Earle CARNAHAN

September 23, 1885 - September 4, 1932
Son of Rev Peter & Martha Jane "Jennie" Buchanan Carnahan

*Obituary
Benton County Record & Democrat & Sun
Thursday, September 8, 1932

CARNAHAN, Earle - Earle Carnahan, pharmacist in the Walter Wright drug store in Bentonville, was found dead in the bathroom of the home of his brother, Wilford Carnahan, with whom he lived, early Sunday morning. Heart disease is said to have been the cause of his death. He had been in apparently good health Saturday and closed the Wright drug store for the night Saturday where he was employed. Mr. Carnahan was the son of Rev. Peter Carnahan, pioneer minister of Bentonville. His grandparents were among the earliest settlers of Washington County: Samuel Carnahan, who located at Cane Hill in 1827 and Rev. John Buchanan, one of the first ministers in Northwest Arkansas. He was born in Bentonville in 1885 where he grew to manhood. He graduated from St. Louis School of Pharmacy and later engaged in the drug business with his brother, John Carnahan, in Ft. Smith. He was also in the drug business in Eureka Springs and Tulsa as well as at Bentonville. Funeral services were held at the Presbyterian Church Monday afternoon, the pastor, Rev. A.W. Henderson conducting the services, assisted by Rev. W.C. Wheat. Burial was made in the Bentonville cemetery following the services.

*Obituary
Benton County Herald
Thursday, September 8, 1932

Funeral services for Earle Carnahan, aged 47, well known Bentonville resident whose death occurred early Sunday morning, September 4th, 1932 from a heart attack at the home of himself and brother, Wilford B. Carnahan, at 1604 East C Street, were held at 3 o'clock Monday afternoon at the Bentonville Presbyterian Church, conducted by the pastor, the Rev. A.W. Henderson, assisted by the Rev. W.C. Wheat. Burial was in the Carnahan family lot at the Bentonville cemetery. Mr. Carnahan, who was widely known in his profession as pharmacist, had worked all day and until 11 o'clock Saturday night at Wright's Drug Store here. Going directly home from the store, he and his brother, who have for a number of years been the only occupants of the former home of their parents, the late Rev. Peter Carnahan and wife, sat down and talked about 20 minutes before retiring in adjoining rooms. They still talked for a little while and the brother dropped off to sleep. Arising at his usual hour, about 6 o'clock, Sunday morning Wilford Carnahan went to the bath room where he found his brother dead on the floor. His physician attributed death to an acute heart attack and found that the end had come probably two or three hours earlier. Mr. Carnahan had not complained Saturday night other than to say that he felt somewhat tired. Earle Carnahan was a son of the late Rev. Peter Carnahan, pioneer Presbyterian minister whose memory is revered throughout this entire section by many thousands of people in all stations of life; and the grandson of the late Samuel Carnahan who settled at Cane Hill in Washington County in 1827 where the Rev. Peter Carnahan was born. His maternal grandfather was the Rev. John Buchanan, pioneer minister of Washington County. An uncle, Major Earle, for whom Mr. Carnahan was named, was for many years the head of the old Cane Hill College which was Northwest Arkansas' extensively known seat of higher education and the most noted educational institution in Arkansas long before the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville came into existence. A number of the South's best lawyers and other professional men, including a number of Bentonville attorneys of past generations were educated there. Of a retiring disposition, Earle Carnahan was the sort of a man best liked and best loved by those most closely associated with him but recognized and liked by all who knew him for his quiet courtesy, his characteristic self-effacement and his apparent distaste for undue interest in the personal affairs of others. He was born September 23rd, 1885 at the old Carnahan home two miles east of Bentonville in the brick house now the home of E.H. Breedlove and family, and attended his first school and first Sunday School and church services in the "Carnahan brick church" which was built under the leadership and doubtless largely through the personal donations and time and work and financial sacrifices of his father who was the pastor there, as well as serving many other communities at the same time. The old church of late years has been known as the Jefferson schoolhouse. Later he attended school in Bentonville, graduating here from high school. Under the skilled tuition of his brother, John H. Carnahan of Fort Smith, he then entered the drug business and took up the profession of pharmacist after graduation with high honors as the second of his class in the St. Louis School of Pharmacy. For several years he was associated with his brother in the drug business at Fort Smith. He also had owned drug stores at Tulsa, Okla. and Eureka Springs, Ark. and had held positions as pharmacist at a number of places, including work with Bentonville drug stores. For the past two years he had made Bentonville his home and he loved this town and its people. Mr. Carnahan is survived by three brothers, Edgar Carnahan of Bentonville, John H. Carnahan of Fort Smith and Wilford B. Carnahan of Bentonville; one sister, Mrs. D.C. Lewis of Portland, Oregon and other relatives including his nephew, John Hunt Carnahan of Fort Smith who was particularly fond of his Uncle Earle and frequently came here to go fishing with him. Among the relatives here for the funeral was Mrs. Ora Engstrom of Joplin, the widow of a brother, Harry Carnahan, who died suddenly while here in Bentonville on a visit on July 5th, 1930. Another brother died many years ago. The sister was unable to be here.

Contributed on 8/20/10 by nailgal123
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Record #: 363083

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