| Obit For | William Dempsey Gurley |
|---|---|
| Headline | Drops Dead |
| Text | Without a moments warning W. D. Gurley of Purdy dropped dead at his blacksmith shop in Purdy Tuesday morning of heart failure.
Mr. Gurley had gone to his shop for the usual day's work and was handed a letter to read and sat down to read it when he dropped over dead. Mr. Gurley had never complained of his heart to his friends and his sudden death was a great surprise to everyone. W. D. Gurley has for years been a justice of the peace at Purdy and is one of the county's most highly respected citizens. He has a large acquaintance in this county and was held in high esteem by his fellow townsmen. He was a quite unassuming man and was a friend to everybody. The funeral services were held in Purdy Wednesday. He was buried with the honors of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity of which he had long been a member. He leaves three brothers, Col. Gurley, Geo. Gurley and Newton Gurley and six children; Mrs. John Moore, Mrs. L. R. McNatt, Mrs. Chell Shipman, Mrs. Asa Wormington, Miss Myrtle Gurley and J. O. Gurley who lives in the west. Research Note: William Dempsey Gurley was a son of Joel Gurley and Virginia Stephenson. He married Adele Emiline Cook (she went by Mary). According to his death certificate he was a widow, a blacksmith and a Justice of the Peace. It reads that Joseph and Margaret (Stephenson) Gurley were his parents. They were both born in Scotland. Phyllis' Note: His death certificate does read that Joseph and Margaret (Stephenson) Gurley were born in Scotland. William Dempsey Gurley's GG Grandparents were born in Scotland. Joseph and Margaret known as Joel and Virginia in the census records. Joel was born in AL and died in 1863 in Ft. Smith, AR during the Civil War. Virginia Stephenson, his wife was born in TN and died 1910 in Greensburg, KS. |
| Newspaper or Funeral Home | Cassville Republican |
| Date | April 18, 1912, Thursday |
| Death Cert Link | Death Certificate |
| Resource | State Historical Society of MO |
| Submitted by | Norman & Vickie Smith Jack Fly |
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