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From: Marsha Boles <>
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD] Gaston
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011 15:41:21 -0700 (PDT)
In-Reply-To: <4CCA0E9AFE2B40F3ACC87C42860AC716@dell3000>
Thanks Vera for expanding on the Gastons . . . Marsha
--- On Wed, 4/27/11, Vera Reeves <> wrote:
Marsha,
In case you don't have the day of death for William Harrison Gaston.
Arkansas Death Index shows:
William Har..... d. 4-5-1936 in Izard County
While I had this book out I checked a couple more Gastons.
Clarence Gaston d. 8-3-1934 in Izard county
Dewey Cly.... d. 12-31-1937 in Izard County
The article you speak of follows.
=================
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marsha Boles" <>
To: <>
Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: [ARIZARD] Tornado 1933 in Franklin
> Ooo . . something eerie with this:
> Knew I had put some Gaston's in new FTM and looked - found this
>
> 09 Apr 1936 Melbourne Times (didn't save article)
> William Harrison Gaston killed by tornado in Lacrosse, Izard Co., AR.
>
> Do you suppose Gaston men all have fraidy holes now ? ? ?
>
> Marsha
>
> Descendants of William Harrison Gaston
> 1 William Harrison Gaston d: Apr 1936 in Lacrosse, Izard Co., AR - tornado
> Burial: Violet Hill, Izard Co., AR
> Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melbourne Times
> .. +Unknown
> .. 2 Loas Marie Gaston b: Abt. 1918 Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melbourne Times
> .. 2 Troy Gaston Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melbourne Times
> .. 2 Clyde Gaston Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne Times
> .. 2 Guy Gaston Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne Times
> .. 2 Carl Gaston Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne Times
> .. 2 Unknown Gaston ...... +A. M. Carter Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne
> Times
> .. 2 Unknown Gaston
> ...... +J. C. Hanley Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne Times
> .. 2 Unknown Gaston
> ...... +Robtert Harris Landers Source: 09 Apr 1936 Melboourne Times
>
>
> --- On Tue, 4/26/11, Vera Reeves <> wrote:
> Something I ran across a few years ago and after last night's storms I
> thought I post it.
>
> Melbourne Times, Melbourne, Arkansas - dated May 18, 1933
> Tornado Sweeps Through Franklin
> T. W. Simpson and Pet Gaston Killed 7 Others Injured.
> Business Section Wrecked; Dwellings Demolished; Property Damage
> $30,000
> Two were killed and 7 injured three seriously and property damaged
> about $30,000 as a result of the tornado which struck Franklin, Saturday
> night. The wind came from the southwest and took a strip of about a
> quarter
> mile through the town.
> T. W. Simpson aged 64 cashier of the Bank of Franklin was killed
> instantly when his home was blown to pieces and Pet Gaston aged 30 was
> killed in the Franklin Café, about thirty yards from the Simpson place,
> when
> it was also wiped out, Gaston lived about four hours but never regained
> consciousness.
> H. B. Balch of Mt. Pleasant, who is District Manager of the Modern
> Woodmen of America was lodging at the Simpson Hotel and was seriously
> injured having two 8 penny nails driven into his intestines and stomach.
> S.
> B. Bunn of Violet Hill, who was also lodging there was badly bruised and
> several bones broken and is not expected to live. He is 68 years old. Mrs
> T.
> W. Simpson's left leg was broken at the hip and knee and she received
> several other minor injuries; Clarence Gaston, operator of the café was
> badly bruised about the face and almost lost his eye sight; Tommie
> Simpson,
> son of T. W. Simpson was badly bruised; Bill Wilson and Doyle Redman who
> were also in the café were bruised and cut about the face and limbs, but
> not
> seriously.
> The windows and doors of the front and rear of the Bank of Franklin,
> a native stone building were torn out and a part of the roof was taken off
> and the fixtures badly damaged. The business houses of S. F. Billingsley,
> Weaver Campbell, John Hanley, and business house belonging to Reed-Harlin
> Grocery Co., of Hardy were torn to pieces and also the post office
> building
> an a store belonging to T. G. Sangster, (sp) both stone, were badly
> damaged.
> Besides the Simpson home which was also used as a hotel, the
> dwellings of W. J. Billingsley, S. F. Billingsley, Claude Gaston, John
> Hanley and Winnie Billingsley were torn to pieces and all other dwellings
> and buildings in town were damaged to some extent except that of D.
> Redman.
> The engine house of the gin and flour mill was blown away.
> T. W. Simpson was one of the organizers of the Bank of Franklin in
> 1904 and has had some official connection with the institution ever since,
> being cashier at the time of his death. He was also for several years
> county
> examiner for the schools of Izard County and spent about 20 years of his
> early life teaching in the rural schools of this county. He is survived by
> his wife, one son, Tommie and a daughter, Ruth who was attending the
> University at Fayetteville.
> Pet Gaston was a farmer, born and reared near Franklin and is
> survived by his father Walter Gaston, five brothers, Ralph, Von, Harry,
> Raburn and Roy, and one sister, Mrs Lloyd Batterton.
> Mrs Simpson, Clarence Gaston and S. B. Bunn were taken Sunday
> morning to Batesville hospital for treatment.
> Cars swarmed in from every section of the country all day Sunday while
> hundreds of visitors viewed the ruins of the town which has some 200
> population.
> Gaston was buried at Violet Hill Sunday afternoon and Simpson was
> buried at the Roberts Cemetery near Franklin Monday morning.
>
>
>
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