The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1950-07-20

TOIUtSt HuIOtu lVutu
Buried Here In
Rites Wednesday
The tragic death of Gordon
Leard, "a, former Durant youth
and husband of a former Lexing-
ton girl, shocked and saddened
wide circle of friends in Holmes
county.
Gordon was killed instantly
Sunday, July l6, in Dallas, Texas,
where they had resided since Oct
ober, l948. He was enroute to the
Humble service station which he
owned and operated.
According to accounts of the
accident received here by the FAM
lily Gordon was travelling down
University Drive and turning into
Inwood road at Gas o'clock Sum-
day morning when hit by a car
driven by a Dallas lawyer.
The lawyer was driving at a
high rate of speed enroute to
catch a plane, according to re-
ports, and hit young Lizards car
on the drivers side in the center
killing him instantly and demol-
ishing his car. The lawyer was
not injured and his car was dam
aged about $4,000, reports said.
He was arrested and is now un-
der bond.
Funeral Services
Funeral services were held for
Gordon at the First Baptist Church
in Durant at 400 pm. Wednesday
afternoon with the Rev. c. M.
Day, pastor, officiating. He was
Baptist
Interment was at Mizpah ceme-
terry in Durant with Southern in
charge of arrangements.
Surviving are his widow, the
former Miss Maggie Hammett OF
Lexington, and their two child
rem, Dimple Elizabeth, 3, and
Gordon Brown, Jr., who was two
months old Wednesday. Mrs
Leard was in Lexington for the
birth of their son and was plann-
ing on returning to Dallas when
informed of her husbands death
The remains came by train to
Durant Tuesday afternoon from
Dallas and were brought to the
home of her sister, Mrs. A. J,
Hearn in Lexington until time
for the funeral.
Other surviving members of his
family are his mother, Mrs. o. A
Ray, of Alderman; two sisters
Miss Maxine Leard, of Juneau
Alaska, and Miss Doris Leard, Nc
Cool; two brothers, Clayton
Leard. who is with the Southern
Bell Telephone Company in
Birmingham, Ala, and Hugh
Leard, of Purvis, who is connected
with the Soil Conservation Serv-
ice. His father was the late San
w. Leard, builder and owner OF
Hotel Durant.
Born In Alfalfa
Gordon was born in Attala coun.
ty October Is, 1915, and came tc
Durant when he was II, operating
the Hotel Durant service station
During World War II he served
all the way through with Battery
B of the Hath Field Artillery
31st Division, in the states and in
New Guinea and the Pacific cam
'paigns in which this division
participated.
After the war he and Mrs. Learo
returned to Durant to live where
he was agent for Arkansas Fuel
Oil Company until they left fol-
Texas.
His friendly, pleasant ways en-
deared him to a wide circle OF
friends wherever he went.
Out OF Town
A large number of out of town
friends and relatives attended
the rites. Among them were Mr..
and Mrs. o. A. Ray, Alderman;
Clayton Leard, Birmingham; Mr..
and Mrs. Hugh Leard, Purvis;
Pete Estes, James Dickard, a for
mer Lexington youth, Roy Whit
taker, Charles Beck and Woody
Bayum, all of Dallas; Mr.. and
Mrs. Bud Hammett. Dallas; Mrs.
N, D. McCarty, Holly Bluff, Miss
Geneva Dodd, and Mr.. Irving
Screws, all of Holly Bluff; Mrs.
Clifton Williams and Mrs. Peyton
Jones, of Tchula; Mrs. j. N. Hall,
Mrs. r. P. Porter, and Mr.. Ed
Porter, of Jackson; Mrs. B. j.
Allen, Mrs. B. ]. Allen, Jr., both
of st. Louis; Miss Leila Hammett,
Admission. S. c., and Mr.. and Mrs.
c. w. Seymour, Altamonte Spr-
ings, Florida.
PallbeareYs
Pallbearers were Charles Dur
ham, Clyde Durham, H. H.
Smithson, Curtis Gibson, Leon
Kennedy, of Kosciusko, Ray John
son, Claude Dodd, Charles Smith
and John Word.
Honorary pallbearers were his
friends.
Mr. and Mrs. r. v. McCullar