Rose - Raymond
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana 15 Apr 1963, p. 1
A 51-year old farm hand, Raymond E. (Bud) Rose, perished in a trailer fire early Sunday morning about thee and one-half miles west of here on Ind. 32. Rose, who lived alone and had occupied the compact trailer only two weeks, died of smoke inhalation, according to Montgomery County Coroner Dr. Samuel C. Millis. The coroner said flames, which destroyed the three-room trailer, did not reach the body before it was dragged from the burning structure by Loyd A. Stephens. Rose was pronounced dead at the scene. Stephens, who owned the trailer and operates the farm on which it was located, said he and his wife arose about 6:10 and when he glanced out the window he thought he detected smoke in the area of the trailer, which was located approximately 50 yards from the farm house. “I called to my wife and she thought she could see smoke in that immediate area, too,” Stephens said. “I grabbed my coat and hat and ran to the trailer and as I neared it I could see smoke coming from the ventilators. “I pulled the door open and he (Rose) was slumped unconscious near the entrance as though he might have tried to get out the door before he passed out.” Stephens, who hired Rose as a farm hand two weeks ago and provided the living quarters, dragged Rose from the trailer and returned to his farm house to call the first department. Stephens said when he first opened the door to the trailer the only fire he could see was a davenport ablaze, although the trailer was filled with dense smoke. “But as soon as I opened the door and the air reached the fire the flames spread quickly,” Stephes related, “and when I returned after calling the fire department the entire interior was afire.” City firemen who answered the call said they believed the fire started in the area of the davenport and likely was started by a cigarette. County Sheriff Clarence Demoret, who also investigated, concurred with the theory that a cigarette had probably started the fire. Firemen said this was at least the third fire dall within memory they had answered in which the blaze involved the deceased. Damage to the trailer, which was called a total loss, was estimated at $500 by firemen. Stephens said he wasn’t sure whether or not the loss was covered by insurance. The loss of life as a direct result of fire was Montgomery County’s first since Oct. 17, 1961 when 5-week old Bryan Maris Baker, son of Mrs. and Mrs. Max Baker, died in a flash fire which swept his parents’ trailer at 1712 E. College St. Rose, a life-long resident of this county, was born Jan. 12, 1912, a son of Edmound and Melvina Gilliam Rose. He attended school in Crawfordsville and was emploued as a plumber and carpenter for a number of years. He served in the U.S.Army during World War II. Surviving are a son, Donald Lee Rose of Rt. 5; a daughter, Mrs. David Kadinger of near Crawfordsville; five brothers, Frank E., Kenneth R. and Delbert, all of Crawfordsville, and Wallace L.