Notes |
- Willard was accidentally shot by George Campbell, his grandfather, on a hunting trip.
The Sikeston Herald (Missouri), Thursday, June 10, 1948; page 9 -
Cape County Youth Killed While Hunting
Last Saturday Willard Abernathy, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Abernathy, who live near Whitewater in Cape Girardeau county, was fatally shot by his grandfather, George M. Campbell of Morley, who was visiting in the Abernathy home.
It is reported that the grandfather went squirrel hunting near the Abernathy home early Saturday morning and that a little later, without his knowledge, the lad also went hunting. In the dim light of the morning Campbell saw something moving in a clump of bushes and fired his gun at it. The object was his grandson.
Notes from death certificate (Missouri State File No. 15659; Willard Ervin Abernathy):
- Immediate cause of death: Shock & Hemorrhage due to being shot by a 12 gauge double barrel shot gun. The charge going into the right frontal bone.
- Death was ruled an accident. Injury occurred at Crump, Cape Girardeau County on Roy Grindstaff farm - Whitewater, Mo. Means of injury: Shot gun
(See also: Willard Ervin Abernathy's Standard Certificate of Death)
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