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Abercrombie, Clotiele B.
Abercrombie, Loyd D. Sr.
Abercrombie, Virgie Blalock
Armstrong, John
Bain, Pamela
Bento, Lola
Box, Dorothy Womack
Campbell, Lu
Holbert, Pearl Shaw
Challis, James E. "Ike"
Cole, Beaver
Coleman, Howard
Cronkite, Walter
Degnan, Julie E.
Duch, Greg
Erikson, Charles Henry
Ezell, Alta Reigh
Farrell, Hal
Gregory, Doug
Grenley, Martha Rogers
Grigg, Horace
Grigg, William N.
Hannon, Bill
Harris, Howard
Johnson, Joe and Bobby
Kronjaeger, Jim
Lester, George
Lester, George - Playmates
Lummus, Darlene
Lummus, Don
Martinez, Nelma Cummins
Mayhew, Bessie
McAllister, Mark
Meissner, J. Raymond
Moody, Mildred
Motley, Pete
Nelson, Ron
Plant, Sally
Platton, Mike
Read, Osceola Jefferson
Robertson, William Judson
Robinson, Jimmie Jordan
Mack Thornton Rogers
Ryan, Terri Jo
Seacrist, Debra
Shaw, Marjorie
Stanley, Glenda G.
Taylor, Bob
Taylor, Jim
Thompson, Bill
Vail, Mary Lechtenberg
Vento, Eduardo
Vinson, Allen Earl
Vinson, Melvin
Williams, William B. |
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FORT WORTH -- J. Raymond Meissner, 87, a retired
funeral director, died Saturday, March 8, 1997,
at a Fort Worth retirement center.
Funeral: 3 p.m. Tuesday at Thompson's Harveson &
Cole Funeral Home. Burial: Rose Hill Memorial
Park.
J. Raymond Meissner was born June 15, 1909, in
Bellville. He was the son of a pioneer family in
the Polytechnic area. As a young man in the
1920s, he obtained his funeral director's and
embalmer's licenses and was an associate of
Shannon's Funeral Home, first on the north side
and later at the funeral home on Nashville and
Avenue B in Polytechnic. In 1941, he purchased
this funeral home and operated as Meissner
Funeral Home for more than 30 years until his
retirement.
March 18 is the 60th anniversary of the
explosion in New London. Mr. Meissner was one of
the morticians who went to New London to assist
in the care of the children who were killed in
this disaster.
During retirement years, he was an associate of
Thompson's
Harveson & Cole Funeral Home.
He was a member of Polytechnic United Methodist
Church. He was a past president of East Fort
Worth Lions Club and past district governor of
the Lions International. He was a member of
Polytechnic Masonic Lodge No. 925 and member of
Moslah Shrine. He was past patron of Polytechnic
Order of the Eastern Star No. 420 and member of
I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 148.
Survivors: Wife, Martha Ward Meissner of Fort
Worth; sisters-in-law, Mrs. Leon (Imogene)
Meissner of Granbury, Mrs. Harry (Frances)
Meissner of Austin, Mrs. Mack (Bernice) Meissner
of Fort Worth and Mrs. Frank (Martha Ruth) Ward
of Galveston; and nephews and nieces. |
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Mildred Moody's
Poem Courtesy of Kerri Griffith |
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My name is Kerri Griffith. My grandmother lost
her cousin, Claude Kilgore, in the explosion,
and ever since childhood I've been curious about
the horrific tragedy. My grandma passed away
several years ago, and I received boxes full of
family papers—cards, notes, poems, and other
memorabilia. I was looking through everything
and found a poem my great aunt, Mildred Moody,
wrote about the explosion. If you would like to
feel free to post it on the website. I never
knew Mildred—she died not long after 1937.
The New London School Blast
By Mildred Moody
The sun arose brightly that morning
beginning another new day. A world
full of joy for each girl and each boy
and sorrow seemed far away.
The children were told to be good
by mothers so loving and kind.
As they tripped off to school, not one
of them knew they were leaving
their loved ones behind.
They studied their lessons, as usual,
as many a time before. Not a warning
to one that fate had begun its business
of striking once more.
All at once, through the great school building
a terrific noise burst forth. Not a moment
to wonder of that loud roaring thunder
that deafened the girls and the boys.
So suddenly everything happened,
had it waited a few minutes more,
school would have been out.
Hundreds died just like flies,
so heedless their cries. Before
help was summoned, no doubt.
News travels swiftly, you know,
and before many hours had past,
while death kept on walking,
the whole world was talking
of the New London Blast.
All through the night, people waited
as they carried out the dead, one by one.
With their eyes full of tears, their hearts full
of fear,
afraid for their missing daughters and sons. |
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Taken from correspondence with his daughter,
Donna Motley Kropp |
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"My father, Pete Motley was in the explosion. He
apparently located his older brother Ray who was
also in the junior high school. The family story
that was told to me was that my father saved his
brother's
life. My dad attended a number of the reunions
held during the 80's
and 90's,
but he is currently living in a nursing home in
Tyler and won't
be able to attend any further. I have heard many
stories about the school explosion as my
grandparents were living at the Humble camp in
the area. I also have a picture of the school
following the explosion that doesn't
look like anything posted here." |
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