Obituaries W

HARVEY M. WATTERSON -- The Telegraph-Bulletin, Saturday, October 10, 1891, Page 2, Column 3
Hon. Harvey M. Watterson, father of Henri Watterson, editor of the Courier Journal, died last week. Mr. Watterson had been a prominent figure at the national capital for a number of years, and was one of the best informed men, politically, of the times.
--Contributed Dec 1999 by Lora Peppers, found among loosely filed newspapers located in a box in a cabinet in the Special Collections room of the Ouachita Parish Public Library. [LSU has microfilm.]

WEEMS and WHITTINGTON -- Monroe Newstar-Morning World, July 4, 1952, Page 1
6 Killed Here as Train Hits Auto
Four Grown Persons, Two Children Victims of Plum Street Crash
Six persons, two of them small children, where killed last night when the automobile in which they were riding was demolished by a north bound Missouri Pacific train at the Plum street crossing. The impact of the crash threw the vehicle approximately 100 feet and flung all of the victims from the car.
The tragedy occurred during the heavy downpour, which some witnesses believed to be the reason Buford Whittington, 3005 Richmond Street, Monroe, driver of the automobile, did not see the flagman attempting to halt oncoming automobiles.
Victims of the head-on crash were Whittington and his wife, both of 3005 Richmond St. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Weems, of New Orleans, and the one year-old-daughters, and the six-year-old son of the latter couple. Mrs. Weems was the sister of Whittington.
Whittington a mechanic for McCain-Richards and brother of City Policeman M. E. Whittington, was a driving the car at the time of the crash police said.
Police reported that the impact of the collision threw the car more than 100 feet from the point of the crash and flung the victims from the car. The passenger train was going to McGee at the time of the crash. Conductor of the train was J. J. Irving, and Coleman Rush was listed as engineer.
Mrs. W. C. Bell, 1409 S. Fourth Street, who had just left a nearby market was the closest witness to the tragedy. Mrs. Bell reported that she brought her car to a stop when she saw the flagman wave her to a halt.
She said that the Whittington car was on the side of the track opposite her. “Suddenly the train smashed into the car and I could see the car plunge into the ditch with an impact that sent the people flying into the air,” Mrs. Bell stated.
Police said that Mrs. Weems and her small daughter died en route to St. Francis Sanitarium. The others were killed instantly. The deaths of Whittington and Weems were attributed to neck fractures, multiple lacerations and contusions. Mrs. Whittington died of a crushed chest, and the other victims received similar fatal injuries.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete Friday morning.
[Note from transcriber: There are several errors in this article. Mrs. Weems was Lilburne Laura Nicholson Weems and was not related by blood to Mr. Whittington. The relationship was between Mr. Weems (Hector Clayton) and his sister Mrs. Whittington. The Weems had two daughters killed in the crash with them, not their son. These facts were corrected in the follow up article printed on July 5, 1952]

WEEMS and WHITTINGTON -- Monroe Morning World, Saturday July 5, 1952, Page 1
Rites for Crash Victims Will Be Held Today
Funeral services for the six victims of a pre-holiday traffic tragedy here will be conducted in the Mulhearn chapel at 2 p.m., today. Rev. M. D. Felder, pastor of Gordon Avenue Methodist Church, will be assisted by Rev. R. L. Clayton of Oak Grove.
The services will be conducted for Mr. and Mrs. Buford Whittington; Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Weems, also of New Orleans, and Cheryl Ann Weems and Sally Kay Weems, also of New Orleans.
All six met their deaths Thursday night when the automobile in which they were riding was demolished by a north bound Missouri Pacific Train at the Plum Street crossing.
Internment of Mr. and Mrs. Whittington who resided at 3005 Monroe street here, will be in Memorial Park cemetery. Bodies of the Weems family will be taken to Forest for burial in the New Forest cemetery.
Mr. Whittington is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Burton Russell, and a son Jimmie Whittington, both of Monroe; his father Alvy Whittington, of Gloster, Miss; five brothers, Carmen, of Gloster; Cecil and Menton of Monroe; Wendell, of Gloster, and Oddis, of the U. S. Air Force in Germany.
Mrs. Whittington is also survived by her son and daughter and two brothers, Tracy Weems, of Tallulah, and Floyd, of Oak Grove, and a sister Mrs. Hugh King, of Lake Providence.
Mr. Weems is survived by a daughter, Carol Weems, of New Orleans; a son, Neil, of New Orleans; two brothers, Floyd Weems, of Oak Grove, and Tracy Weems, of Tallulah, and a sister, Mrs. Hugh King, of Lake Providence.
Mrs. Weems is survived by the two children; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Nicholson of New Orleans; a brother, James Nicholson of Baton Rouge, and a sister, Mrs. Russell A. Gunderson, of Detroit, Wis.
[Note from transcriber: Lilburne Laura Nicholson Weems was the grand daughter of Col. James Wm. Nicolson former President of LSU & Tulane Universities, She was also a granddaughter of Jeremiah Jackson Stovall and daughter of Juanita Galdys Stovall Nicholson and Malcolm Dudley Nicholson.]

DONNIE WHITE, MRS. -- The Monroe News-Star, Sep. 12, 1974
Funeral Services for Mrs. Donnie Inez White, 70, of 511 Bayou Oaks, Monroe will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at Jesus Only Apostolic Church in West Monroe with the Rev. W. T. Hemphill officiating. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Hixson Bros. Funeral Home of Monroe.
Mrs. White died Wednesday at St. Francis Hospital after a long illness.
Survivors include her husband, Joseph R. White of Monroe; two sons, Joseph Charles White of Monroe and Robert White of Granite City, Ill; two brothers, Silvester Nolan and Jewel Nolan, both of Monroe; one sister, Mrs. Lela Venable of Bastrop, and a number of grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be V. V. Tidwell, Jerry White, Harvey Edwards Jr., Charles Venable, Jack Bennett, J.D. Hudson, Hershel R. Sullivan, and James Cromwell.

LEE ETTA (MCDONALD) WHITE -- The News-Star, Monroe LA, 1 Oct 1963
Funeral services for Mrs. Lee Etta White, 86, of Monroe will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the chapel of Hixson Brothers Funeral Home. Burial, under the direction of Hixson’s, will be in the Ogden Cemetery in Liddieville.
Mrs. White died Monday [30 Sep 1963] at her residence, 106 Rochelle Ave.
She is survived by four sons, Harvey White, Smackover, Ark., Ellis and Milton White, both of Monroe, and Lavon White of Phoenix, Ariz.; four daughters, Mrs. Eula Hanson, Tempe, Ariz., Mrs. Onie Maye Wilson, Tyler, Texas, Mrs. Beulah Martin, Monroe, and Mrs. Lou Ella McElduff, Ruston; 12 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
[Mrs. White was the daughter of Wesley MCDONALD and Amanda MAY MCDONALD WHITE. She married Arlington Ellis WHITE on 5 Dec 1897 in Jackson Parish LA.]
--Contributed 2021 Oct 02 by Doug McBroom doug324@aol.com

T. T. WHITE -- The Daily Telegraph, Thursday, April 1, 1886, Page 1, Column 1
Staunton Va., April 1. – T. T. White, a prominent and wealthy merchant of New Orleans, dropped dead on the street yesterday of heart disease.
--Contributed by Unknown, found on a miscellaneous roll of film at the State Archives. I believe ULM and LSU's Libraries have it too.

WILLIAM HOWARD WHITLOCK -- The News-Star, Monroe LA, 15 Sep 1955
Funeral services for William Howard Whitlock, 60, of West Monroe, who died Monday [12 Sep 1955] morning in the Veterans Hospital in Shreveport, were held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church with Rev. Russell officiating, assisted by Rev. Edward C. Williams. Interment will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery, under the direction of Hall Funeral Home. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Johanna Whitlock of West Monroe; three sons, Jason M. Whitlock and A.J. Whitlock of West Monroe, and Melvin Whitlock with the U.S. Air Corps in England; two daughters, Mrs. Christine Hargrove and Mrs. Laura V. Harrison, both of Lawton, Okla.; and six grandchildren.
--Contributed 2021 Oct 02 by Doug McBroom doug324@aol.com

WHITTINGTON and WEEMS -- Monroe Newstar-Morning World, July 4, 1952, Page 1
6 Killed Here as Train Hits Auto
Four Grown Persons, Two Children Victims of Plum Street Crash
Six persons, two of them small children, where killed last night when the automobile in which they were riding was demolished by a north bound Missouri Pacific train at the Plum street crossing. The impact of the crash threw the vehicle approximately 100 feet and flung all of the victims from the car.
The tragedy occurred during the heavy downpour, which some witnesses believed to be the reason Buford Whittington, 3005 Richmond Street, Monroe, driver of the automobile, did not see the flagman attempting to halt oncoming automobiles.
Victims of the head-on crash were Whittington and his wife, both of 3005 Richmond St. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Weems, of New Orleans, and the one year-old-daughters, and the six-year-old son of the latter couple. Mrs. Weems was the sister of Whittington.
Whittington a mechanic for McCain-Richards and brother of City Policeman M. E. Whittington, was a driving the car at the time of the crash police said.
Police reported that the impact of the collision threw the car more than 100 feet from the point of the crash and flung the victims from the car. The passenger train was going to McGee at the time of the crash. Conductor of the train was J. J. Irving, and Coleman Rush was listed as engineer.
Mrs. W. C. Bell, 1409 S. Fourth Street, who had just left a nearby market was the closest witness to the tragedy. Mrs. Bell reported that she brought her car to a stop when she saw the flagman wave her to a halt.
She said that the Whittington car was on the side of the track opposite her. “Suddenly the train smashed into the car and I could see the car plunge into the ditch with an impact that sent the people flying into the air,” Mrs. Bell stated.
Police said that Mrs. Weems and her small daughter died en route to St. Francis Sanitarium. The others were killed instantly. The deaths of Whittington and Weems were attributed to neck fractures, multiple lacerations and contusions. Mrs. Whittington died of a crushed chest, and the other victims received similar fatal injuries.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete Friday morning.
[Note from transcriber: There are several errors in this article. Mrs. Weems was Lilburne Laura Nicholson Weems and was not related by blood to Mr. Whittington. The relationship was between Mr. Weems (Hector Clayton) and his sister Mrs. Whittington. The Weems had two daughters killed in the crash with them, not their son. These facts were corrected in the follow up article printed on July 5, 1952]

WHITTINGTON and WEEMS -- Monroe Morning World, Saturday July 5, 1952, Page 1
Rites for Crash Victims Will Be Held Today
Funeral services for the six victims of a pre-holiday traffic tragedy here will be conducted in the Mulhearn chapel at 2 p.m., today. Rev. M. D. Felder, pastor of Gordon Avenue Methodist Church, will be assisted by Rev. R. L. Clayton of Oak Grove.
The services will be conducted for Mr. and Mrs. Buford Whittington; Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Weems, also of New Orleans, and Cheryl Ann Weems and Sally Kay Weems, also of New Orleans.
All six met their deaths Thursday night when the automobile in which they were riding was demolished by a north bound Missouri Pacific Train at the Plum Street crossing.
Internment of Mr. and Mrs. Whittington who resided at 3005 Monroe street here, will be in Memorial Park cemetery. Bodies of the Weems family will be taken to Forest for burial in the New Forest cemetery.
Mr. Whittington is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Burton Russell, and a son Jimmie Whittington, both of Monroe; his father Alvy Whittington, of Gloster, Miss; five brothers, Carmen, of Gloster; Cecil and Menton of Monroe; Wendell, of Gloster, and Oddis, of the U. S. Air Force in Germany.
Mrs. Whittington is also survived by her son and daughter and two brothers, Tracy Weems, of Tallulah, and Floyd, of Oak Grove, and a sister Mrs. Hugh King, of Lake Providence.
Mr. Weems is survived by a daughter, Carol Weems, of New Orleans; a son, Neil, of New Orleans; two brothers, Floyd Weems, of Oak Grove, and Tracy Weems, of Tallulah, and a sister, Mrs. Hugh King, of Lake Providence.
Mrs. Weems is survived by the two children; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. D. Nicholson of New Orleans; a brother, James Nicholson of Baton Rouge, and a sister, Mrs. Russell A. Gunderson, of Detroit, Wis.
[Note from transcriber: Lilburne Laura Nicholson Weems was the grand daughter of Col. James Wm. Nicolson former President of LSU & Tulane Universities, She was also a granddaughter of Jeremiah Jackson Stovall and daughter of Juanita Galdys Stovall Nicholson and Malcolm Dudley Nicholson.]

JAMES DAVID WILHITE -- The News-Star, Monroe LA, 11 Oct 1966
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Luna Assembly of God Church near West Monroe for James David Wilhite, 34, Rt. 3, West Monroe, who died early Monday [10 Oct 1966]. The Revs. Leonard Sapp and Charles Tolbird will officiate and burial will be in the church cemetery by Kilpatrick Funeral Home of West Monroe. Pallbearers will be James and Daniel Leonard, K. L. Thomas, Brinkley Myers, Jesse Wilson and Joe Wheat.
[Mr. Wilhite was married to Betty Faye MURPHY.]
--Contributed 2021 Oct 02 by Doug McBroom doug324@aol.com

MYRTLE M. WILLIAMSON -- The Monroe News-Star, January 30, 1926
Mrs. Myrtle M. Williamson, aged 38 died at her home 614 Breard street yesterday. She is survived by her husband and three children. The body was sent to Bradford, TN today for burial.

JOE D. WIMBERLY -- Monroe Daily Star, Wednesday, November 16, 1898, Page 1, Column 4
Mr. Joe D. Wimberly died at his father's home near Mer Rouge, La., last night in the 44th year of his age. The remains will be brought to this city this evening for interment and the funeral will take place from the undertaking establishment of J.E. Peters tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock, proceeding to the Monroe cemetery.
Mr. Wimberly had been in ill health for more than a year past and had visited Hot Springs several times with the hope of recupering (sic) but his efforts were unrewarding. When he returned from his last trip to the Springs he went to his father's home near Mer Rouge and was confined there to () until his death.
At one time he was prominently identified here in business circles and in steamboating, but reverses overtook him, he lost his health and quite a competency that had been acquired was sunk in business ventures and in attempting to regain his health.
Mr. Wimberly was a cousin of Capt. Wimberly, collector of the port of New Orleans, and it was said that he had been slated for a good position in the Custom House, but his health never admitted of his accepting it.
Mr. Wimberly married Mrs. Mollie Turpin, a sister of Mr. W. D. Hutchinson, of Rayville, who died before him. They had one child, Enied, who survives them, aged 8 years.
--Contributed Dec 1999 by Lora Peppers, found among loosely filed newspapers located in a box in a cabinet in the Special Collections room of the Ouachita Parish Public Library. [LSU has microfilm.]

MAY BURCH LEE WOOTEN -- Monroe Morning World, Monday, July 1, 1968
Mrs. Wooten, Civic Leader, Dies Sunday
Mrs. James R. Wooten, the former May Burch Lee and well-known civic leader for many years, died Sunday at her home in Monroe after a long illness. Funeral services will be today at 3 p.m. in Mulhearn Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Bradley Trimble and the Rev. H. L. Johns officiating. Burial will be in the Old City Cemetery.
Mrs. Wooten, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John M. Lee, was born at Farmerville February 9, 1881, and moved to West Monroe in early childhood. Since 1919 she has lived at 2111 South Grand St., the Lower Pargoud plantation house which she restored.
After attending the Ouachita Parish schools she was graduated from North Texas College at Sherman, Texas. When it became a part of Southern Methodist University, she was presented a diploma from that institution.
Her late husband, James R. Wooten, whom she married February 11, 1902, was postmaster for many years until his retirement.
Mrs. Wooten's contributions to her community were manifold. During World War I she was appointed to organize the local chapter of the American Red Cross, and also served on the Council of Defense. As vice-president of the Louisiana Woman's Suffrage Association, she worked zealously to get the vote for women. She helped to organize and was president of the Fifth District Federation of Women's Clubs in 1916 when the state convention was held in Monroe for the first time. Always interested in beautification, she was a charter member of the Monroe Garden Club, State Garden Council and helped to organize the Monroe Beautification Board under Commissioner of Streets and Parks, the late C. R. Tidwell.
From 1920 to 1930 she was actively engaged in the real estate business.
Mrs. Wooten was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, the Daughters of the American Revolution, the National Society of Colonial Dames of America, the Institute of American Genealogy, and honorary member of the Monroe Garden Club.
She is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Elmer C. Slagle of Monroe and Mrs. Melville C. Vaughan of Aurora, Ohio, six grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be T. O. Bancroft Jr., Clyde Brown, Derwood Cann, Robert Cordell of Lafayette, Robert Ewig of Shreveport, Thomas Leigh, George Snellings Jr., and Bridger Thornhill.

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