~The news-Journal, Thursday, September 7, 1944
Man Kills Wife, Self Early Sunday Morning. Six Small Children Orphaned by Double Tragedy in the Finley Section ; Services Monday. Orville Overton, 36 years of age, killed his wife, Mabel Colvin Overton, 31, and a few minutes later turned the same shotgun on himself in a double tragedy at about daybreak Sunday morning at their home between the Knopps and Sunnyhill school in the Finley section. Overton, known to be slightly deranged and in bad health for some time, was never thought to be dangerous by his relatives. He had acted normal usually except on a few occasions. He showed a queer interest in religion from time to time and was recently participating in a nearby meeting. Overton was said to have been up early and about the farm bare-footed before the shooting. His mother, who lives a few hundred yards away, heard the shots. He used a shotgun, evidently as his wife was entering the kitchen doorway from another room. The baby which she carried received a slight wound. He drug the body to the rear of the meat house and took the children except the oldest to his mother's home and went back after the older one that remained with the mother.He then took her into the meathouse, cut flowers and placed over her, and then sat down on a tub and with the aid of a stick discharged the gun into his own heart. When he left the children with his mother, he told her to take care of them and told her goodbye. She left immediately with them for the home of Ira Blevins and officers were called. Funeral services were held at Muldraugh's Hill Baptist Church on Monday with the Rev. G. E. Puckett in charge. Burial was in the church cemetery. The husband and wife leaves six children ; Louise, Jimmie, Norma Jean, Geraldine, Dorothy Joyce, and Carolyn Sue, from eighteen months to ten years of age. Mr. Overton is survived by his mother, Mra. Ellen Overton, who lived adjoining them; sisters, Mrs. George Morris, of Finley, Mrs. L.A. Caulk, city, Mrs. Bill F. Cave, city, Mrs. Ed Raffety, Finley. He also leaves his grandmother, Mrs. Emalyine Reynolds and great-granfather D.R. Souder, Corbin, Ky. Mrs. Overton is survived by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry R. Colvin; seven sisters, Mrs. Hattie Carender, New Castle, Indiana, Mrs. Minnie Craig, Finley, Mrs. Lena Taylor, Louisville, Mrs. Lucille Brockman, Louisville, Mrs. Gladys Stringer, and Miss Evelyn Colvin, Finley, and Mrs. Daisy Buckman, Finley; three brothers; Arthur Colvin, with the Army in Alaska, Edwin Colvin, Finley and Herbert Colvin, Louisville Ky.