LaBAW, Rex - L-Obituaries

Rex LaBaw, 17 years old, a farm hand lost his life by cremation in a fire which destroyed the home of Frank Wilbur, a half mile west of Tab, Warren County at 3 o’clock Saturday morning. There were 10 persons asleep in the house when the fire broke out, including Wilbur and his family.  All escaped except Labaugh (sic).  The fire, which was of unknown origin, started in a downstairs room and had spread throughout the house when members of the Wilbur family were awakened by the crackling of the flames. The others had just escaped by an upstairs window when the second story toppled in.  An effort was made to reach the room occupied by LaBaw but Wilbur was driven back by the flames. The young man was a native of Veedersburg and had been working for Wilbur for the past two weeks.  He was a nephew of Clyde Robinson, a rural mail carrier at Tab and grandson of the late Jonathan LaBaw of Shawnee Township, this county. The farm is owned by Rol Benedict of West Lebanon.  Mr. Wilbur and his family lost all their personal effects.  The parents of the boy, Mr. and Mrs. John A. LaBaw reside at Centralia, Ill. The father is a teacher of manual training in the schools of Kansas City. The funeral was conducted Monday at 10:30 a.m. from the Tab Church, Elder AW Jackman of this city officiating. Burial was made in the Rockfield cemetery near Veedersburg. The neighbors got busy at once and by Saturday night raised several hundred dollars which they gave to the Wilbur family. They also contributed a lot of clothing as the Wilbur family lost everything.