At right: Photograph of Ricky Lynn Booth, son of Ivan and Erma Booth. Class photo, Mrs. Smith's 5th & 6th grade class, 1967 - 1968, Wilmore Elementary School, Comanche County, Kansas. Photo from the collection of Bobbi (Hackney) Huck.The Wilmore community was saddened Wednesday evening by the sudden accidental death of 13 year old Ricky Booth. His father, Ivan Booth, found him in the farm yard where he had fallen with his neck suspended about 12 inches from the ground. The farm is northwest of Wilmore in Kiowa county. Kiowa county Sheriff Sheriff Bill Hogan said the boy had apparently been playing with a rope on a metal tripod which is used to hoist heavy items. The box he was standing on probably tipped, and Ricky fell with his neck across the loop in the rope evidently unconscious when he hit the ground causing strangulation.
Ricky Lynn Booth was born December 12, 1955 at Hardtner. He was a seventh grade student at Wilmore grade school. He had been a Cub Scout, was a member of the Mule Creek Beavers 4-H club and a member of the Federated church at Wilmore.
Ricky will be remembered by all who knew him as a happy, busy boy who loved sports. He participated enthusiastically in baseball, football, basketball, and track. He was fond of his dogs, his rabbits, and his horse. He enjoyed singing and sang solo parts.
Survivors include his father, Ivan Booth, Wilmore, his mother, Erma Booth, Amarillo, Texas; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Davis of Pratt and Mrs. Robert Booth of Wilmore, loving aunts, uncles, and cousins, and a host of good friends.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, April 26, at the church. Rev. Jerry Keck was the minister. Organist was Mrs. Wade Zeigler. Walter Smith sang "In the Garden' and "Safe in the Arms if Jesus." Pallbearers were Lynn Ranney, Terry Snyder, Mike Snyder, Donald Booth, Dwight Unruh, and Harlow Peaster. Honorary pallbearers were his schoolmates: Mike Uhl, Wendell Unruh, Chris Lawless, Chuckie Metzger, Roger Unruh, Bruce Wedel, Loren Ferrin, and David Hubbard. Flower girls were Becky Martens, Angela Yost, Patty Nielsen, Julie Helm, Linda Unruh, and Bobbi Hackney.
Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery.
The BOOTH Descendants of The Bairds of Lanarkshire in Comanche and Kiowa Counties, Kansas.
Robert & Effie (Maltby) Booth, parents of Ivan Booth; grandparents of Ricky Booth.
Samuel and Christina (Baird) Booth, paternal grandparents of Ivan Booth; great-grandparents of Ricky Booth.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
This website is being created by Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was last updated 24 January 2006.
