body. The hole that the boy stepped into proved to be about 10 feet deep and 60 to 70 feet long, according to Chief Garvin. The youth resided with his father, his mother having been dead for a number of years, one mile east of Denison on the east Main street road. He had lived there all his life. He was born September 2, 1919 and had received his schooling at Oak Ridge where he was in the 7th grade. Surviving are his father; four brothers, Cleve and Leo of Denison; Robert of Sherman and Cecil of Bells; two sisters, Misses Nina Belle and Gladys of Denison, a half-sister, Mrs. Fred Stacy of Providence, Rhode Island. Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 4 o'clock at Dripping Spring with interment in Dripping Spring Cemetery, Rev. G.W. Wall of Pottsboro will officiate with Short-Murray in charge of arrangements.  Dripping Spring Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |