I came across this headline in the old newspapers from the Raleigh Register date Jan, 5 1955
Closed Casket Funeral Thursday
Marks End Of Tragic Agee Story
Double funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Missionary Church at Odd, for Irene Agee, 8, and her sister, Mary, 6, who died of exposure Nov, 1, when they failed to find their way home from school at Egeria.
The Rev. Stollie Parsons will officicate. Burial will be made in Fairview Cemetery near Flat Top.
These arrangements were made Tuesday at Calfee Funeral Home by Steve Agee and Hilda Hubbard, parents of the children.
A "closed" funeral will be held because of the condition of the bodies-found about midnight Monday Jan, 5, 1955, by hunters, John Roles, 64, and his son Fred, 29.
Animals had torn the flesh from the heads of the children. Raleigh County Sheriff John C. Ward said the jawbone of Irene was found Tuesday afternoon several feet from where the body lay. It is believed to have been dragged there by an animal.
County Coroner B.B. Richmond examined the bodies Tuesday and ruled out foul play, Death by exposure was his verdict.
Officers and funeral home attendants both said the bodies showed every indication of having been in the woods since Nov. 1, 1954. Heavy snows and cold weather would have kept the bodies in a preserved state to some extent, they ssaid.
Ward said the two men who found the bodies were the most faithful searchers in the section.
Note:
Irene and Mary were my fourth cousins on my dads side.
My father was one of the people searching for the bodies and he said the section of the woods where they were found had been searched before so who placed them their, this was told to me by my mother and she has since passed away.
Thanks to Caral Mechling Bennett for newspaper article information, in a e-mail dated Nov., 5 2011
Greeting, Ive also found a piece of newspaper used for packing, while sorting old boxes in my attic containing the following article.
This may be different enough to add, since the material already on the girls memorial is quite lengthy.
However i will send , to show how far the news traveled, at least.
Article published in :
South Bend Tribune
Tuesday Evening Jan 4, 1955, Indiana
Bodies of sister Lost Since Nov 1, Found in Mountains
Beckley, WVa. AP--- The bodies of two school girls, last seen in the remote, heavily wooded area near their Egeria, WVa., home last Nov, 1 were found last night by two hunters.
Sheriff John C. Ward said 8 year old Irene Agee and her 6 year old sister, Mary, were found about a 1 1/2 miles from their Raleigh County home. He said the girls apparently had died from exposure.
Deputy Sheriff Mason Farley said John Roles and his son, Fred, were led to the bodies by their hunting dogs.
Farley said the bodies were found in what is known as the Rich Knob area. About 25 feet away were their coats, head scarves, lunch kits and two letters, they had picked up from school.
The youngsters disappeared Nov., 1 after leaving school and stopping briefly at the home of Louis Hatmaker.
Organized searches were conducted in the mountainous area for several weeks, with volunteers and members of the West Virginia National Guard taking Part.
Closed Casket Funeral Thursday
Marks End Of Tragic Agee Story
Double funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Missionary Church at Odd, for Irene Agee, 8, and her sister, Mary, 6, who died of exposure Nov, 1, when they failed to find their way home from school at Egeria.
The Rev. Stollie Parsons will officicate. Burial will be made in Fairview Cemetery near Flat Top.
These arrangements were made Tuesday at Calfee Funeral Home by Steve Agee and Hilda Hubbard, parents of the children.
A "closed" funeral will be held because of the condition of the bodies-found about midnight Monday Jan, 5, 1955, by hunters, John Roles, 64, and his son Fred, 29.
Animals had torn the flesh from the heads of the children. Raleigh County Sheriff John C. Ward said the jawbone of Irene was found Tuesday afternoon several feet from where the body lay. It is believed to have been dragged there by an animal.
County Coroner B.B. Richmond examined the bodies Tuesday and ruled out foul play, Death by exposure was his verdict.
Officers and funeral home attendants both said the bodies showed every indication of having been in the woods since Nov. 1, 1954. Heavy snows and cold weather would have kept the bodies in a preserved state to some extent, they ssaid.
Ward said the two men who found the bodies were the most faithful searchers in the section.
Note:
Irene and Mary were my fourth cousins on my dads side.
My father was one of the people searching for the bodies and he said the section of the woods where they were found had been searched before so who placed them their, this was told to me by my mother and she has since passed away.
Thanks to Caral Mechling Bennett for newspaper article information, in a e-mail dated Nov., 5 2011
Greeting, Ive also found a piece of newspaper used for packing, while sorting old boxes in my attic containing the following article.
This may be different enough to add, since the material already on the girls memorial is quite lengthy.
However i will send , to show how far the news traveled, at least.
Article published in :
South Bend Tribune
Tuesday Evening Jan 4, 1955, Indiana
Bodies of sister Lost Since Nov 1, Found in Mountains
Beckley, WVa. AP--- The bodies of two school girls, last seen in the remote, heavily wooded area near their Egeria, WVa., home last Nov, 1 were found last night by two hunters.
Sheriff John C. Ward said 8 year old Irene Agee and her 6 year old sister, Mary, were found about a 1 1/2 miles from their Raleigh County home. He said the girls apparently had died from exposure.
Deputy Sheriff Mason Farley said John Roles and his son, Fred, were led to the bodies by their hunting dogs.
Farley said the bodies were found in what is known as the Rich Knob area. About 25 feet away were their coats, head scarves, lunch kits and two letters, they had picked up from school.
The youngsters disappeared Nov., 1 after leaving school and stopping briefly at the home of Louis Hatmaker.
Organized searches were conducted in the mountainous area for several weeks, with volunteers and members of the West Virginia National Guard taking Part.
I came across this headline in the old newspapers from the Raleigh Register date Jan, 5 1955
Closed Casket Funeral Thursday
Marks End Of Tragic Agee Story
Double funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Missionary Church at Odd, for Irene Agee, 8, and her sister, Mary, 6, who died of exposure Nov, 1, when they failed to find their way home from school at Egeria.
The Rev. Stollie Parsons will officicate. Burial will be made in Fairview Cemetery near Flat Top.
These arrangements were made Tuesday at Calfee Funeral Home by Steve Agee and Hilda Hubbard, parents of the children.
A "closed" funeral will be held because of the condition of the bodies-found about midnight Monday Jan, 5, 1955, by hunters, John Roles, 64, and his son Fred, 29.
Animals had torn the flesh from the heads of the children. Raleigh County Sheriff John C. Ward said the jawbone of Irene was found Tuesday afternoon several feet from where the body lay. It is believed to have been dragged there by an animal.
County Coroner B.B. Richmond examined the bodies Tuesday and ruled out foul play, Death by exposure was his verdict.
Officers and funeral home attendants both said the bodies showed every indication of having been in the woods since Nov. 1, 1954. Heavy snows and cold weather would have kept the bodies in a preserved state to some extent, they ssaid.
Ward said the two men who found the bodies were the most faithful searchers in the section.
Note:
Irene and Mary were my fourth cousins on my dads side.
My father was one of the people searching for the bodies and he said the section of the woods where they were found had been searched before so who placed them their, this was told to me by my mother and she has since passed away.
Thanks to Caral Mechling Bennett for newspaper article information, in a e-mail dated Nov., 5 2011
Greeting, Ive also found a piece of newspaper used for packing, while sorting old boxes in my attic containing the following article.
This may be different enough to add, since the material already on the girls memorial is quite lengthy.
However i will send , to show how far the news traveled, at least.
Article published in :
South Bend Tribune
Tuesday Evening Jan 4, 1955, Indiana
Bodies of sister Lost Since Nov 1, Found in Mountains
Beckley, WVa. AP--- The bodies of two school girls, last seen in the remote, heavily wooded area near their Egeria, WVa., home last Nov, 1 were found last night by two hunters.
Sheriff John C. Ward said 8 year old Irene Agee and her 6 year old sister, Mary, were found about a 1 1/2 miles from their Raleigh County home. He said the girls apparently had died from exposure.
Deputy Sheriff Mason Farley said John Roles and his son, Fred, were led to the bodies by their hunting dogs.
Farley said the bodies were found in what is known as the Rich Knob area. About 25 feet away were their coats, head scarves, lunch kits and two letters, they had picked up from school.
The youngsters disappeared Nov., 1 after leaving school and stopping briefly at the home of Louis Hatmaker.
Organized searches were conducted in the mountainous area for several weeks, with volunteers and members of the West Virginia National Guard taking Part.
Closed Casket Funeral Thursday
Marks End Of Tragic Agee Story
Double funeral services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at the Missionary Church at Odd, for Irene Agee, 8, and her sister, Mary, 6, who died of exposure Nov, 1, when they failed to find their way home from school at Egeria.
The Rev. Stollie Parsons will officicate. Burial will be made in Fairview Cemetery near Flat Top.
These arrangements were made Tuesday at Calfee Funeral Home by Steve Agee and Hilda Hubbard, parents of the children.
A "closed" funeral will be held because of the condition of the bodies-found about midnight Monday Jan, 5, 1955, by hunters, John Roles, 64, and his son Fred, 29.
Animals had torn the flesh from the heads of the children. Raleigh County Sheriff John C. Ward said the jawbone of Irene was found Tuesday afternoon several feet from where the body lay. It is believed to have been dragged there by an animal.
County Coroner B.B. Richmond examined the bodies Tuesday and ruled out foul play, Death by exposure was his verdict.
Officers and funeral home attendants both said the bodies showed every indication of having been in the woods since Nov. 1, 1954. Heavy snows and cold weather would have kept the bodies in a preserved state to some extent, they ssaid.
Ward said the two men who found the bodies were the most faithful searchers in the section.
Note:
Irene and Mary were my fourth cousins on my dads side.
My father was one of the people searching for the bodies and he said the section of the woods where they were found had been searched before so who placed them their, this was told to me by my mother and she has since passed away.
Thanks to Caral Mechling Bennett for newspaper article information, in a e-mail dated Nov., 5 2011
Greeting, Ive also found a piece of newspaper used for packing, while sorting old boxes in my attic containing the following article.
This may be different enough to add, since the material already on the girls memorial is quite lengthy.
However i will send , to show how far the news traveled, at least.
Article published in :
South Bend Tribune
Tuesday Evening Jan 4, 1955, Indiana
Bodies of sister Lost Since Nov 1, Found in Mountains
Beckley, WVa. AP--- The bodies of two school girls, last seen in the remote, heavily wooded area near their Egeria, WVa., home last Nov, 1 were found last night by two hunters.
Sheriff John C. Ward said 8 year old Irene Agee and her 6 year old sister, Mary, were found about a 1 1/2 miles from their Raleigh County home. He said the girls apparently had died from exposure.
Deputy Sheriff Mason Farley said John Roles and his son, Fred, were led to the bodies by their hunting dogs.
Farley said the bodies were found in what is known as the Rich Knob area. About 25 feet away were their coats, head scarves, lunch kits and two letters, they had picked up from school.
The youngsters disappeared Nov., 1 after leaving school and stopping briefly at the home of Louis Hatmaker.
Organized searches were conducted in the mountainous area for several weeks, with volunteers and members of the West Virginia National Guard taking Part.
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