McGimpsey Obituaries/Clippings

The following are transcribed newspaper clippings that were collected by Vernon Capps, the husband of my 1st cousin twice removed Gertrude Elloise Geyer. I have photocopies of the clippings. I don't know what newspapers they were taken from.

Lorene McGimpsey

Lorene E. McGimpsey, 78, of Thornburg, died Sunday, April 22, 1990, at the Mahaska County Hospital in Oskaloosa.

She was born September 5, 1911, near Thornburg, the daughter of Roy and Grace Stafford Edmundson.

She was united in marriage to Art McGimpsey in January of 1930. He died in October of 1985.

She graduated from Thornburg High School in 1929. She was Postmaster for 21 years at the Thornburg Post Office. She was a member of the Thornburg United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women.

She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. D. Jim (Greta Lou) Moore of Thornburg; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one brother, Leroy Edmundson of Keswick.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, and one sister, Doris Davis.

Funeral services were held at 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 25 at the Harden Funeral Chapel in What Cheer with Rev. Dean McPherson officiating.

Music was by Janet Arendt.

Bearers of the casket were Van Moore, Ace Moore, Ron Denison, Ray Gasperi, Gerald Denison and Lloyd Little.

Burial was in the Sixteen Cemetery near Thornburg.

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40 Years Ago
April 7, 1938

Mrs. Jane McGimpsey died at Thornburg yesterday afternoon. She had been visiting in the Grace McCracken home and suffered a stroke early Friday morning.

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[Handwritten at top of clipping: "1985"]

Charles Arthur McGimpsey

Charles Arthur “Art” McGimpsey, 74, of Thornburg died Saturday, Oct. 12, at the University Hospitals in Iowa City.

He was born March 23, 1911, in Thornburg, the son of Henry A. and Jennie Reasner McGimpsey.

He married Lorene E. Edmundson January 5, 1930, in What Cheer.

He was a lifelong Thornburg resident. He farmed for several years and later was the custodian of the Thornburg High School. Later, he was the custodian for the Tri-County Community Schools. He retired in 1975.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church in Thornburg.

He is survived by his wife; one daughter, Mrs. D. Jim (Greta Lou) Moore of Thornburg; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister, Mrs. Harold (Isabelle) Godwin, of Washington.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one infant sister.

Funeral services were held Monday, Oct. 14, at the Harden Funeral Chapel in What Cheer with Rev. Ron L. Clayton officiating.

Music was by Mrs. Jean Wilson.

Bearers of the casket were Ace Moore, Van Moore, Ron Denison, Ray Gasperi, Steve Thomann and Duane McBeth.

Burial was in the Sixteen Cemetery near Thornburg.

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[Handwritten at top of clipping: "1968"]

Former Thornburg Resident Slain in Langley, Oklahoma

Martin H. (Bill) McGimpsey, 58, of Vinita, Oklahoma, an aide at the Eastern State Hospital in Langley, Oklahoma; was shot and killed August 2. His alleged assailant was taken into custody on a charge of murder.

Sheriff R. W. Green placed Dale Eugene Branstetter, 38, a former patient of the hospital, in jail a few hours after the shooting following his arrest at his home northeast of Pryor, Oklahoma.

The sheriff alerted the Mayes County sheriff’s office immediately after the slaying and Branstetter was picked up at his home eight miles from Pryor. He did not resist arrest, officers said.

Sheriff Green said that Branstetter had an almost new .22 Magnum double-barrel pistol in his possession at the time the arrest was made.

McGimpsey had been employed at the state hospital 3 years. He formerly owned and operated McGimpsey Cafe and Bait Shop in Langley.

Martin McGimpsey was born February 13, 1910 in Thornburg. His survivors include his wife Oma, three daughters, Mrs Carol Ann Harris, Wichita, Kansas, Mrs Lois Brown and Mrs Willa Rose Merriott, both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; two sons, Martin D. of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and William at home; six sisters, Mrs Catherine Shifflet, Deep River, Mrs Ruth Fraiser, Des Moines, Mrs Grace Geyer, Washington, Iowa, Mrs Rachel Bone and Mrs Eva Moore both of Oskaloosa and Mrs Maggie Geyer, What Cheer; and two grandchildren. One sister Mrs Bernice Baker preceded him in death.

Mr McGimpsey was a member of the First Christian church of Langley Oklahoma. Masonic funeral services were conducted there.

Mrs Catherine Shifflet of Deep River and Mrs Ruth Fraiser of Des Moines flew to Vinita, Oklahoma to attend the funeral service of their brother, Martin McGimpsey. Mrs Grace Geyer and her family of Washington drove down.