My Great, Great Grandmother
I copied word for word the obituary
below from the original April 17th, 1906, Catoosa newspaper article. Catoosa
was then in Indian Territory.
Obituary
Mrs. Letitia Victoria Denbo, wife of
J.A. Denbo, aged 63 years, died at her home in this city, Monday night about
nine o' clock. Thursday April 5th, Mrs. Denbo was severely burned by the
explosion of a lamp, at the time, though her burns were severe, all had
hopes of her recovery, but the nervous shock was too great, and though she
battled bravely for her life, Friday evening her spirit freed itself from
its earthly tenement, winged its flight to "that house not made with hands
in the heavens". Letitia Victoria Keys was born near Tahlequah, Indian
Territory, January third Eighteen hundred forty three, and was married to J.
A. Denbo in 1871. She was the mother of seven children, six of whom,
Mesdames, John McKeehan, Milton Thompson, Thomas Daugherty, Robert, Oce, and
John Denbo, survive.
The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon
at the family residence by her Pastor, Rev. Haymes, and her remains laid to
rest in the family Cemetery, near the home where she had spent so many
years.
Mrs. Denbo was a genial, warm hearted
Christian woman, doing all the good that she possibly could without show or
ostentation. She was charitable to all, and comforted those in sickness and
distress. Her one motto in life was "to do to others as she wished to be
done by" May she rest in peace.
Here is a
hand-written
eye-witness account of Letitia's death as told by (I'm assuming) one of her
children. It is truly heart wrenching. My great uncle (John Denbo) loaned me
the letter a few years back. Given the fact that Letitia passed away on
April 16th, 1906, it is safe to assume that the letter must have been
written not more than one or two days after the tragic event itself, which
means the letter will be 102 years-old next month on the 16th, or soon
after.
The Denbo's were among some of the
first pioneer families who settled in the Catoosa area of what was then
called Indian Territory, now known as Catoosa, Oklahoma.
-Bryan Mayberry
3-22-2008
Denbo Genealogy Chart
