Elijah M. Ricketts (1911 - 1934)

Born 4 Jan 1911 in Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas

Ancestors

Died 31 Dec 1934 at age 23 in Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas

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Biography

Elijah was born in 1911. He was the son of Kie Ricketts and Matilda Wiley. He passed away in 1934.

• Deadly Gas Fumes Take Youth's Life -
• Elijah M Ricketts, 23, Is overcome in Bathhouse by Vapors From Water Heater. Dead Since Midnight, body is discovered at 9:30 This morning when he failed to appear- found by Father and brother. Fumes from a gas heater attached to a hot-water tank were believed today to have caused the death of Elijah M Ricketts, 23 years old, whose unclad body was found at 9:30 o'clock this morning in the bath house near the Ricketts filling station and tourist cabins on South Main Street, at the National avenue junction.
• Dr. R O Crume, county coroner, said death apparently resulted from asphyxiation by the gas fumes. The youth, who was the son of Mr. and Mrs. K. S. Ricketts, had been dead since about midnight, it appeared.
• The young man last night entered the bathhouse to take a shower bath. He told his father that he was going to clean up and then go down town. This was about 10:30 o'clock. Evidently he entered the house and a short time later was overcome by the fumes.
• The body was found by his father and a brother, Arthur. The two of them became uneasy when the youth did not appear this morning.
• A search of his room showed he had not been there and the body was discovered when the two began to look elsewhere over the grounds.
• Young Ricketts was born here January 4, 1911. He was a graduate of the Fort Scott high school in 1931 and had worked for three years for the Coca Cola Bottling Company. He attended the Christian Church. He was a track star in high school.
• Besides the parents, four brothers and two sisters survive. They are Harvey, James, Emmert, Arthur, and Miss Opal and Miss Vivian Ricketts.

Sources

• Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 10 April 2018), memorial page for Elijah M. Ricketts (4 Jan 1911–31 Dec 1934), Find A Grave Memorial no. 74892023, citing Evergreen Cemetery, Fort Scott, Bourbon County, Kansas, USA ; Maintained by Dee Billings-Gonzales (contributor 47132501) .
• "Kansas State Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:784F-LH2M : 18 January 2020), Elijah Richetts in household of R S Richetts, Bourbon, Kansas, United States; citing Kansas, United States, 120, 10, Kansas Historical Society, Topeka.
• "United States Census, 1920," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MFDR-TXJ : accessed 18 January 2020), Elijah Ricketts in household of Kie S Ricketts, Scott, Bourbon, Kansas, United States; citing ED 55, sheet 6B, line 93, family 147, NARA microfilm publication T625 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1992), roll 525; FHL microfilm 1,820,525.
• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X73F-XR2 : accessed 18 January 2020), Elijah Ricketts in household of Hezekiah S Ricketts, Fort Scott, Bourbon, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 30A, line 47, family 741, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 694; FHL microfilm 2,340,429.