Obituary for George Prewitt Pitts

Date: 20 Jun 1936 [unknown]
Location: Blairstown, Henry, Missouri, USA
Surname/tag: pitts

This obituary for George Prewitt Pitts (1869-1936) was originally posted to a compilation of transcriptions titled Henry County Missouri Obituaries at the URL http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mohenry/obituary/p04obit.html. The site is no longer live and the contents appear unavailable. The site was saved once at the Internet Archive, on June 16, 2010. Unfortunately, the Pitts obituary was not on the site on that date. I archived a copy locally in 2015. I have inserted some corrections and commentary as inline references.
If anyone has information on the original transcriber and poster of this obituary please speak up so credit can be given.
Dave Ebaugh (Ebaugh-51)

PITTS, George Prewitt
b: Sep 3 1869, Louisville, KY
d: Jun 20 1936, Blairstown, Henry Co, MO
bur: Rose Hill Cemetery, Latour, Johnson Co, MO
arr: Wilkinson Funeral Home

Well Known Blairstown Man Commits Suicide in Woodshed at His Home

George Prewitt Pitts, well known resident of Blairstown, was found dead by a neighbor Saturday afternoon in a little woodshed in the northeast corner of the yard at his home in Blairstown, where he lived alone. Dr. W. T. Jennings, county coroner, found Mr. Pitts lying on his back in the shed, a 38 caliber revolver lying near, as though it had dropped form his right hand to the floor. The single shot fired went through the heart. After viewing the scene, Dr. Jennings deemed no inquest necessary as it was apparent how he had come to his death. A note of farewell to his family was found on the kitchen table. He had been dead several hours when Dr. Jennings was called to the scene about 5 p.m. Saturday. George Prewitt Pitts was born September 3, 1869, at Louisville, Ky.,^[1] son of John Pitts from Ireland^[2] and Mary Zilty Pitts^[3] of Kentucky. When a young man, he was baptized and joined the Baptist church, where he held his membership until death. He also belonged to the Odd Fellow Lodge several years. In 1892 he was married to Treshy E. Holman^[4] and ten children were in their family, six of whom are living. In 1912 his wife died, leaving seven children for him to rear. For the past 12 years he lived in Blairstown being along at the time of his death. Most of his life was spent as a railroader, but the past few years he was a farmer. He is survived by the following brothers and sisters: T. C. Pitts,^[5] Schell City; Rom and Arch Pitts,^[6] Peculiar; R. W.^[7] Pitts, Bolivar; Mrs. Rolla Box, Jerome, Idaho; Mrs. Florence Chandley, Boise, Idaho; and the following children: V. R. Pitts,^[8] Schell City; D. J. Pitts,^[9] Alexander, Ia.; Mrs. Meva Cooper,^[10] Grandview, Mo.; Mrs. Nellie Harbson,^[11] Mason City, Ia.; Clarence Pitts, Charles City, Ia.; Mrs. Lindsay Salmon,^[12] Clinton. There are also 21 grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian church at Blairstown at 2 p.m. Monday with interment at Rose Hill cemetery, eight miles north of Blairstown under the direction of Wilkinson Funeral service.

Citation Information

Looks like the obit is available in Newspapers.com's collection.

• Date 25 Jun 1936
• Paper Henry County Democrat, Clinton, Henry, Missouri

So, maybe "Well Known Blairstown Man Commits Suicide in Woodshed at His Home." Henry County Democrat, 25 June 1936, transcription at https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:Obituary_for_George_Prewitt_Pitts.

Notes and Corrections

1. ↑ George was born near Liberty, Casey, Kentucky (per 1870 U. S. Census), which is 75 or so miles from Louisville.
2. ↑ George's father, John Luther Pitts, was born in North Carolina. John Luther never knew his father, and his mother spun fanciful tales to John Luther to explain why. She very well may have told John that he was from Ireland.
3. ↑ Mary Ann Zilly (Dameron) Pitts
4. ↑ Emma Mar Tishey Holeman, who often went by "Tishey", much to the frustration of future geneaologists.
5. ↑ Tubell Cain
6. ↑ Romulus and Archibald
7. ↑ Robert Welby
8. ↑ Virgil R.
9. ↑ Daniel John
10. ↑ Mera Lena Cooper
11. ↑ Nellie Harbeson
12. ↑ Thelma Irene Salmon