RILEY, Verlyn Cloyce 1936-1943

RILEY

Posted By: Betty Hootman (email)
Date: 12/21/2011 at 08:20:56

Ottumwa (IA) Courier
30 December 1943

Packwood Blast Kills Boy, Injures Brother

PACKWOOD -- An unexplained explosion at 2:45 p.m. Wednesday at the farm occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald RILEY, four miles south of Packwood, killed Cloyce RILEY, 7, and critically injured Dean RILEY, 11, sons of Mr. and Mrs. RILEY.

Dean RILEY was taken to the Jefferson county hospital at Fairfield, suffering from severe head and other injuries. His younger brother’s head was shattered.

RILEY was also taken to the Jefferson county hospital, suffering from burns on his hands suffered when he tore the burning clothing from his son Dean.

A double corncrib containing 1,000 bushels of corn and 100 bushels of soybeans burned.

Fire departments from Fairfield and Richland fought the flames and the Washington fire department was called late Wednesday night to keep the burning corn from spreading flames to other buildings. Water had to be brought from others farms after the RILEY’s water supply gave out.

The body of Cloyce RILEY was taken to the Community funeral parlors in Ottumwa. He is survived by his parents and three brothers, Dwight, Rex and Dean at home.

The gasoline barrel which neighbors believe exploded was near the corncrib where the boys were playing. Their parents and two older brothers were in the house.

Coroner Jack Raymond and Sheriff Thomas Howell said they could not learn what caused the explosion. Coroner Raymond said at Fairfield that the nearly empty gasoline barrel near the crib did not burn.
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Ottumwa (IA) Courier
30 December 1943

RILEY FUNERAL

Funeral services for Cloyce RILEY, 7, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald RILEY, four miles south of Packwood, who was killed in an explosion at the Riley farm Wednesday afternoon, will be held at the Abingdon Christian church Friday at 2:30 p.m. in charge of the Rev. S. P. Williamson of Fairfield. Burial will be at the Abingdon cemetery. The body will be removed from the Community funeral parlors at Ottumwa at 1 p.m. Friday.

Transcribed for genealogy purposes, Cloyce was my cousin.