RENFRO, LEE BARTON - Benton County, Arkansas | LEE BARTON RENFRO - Arkansas Gravestone Photos

Lee Barton RENFRO

Buttram Chapel Cemetery
Benton County,
Arkansas

Dec 1 1912 - Jan 17 1933
Son of HN & Birdie B Renfro

*Obituary
Rogers Daily News
Wednesday, January 18, 1933

The dead body of Lee Renfro, 20 year old Avoca youth, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.N. Renfro, was found on the Frisco right of way about two miles and one-half north of Avoca early Wednesday morning. His body was discovered by Morris Rife who lives nearby, as he was crossing the railroad to wait for the school bus. Highway employees made the discovery about the same time and the sheriff's office here notified. Sheriff Maples, on arriving on the scene, made a careful examination, both of the body and the surrounding spot. The body was near the Frisco tracks, the head being a foot or so from the ties, and about ten feet from a cattle guard. A deep hole was found in the back of his head and his cap quite a distance from the body. Renfro's right ankle appeared to have been bruised and the sole of his shoe on his right had been ripped loose. Mr. Maples also found a stone about five inches in diameter bearing blood stains and a few hairs, a pool of blood and several locks of hair were found near the body. Much speculation was advanced as to his death. The deep wound in the head and the tell-tale stone lead some people to believe he had been murdered. While on the other hand the ripped heel on the shoe led others to believe that he had caught his foot in the cattle guard and was struck by a south-bound train. This theory is knocked out by the fact that the track is straight where the body was found. As he was walking north he could have seen the headlight on the engine and had he been struck by it he would have been badly mangled. The body was taken to Rogers and Coroner Wasson called. On his arrival a jury was impanelled. After hearing the testimony of several witnesses the jury was unable to determine the cause of Renfro's death and gave a verdict that his death was by causes unknown. They recommended an investigation by the next grand jury Witnesses at the inquest testified that Renfro attended a basketball game in Rogers Tuesday night and later rode in a car with Lee Dean, John Duty, Jr. and Marvin Head. They then drove to Head's home. They stated they reached the Head home at 10:30 o'clock. Arriving at the Duty home a little later Renfro asked Duty to take him home. Duty could not do so, it is said, because he had used the gasoline in his car. Renfro started alone up the highway and turned off on the old road. When he came to the railroad track he began walking up the track. His body was found about one-half mile farther north. Young Renfro was in Bentonville Tuesday afternoon. The tragedy of the young man's death was a shock to the entire community. He was a son of a prominent family, a graduate of the Rogers high school where he was very popular, and until recently president of the Benton County Chapter of the Future Farmers of America. He was an active worker in the chapter. In addition to his parents Renfro is survived by a twin sister, Mrs. Leelia Patterson, Superior, Ariz., three other sisters, Mrs. Louise Buttram of near Avoca and Misses Ruth and Mary Jane Renfro of Avoca, and two brothers, Herbert Renfro of Avoca and Robert Renfro of Bluefield, W. Va.

*Obituary
Benton County Herald
Thursday, January 19, 1933

Lee Renfro, 20-year-old son of H.N. Renfro, well known business man of Avoca, was found dead on the Frisco right-of-way two and a half miles north of Rogers yesterday morning. His skull was crushed and it has not yet been definitely decided whether he was struck by some one or by the southbound Frisco passenger train arriving in Rogers at 11:10 Tuesday night. The body bore no other marks but one foot was slightly bruised and the sole of the shoe appeared to be ripped loose, giving credence on one theory that young Renfro had caught his foot in a cattle guard and then was hit by the train. Witnesses accounted for his actions until about 10:30 o'clock when he left a group of former school classmates at the John Duty home and started to walk to Avoca. He had attended a basket ball game in Rogers and had ridden around with other boys for about 45 minutes before starting home. He had had one or two drinks of liquor it was testified. The body was found about 8 o'clock Wednesday morning. He was an honor graduate of the Rogers high school last year and prominent in school activities and the Future Farmers of America organization, from the presidency of which he only recently retired after a year's service.

*Obituary
Gravette News Herald
Friday, January 20, 1933

RENFRO, Lee - Lee Renfro, 20 year old farmer of near Rogers, was found dead early Wednesday morning on the Frisco right-of-way north of Rogers. His head had been crushed and a coroner's jury returned a verdict of death from unknown causes. Two theories were advanced, one that the youth was murdered and the other that he had been hit by a train. A blood-stained rock found near the body caused the murder theory. The sole of one of his shoes had been pulled loose and it was thought that he might have been caught in a cattle guard and killed by a train, though there were no other injuries.

Contributed on 5/15/13 by judyfrog
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Record #: 879085

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Submitted: 5/15/13 • Approved: 5/16/13 • Last Updated: 5/19/13 • R879085-G0-S3

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