Daughter of Okel Otmer Higginbotham and Birdie Belle Phillips
Wife of Lonnie Emory Asbury
Charleston Gazette, Friday 07/30/1948
Arbutus L. Higginbotham Asbury (1928-1948)
Front page headline: Man Kills Wife, Commits Suicide
A man and his estranged wife died in a murder and suicide last night at 6 p.m. when Emory Asbury, 22, of East Nitro, shot his wife, Arbutus Higginbotham Asbury, 20, at the home of her mother, Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca, Putnam county, and then killed himself, State Trooper D. G. Gilbert said.
Asbury shot his wife in the chest with a shotgun, Trooper Gilbert said, and killed himself with shots in the left armpit and chest.
The couple separated two days ago, and Mrs. Asbury went with their two children, Brenda, 15 months, and Barbara, one month, to live with her mother, officers said.
When Mrs. Asbury notified her husband, through an attorney that she intended to divorce him he went to the house and called her outside and asked her why she had made the decision to divorce him, Gilbert explained.
According to police he went into the house and got the shotgun belonging to Mrs. Higginbotham and told her he was going to kill himself.
He found some shells that Mrs. Higginbotham had hidden in the smokehouse when she found out that he had the gun and then shot Mrs. Asbury, killing her instantly, Gilbert said.
Mrs. Higginbotham said that she had taken 15 months old Brenda into the house and after Asbury had shot himself in the left armpit, he pleaded with his mother-in-law to "finish him off," state police said. Mrs. Higginbotham said she heard a second shot and found Asbury dead when she went back out into the yard.
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of murder and suicide.
The bodies are at the Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Charleston Gazette, Saturday 07/31/1948
ASBURY, Mrs. Arbutus Higginbotham-Service will be at the Trace Fork church at 12:30 p.m. today, Rev. Warren Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Higginbotham cemetery. Surviving are her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca; two daughters, Brenda Joyce, and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; and three sisters, Dessel Higginbotham of Beckley, Rachel Higginbotham and Jo Eva Higginbotham, both of Poca.
ASBURY, Emory-Service will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Nitro Church of God, Rev. William S. Jenkins officiating. Burial rites will be at the Asbury cemetery on Second Creek will be in charge of the Powder City Post 9248, VFW. Surviving are two daughters, Brenda Joyce and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Armie Asbury of Red House; five sisters, Mrs. Eloise Hively of Nitro, and Ethel, Ella Jean, Loeta and Linda, all of Red House; and three brothers, Freddie of Nitro, and Leonard and Larry, both of Red House. The body is at Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Wife of Lonnie Emory Asbury
Charleston Gazette, Friday 07/30/1948
Arbutus L. Higginbotham Asbury (1928-1948)
Front page headline: Man Kills Wife, Commits Suicide
A man and his estranged wife died in a murder and suicide last night at 6 p.m. when Emory Asbury, 22, of East Nitro, shot his wife, Arbutus Higginbotham Asbury, 20, at the home of her mother, Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca, Putnam county, and then killed himself, State Trooper D. G. Gilbert said.
Asbury shot his wife in the chest with a shotgun, Trooper Gilbert said, and killed himself with shots in the left armpit and chest.
The couple separated two days ago, and Mrs. Asbury went with their two children, Brenda, 15 months, and Barbara, one month, to live with her mother, officers said.
When Mrs. Asbury notified her husband, through an attorney that she intended to divorce him he went to the house and called her outside and asked her why she had made the decision to divorce him, Gilbert explained.
According to police he went into the house and got the shotgun belonging to Mrs. Higginbotham and told her he was going to kill himself.
He found some shells that Mrs. Higginbotham had hidden in the smokehouse when she found out that he had the gun and then shot Mrs. Asbury, killing her instantly, Gilbert said.
Mrs. Higginbotham said that she had taken 15 months old Brenda into the house and after Asbury had shot himself in the left armpit, he pleaded with his mother-in-law to "finish him off," state police said. Mrs. Higginbotham said she heard a second shot and found Asbury dead when she went back out into the yard.
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of murder and suicide.
The bodies are at the Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Charleston Gazette, Saturday 07/31/1948
ASBURY, Mrs. Arbutus Higginbotham-Service will be at the Trace Fork church at 12:30 p.m. today, Rev. Warren Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Higginbotham cemetery. Surviving are her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca; two daughters, Brenda Joyce, and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; and three sisters, Dessel Higginbotham of Beckley, Rachel Higginbotham and Jo Eva Higginbotham, both of Poca.
ASBURY, Emory-Service will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Nitro Church of God, Rev. William S. Jenkins officiating. Burial rites will be at the Asbury cemetery on Second Creek will be in charge of the Powder City Post 9248, VFW. Surviving are two daughters, Brenda Joyce and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Armie Asbury of Red House; five sisters, Mrs. Eloise Hively of Nitro, and Ethel, Ella Jean, Loeta and Linda, all of Red House; and three brothers, Freddie of Nitro, and Leonard and Larry, both of Red House. The body is at Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Daughter of Okel Otmer Higginbotham and Birdie Belle Phillips
Wife of Lonnie Emory Asbury
Charleston Gazette, Friday 07/30/1948
Arbutus L. Higginbotham Asbury (1928-1948)
Front page headline: Man Kills Wife, Commits Suicide
A man and his estranged wife died in a murder and suicide last night at 6 p.m. when Emory Asbury, 22, of East Nitro, shot his wife, Arbutus Higginbotham Asbury, 20, at the home of her mother, Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca, Putnam county, and then killed himself, State Trooper D. G. Gilbert said.
Asbury shot his wife in the chest with a shotgun, Trooper Gilbert said, and killed himself with shots in the left armpit and chest.
The couple separated two days ago, and Mrs. Asbury went with their two children, Brenda, 15 months, and Barbara, one month, to live with her mother, officers said.
When Mrs. Asbury notified her husband, through an attorney that she intended to divorce him he went to the house and called her outside and asked her why she had made the decision to divorce him, Gilbert explained.
According to police he went into the house and got the shotgun belonging to Mrs. Higginbotham and told her he was going to kill himself.
He found some shells that Mrs. Higginbotham had hidden in the smokehouse when she found out that he had the gun and then shot Mrs. Asbury, killing her instantly, Gilbert said.
Mrs. Higginbotham said that she had taken 15 months old Brenda into the house and after Asbury had shot himself in the left armpit, he pleaded with his mother-in-law to "finish him off," state police said. Mrs. Higginbotham said she heard a second shot and found Asbury dead when she went back out into the yard.
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of murder and suicide.
The bodies are at the Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Charleston Gazette, Saturday 07/31/1948
ASBURY, Mrs. Arbutus Higginbotham-Service will be at the Trace Fork church at 12:30 p.m. today, Rev. Warren Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Higginbotham cemetery. Surviving are her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca; two daughters, Brenda Joyce, and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; and three sisters, Dessel Higginbotham of Beckley, Rachel Higginbotham and Jo Eva Higginbotham, both of Poca.
ASBURY, Emory-Service will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Nitro Church of God, Rev. William S. Jenkins officiating. Burial rites will be at the Asbury cemetery on Second Creek will be in charge of the Powder City Post 9248, VFW. Surviving are two daughters, Brenda Joyce and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Armie Asbury of Red House; five sisters, Mrs. Eloise Hively of Nitro, and Ethel, Ella Jean, Loeta and Linda, all of Red House; and three brothers, Freddie of Nitro, and Leonard and Larry, both of Red House. The body is at Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Wife of Lonnie Emory Asbury
Charleston Gazette, Friday 07/30/1948
Arbutus L. Higginbotham Asbury (1928-1948)
Front page headline: Man Kills Wife, Commits Suicide
A man and his estranged wife died in a murder and suicide last night at 6 p.m. when Emory Asbury, 22, of East Nitro, shot his wife, Arbutus Higginbotham Asbury, 20, at the home of her mother, Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca, Putnam county, and then killed himself, State Trooper D. G. Gilbert said.
Asbury shot his wife in the chest with a shotgun, Trooper Gilbert said, and killed himself with shots in the left armpit and chest.
The couple separated two days ago, and Mrs. Asbury went with their two children, Brenda, 15 months, and Barbara, one month, to live with her mother, officers said.
When Mrs. Asbury notified her husband, through an attorney that she intended to divorce him he went to the house and called her outside and asked her why she had made the decision to divorce him, Gilbert explained.
According to police he went into the house and got the shotgun belonging to Mrs. Higginbotham and told her he was going to kill himself.
He found some shells that Mrs. Higginbotham had hidden in the smokehouse when she found out that he had the gun and then shot Mrs. Asbury, killing her instantly, Gilbert said.
Mrs. Higginbotham said that she had taken 15 months old Brenda into the house and after Asbury had shot himself in the left armpit, he pleaded with his mother-in-law to "finish him off," state police said. Mrs. Higginbotham said she heard a second shot and found Asbury dead when she went back out into the yard.
A coroner's jury returned a verdict of murder and suicide.
The bodies are at the Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Charleston Gazette, Saturday 07/31/1948
ASBURY, Mrs. Arbutus Higginbotham-Service will be at the Trace Fork church at 12:30 p.m. today, Rev. Warren Anderson officiating. Burial will be in the Higginbotham cemetery. Surviving are her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Okel Higginbotham of Poca; two daughters, Brenda Joyce, and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; and three sisters, Dessel Higginbotham of Beckley, Rachel Higginbotham and Jo Eva Higginbotham, both of Poca.
ASBURY, Emory-Service will be at 1 p.m. tomorrow at the Nitro Church of God, Rev. William S. Jenkins officiating. Burial rites will be at the Asbury cemetery on Second Creek will be in charge of the Powder City Post 9248, VFW. Surviving are two daughters, Brenda Joyce and Barbara Jean, both of Poca; his parents, Mr. And Mrs. Armie Asbury of Red House; five sisters, Mrs. Eloise Hively of Nitro, and Ethel, Ella Jean, Loeta and Linda, all of Red House; and three brothers, Freddie of Nitro, and Leonard and Larry, both of Red House. The body is at Gatens mortuary in Poca.
Family Members
See more Asbury or Higginbotham memorials in:
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- West Virginia Asbury or Higginbotham
- USA Asbury or Higginbotham
- Find a Grave Asbury or Higginbotham
