Virgil E. Durbin (1914 - 1937)

Born 18 Oct 1914 in Bland, Gasconade, Missouri, United States

Ancestors

Died 23 Sep 1937 at age 22 in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, United States

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This profile is part of the Durbin Name Study.

Biography

He died as the result of injuries sustained by a gun shot. ^[1] He is interred at St Michael's Catholic Cemetery in Gasconade County, Missouri.^[2]

Virgil E. Durbin was born on October 18, 1914 in Bland, Gasconade County, Missouri to Samuel Emmit Durbin and Rosa Florence Leach Durbin.

Virgil was known as Virgie and the monument at his grave at Saint Michael Cemetery in Gasconade County, Missouri is engraved as Virgie E. Durbin.

Virgil E. Durbin was shot and killed in a quarrel on September 23, 1937 in St. Louis, Missouri. There are newspaper articles in Gasconade County, Missouri and St. Louis, Missouri about this shooting.

Virgil E. Durbin was buried at the Saint Michael Cemetery in Gasconade County, Missouri. This is Memorial No. 74151512.

Gasconade County Republican, newspaper at Owensville, Missouri on Thursday, September 2, 1937, page 1 had the following concerning the murder:

MAN KILLED IN QUARREL; BURIED AT BLAND

Virgil Durbin, a clerk, 1229 A Morrison avenue, died in City Hospital Monday of a chest wound suffered when shot by Raymond Joseph, rooming house proprietor at 1 a.m. ,Sunday, in the third phase of a quarrel which began Saturday night.

Joseph, 46 years old, who operated rooming houses at 1314 and 1312 Chouteau avenue, told police Durbin appeared at 1414 Chouteau Saturday night and declared he was going to kill Joseph Thomas, who manages the establishment at 1312 Chouteau. Joseph said he pacified Durbin, who appeared to have been drinking, and took him home in a taxicab. But half an hour later, Joseph said, he saw Durbin and Durbin's brother, Floyd, enter the backyard at 1312 Chouteau. Joseph, who resides at 1314, said he went into the yard with a pistol and fired two shots in the air. The brothers fled, but returned after a brief interval and Joseph went into the alley to meet them.

Joseph told police he fired when Virgil Durbin advanced in a threatening manner. The bullet struck Durbin in the left side of the chest.

Joseph was arrested and released on $1,000 bond. After Durbin's death, police rearrested him and set the bond at a higher figure. His wife, Victoria, corroborated his statement.

At City Hospital, Virgil Durbin, 22, denied threatening either Thomas or Joseph. He said he went to the rooming house to see his brother-in-law, Maurice Crabreee. He said he could not tell why Joseph shot him. Floyd Durbin told the police neither he nor his brother had threatened Joseph, but he said Joseph struck him after shooting Virgil.

Surviving Durbin are his wife, Edna, 18 and another brother, Earl.

Funeral services for Virgil Durbin were held at Cuba Wednesday afternoon. Internment was made in the Catholic cemetery at Bland, Missouri. Rev. C. J. Hornsby of Cuba conducted the services.

Mr. Durbin formerly lived at Cuba, Missouri. He was the nephew of John Durbin, Mrs. Henry Olden and Mrs. Roscoe Shockley of Bland, Missouri and Mr. Durbin of Red Bird.

Another newspaper article had headlines of BLAND YOUTH KILLED IN CITY Virgil Durbin Buried at Place of Birth Wednesday---Murdered by Hotel Keeper

• • Funeral services for Virgil Durbin were held at Bland, Missouri Wednesday afternoon from the Catholic Church.

Durbin, a clerk in St. Louis, Missouri, died in a St. Louis hospital Monday of a chest wound suffered when shot by Raymond Joseph, rooming house proprietor, at 1 a.m. Sunday, in the third phase of a quarrel which began Saturday night.

In this article it stated when the brothers fled, but returned after a brief interval, and Joseph went into the "alley" to meet them.

Joseph told police he fired when Virgil Durbin advanced in a threatening manner. The bullet struck Durbin in the left side of the chest.

At the hospital, Durbin, 22, denied threatening either Thomas or Joseph.

The victim was born in Bland, Missouri, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Emmit Durbin, who now live on a farm on the Meramac River, near Cuba, Missouri. He is survived by his parents, five sisters, five brothers, and his wife, Edna.

Sources

1. ↑ "Bland Youth Killed in City." The Bland Courier (Bland, Missouri) 17 Sep 1937: 1. Print.
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/74151512/virgie-e-durbin : accessed 12 October 2021), memorial page for Virgie E Durbin (18 Oct 1914–23 Sep 1937), Find A Grave: Memorial #74151512, citing Saint Michael Cemetery, Gasconade County, Missouri, USA ; Maintained by kevin olsen (contributor 47201551) ..

See also:

• Find a Grave Memorial No. 74151494for Rosa Florence Leach Durbin in Catholic Cemetery in Gasconade County, Missouri

Find a Grave Memorial No. 74151512