Obits: Neely,Cora, died  10/21/1946
Oct. 2002
Wolfe County, KY 

Submitted by: http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000062 
Wolfe County Genealogy and  Carole Bays
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Wolfe County News,  June 15, 1949

FAMILY OF FOUR FORMER RESIDENTS DIE IN MICH. FIRE

A fire of undetermined origin claimed the lives of Mrs. Cora Neely and 
four of her seven children at Novi, Michigan early Thursday morning, 
June 9, according to a story in the Pontiac Daily Press, Pontiac, Mich.  
The father, Bruce Neely and three other children escaped the blaze.

The Neely's are former residents of Breathitt and Wolfe Counties.

The Daily Press' account of the tragedy follows:

A 31 year old mother and four of her seven children burned to death 
early Thursday morning, June 9th, when flames destroyed their two-story 
frame home at 18600 West Nine Mile road.

Dead are the mother, Mrs. Cora Neely, and children, Shirley Fay, 9: 
Linville, 7: Phyllis, 4: and Bruce Jr., 3.

In University hospital, Ann Arbor is another child, Zeola Mae, 5.  She 
is in critical condition with second and third degree burns on her 
body.

The father Bruce Neely, 37 who escaped injury, told sheriff's deputy 
Frank Hansen, he  and his wife were sleeping on the first floor of their 
two-story frame house.  The children were asleep upstairs.

The two oldest children, Amos/Ainos? 14 and Andrew, 11, rushed into 
their bedroom about 2:30 this morning and said the hosue was afire.

The mother ran upstairs and the father got a bucket of water and threw 
it on the stairs but was driven back by flames when he attempted to 
follow his wife to the second floor.

He then heard a window break on the second floor and rushing outside 
his wife handed Zeola Mae through the window.  The mother then 
disappeared.

Neely told deputy Hansen he heard a sound inside the house, as though 
his wife had clapped her hands.  He did not see her again and said he 
heard no screams.

When the bodies, were found one of the children was still in its bed, 
the other bodies charred, beyong recognition, were found scattered 
throughout the debris.

Chief Clayton Walker of the Northville fire department said the fire 
was out of control when firemen arrived.  He said he could not determine 
cause of the fire.

A cook stove had been used to prepare the evening meal, Neeley told 
firemen, but fire was allowed to go out before the family went to bed.

A car belonging to the family, parked in a drive beside the house also 
was destroyed.  Hansen said the father of the family was employed at 
the Bob o' Link Golf course on US-16 near Novi.

And in Oct. 1950

BRUCE NEELY HURT IN AUTO MISHAP

Bruce Neely was seriously hurt when struck by a car recently in 
Northville, Michigan. He was just leaving the shop from his work when a car 
hit him and threw him onto the hood of the car.  Another car struck the 
car upon which Neely's body was lodged throwing him to the pavement and 
then ran over him.  Both of his legs are reported as broken in the 
accident and he is in the hospital in a serious condition.  He has 
relatives living in Wolfe County.

Carole


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