Ernest Carter DESHONG

November 10, 1875 - July 14, 1928

*Obituary
Rogers Daily News
Monday, July 16, 1928

Ernest Carter DeShong, aged 50, died suddenly of heart trouble on last Saturday evening at about six o'clock when he was driving just east of town. Mr. DeShong, with his wife, his daughter Miss Lefevre and her friend, Miss Marjorie Young, had been to Exeter, Mo. that day to attend the celebration in honor of the opening of the new business block there which had just been rebuilt to take the place of buildings destroyed by fire some time ago. Upon returning home and near the W.T. Alfrey home on the Pea Ridge road, the occupants said the car swerved a little and glancing at Mr. DeShong, who was driving, they saw him fall towards Mrs. DeShong who sat in the front seat and who caught him in her arms. The car was stopped and Miss Young hurried to the Alfrey home to call Dr. Pickens. Before he arrived Mr. DeShong had succumbed to heart trouble. Mrs. S.M. Bell was telephoned the sad news and she came over to Bentonville that night to be with her mother. Louis DeShong, in Cleveland, could not be reached for he had gone out of the city on a week-end jaunt and was unable to be located until Monday. Ernest Carter DeShong was born at McLemoresville, Tenn. Nov. 10, 1875 and died July 14, 1928, being 52 years, 8 months and 4 days old. At the age of four years his parents moved from their Tennessee home to Arkansas and settled at Russellville where he grew to manhood, moving from there in 1900 to Northwest Arkansas where he spent the remainder of his days. He was converted when a youth some 12 or 14 years old and joined the Baptist church at Russellville. He was a traveling salesman which business he has followed since he was 17 years old and was with the Peters Shoe Co. of St. Louis for many years and at the time of his death. On Dec. 25, 1900, at the age of 25 years, he was married to Miss Rebecca Dinsmore Watson. To them were born three children. Funeral services were held at the family home on Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock, the pastor, Rev. J.D. Allen, officiating. Burial was made in the City Cemetery. Besides his wife Mr. DeShong is survived by his son, Louis DeShong, who is employed in Cleveland; his daughters, Mrs. S.M. Bell of Lindsay, Okla. and Miss Lefevre at the home; his mother, Mrs. L.F. DeShong; his sisters, Mrs. J.H. Morgan, Miss Ethelyn DeShong and Mrs. Will Terry of Bentonville; and two brothers, Allan, of Ardmore, Okla. and Frank of Little Rock and other relatives.

*Obituary
Benton County Herald
Thursday, July 19, 1928

DeSHONG, Ernest Carter - Funeral services for Ernest C. DeShong, prominent Bentonville resident and widely known traveling salesman, whose death occurred suddenly at 5:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon, July 14th, 1928, the result of heart disease, were held at the family residence here Tuesday afternoon and interment made in the family lot at the Bentonville cemetery Wednesday. The son, Louis Carter DeShong, was unable to reach Bentonville until Tuesday night. The services were conducted by the Rev. J.D. Allen, pastor of the Bentonville Baptist Church, of which Mr. DeShong was a member. At the home and at the cemetery a great number of friends, many of them from other places, and a profusion of flowers paid tribute to his memory and expressed the esteem and sympathy of the many friends for his relatives. For a number of years Mr. DeShong had been associated with the Peters Shoe Company of St. Louis in the capacity of traveling salesman. Early Saturday afternoon he had motored to Cassville, Mo. to be present at the celebration of the opening of a new store by one of his customers. He took with him to Cassville his wife, his mother, his younger daughter, Miss Lefevre DeShong, and Miss Marjorie Young of Bentonville. He had not been well for several days. While returning home and when less than three miles from town the end came suddenly. He was at the wheel but other members of the party succeeded in stopping the car without accident. Ernest Carter DeShong, the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. L.F. DeShong, was born at McLemoresville, Tenn. November 10th, 1875. When he was four years of age the family moved to Russellville, Ark. where he grew to manhood. In 1900 the DeShong family came to Bentonville and this has been his home since. His father died here August 5th, 1906. On December 25th, 1900 he married here Miss Rebecca Dinsmore (Dolly} Watson, a daughter of Col. and Mrs. E.P. Watson of Bentonville. He was very fond of children and probably the last words he spoke, and only a few moments before the end, was when he expressed regret that he had not brought his youngest niece, little Ruby Gene Morgan, with them on this trip. He was converted at the age of 14 and joined the Baptist Church at Russellville, being active in Sunday school and church work until he began to be away from home so much as a traveling salesman. Salesmanship was his life work from the age of seventeen and his success in his chosen occupation is another proof of his likeable personality, sympathetic nature and ability. Besides his wife he is survived by one son and two daughters: Louis Carter DeShong of Cleveland, Ohio; Mrs. Frances Bell of Lindsey, Okla. and Miss Lefevre DeShong, Bentonville; by his mother, Mrs. L.F. DeShong; three sisters, Mrs. Wm. A. Terry, Mrs. J.H. Morgan and Miss Ethelyn DeShong, all of Bentonville; and two brothers, Frank F. DeShong of Little Rock and Allen D. DeShong of Ardmore, Okla. and by a number of nephews and nieces and other relatives.

Contributed on 3/8/13 by wfields55
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Record #: 844625

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