On Sunday morning, September 4, 1960, about 9:00 a.m. the farm home of Noah Dillinger and his two sisters, Carrie and Mollie, was destroyed by an explosion supposedly caused from an accumulation of butane gas under the floor.Miss Carrie Belle Dillinger, 79, was killed in the explosion and her sister, Miss Mollie, received severe injuries, with fractures of both legs, cuts and bruises. Noah who was in another room studying his Sunday School lessons, was uninjured.
There were two explosions, but neither caused any major fire damage. The telephone worked long enough to call for help and then ceased to function. All windows but two were blown from the house and the floor of the house was in splinters. The house was totally wrecked and will have to be rebuilt. Neighbors from the Wilmore and Coldwater communities helped to clean up the debris. At this writing Miss Molly, who was taken to the Comanche County Hospital, was getting along as well as could be expected.
Funeral services were held for Miss Carrie Belle Dillinger, gas explosion victim, on Wednesday, September 7, 1960, at 2:30 p.m. in the Baptist church in Wilmore, Kans.
Rev. Ernest Lawrence, pastor officiated. A quartet, composed of Mrs. Ernest Lawrence, Mrs. F. H. Moberley, Walter Smith and Roderick Baker sang "Abide with Me" and "What a Friend We Have in Jesus," accompanied at the piano by Mrs. Frances Ridge.
Pallbearers were Gene Uhl, Fred Booth, Andy Nickelson, Don York, Charles Pendergraft and Wendel Ferrin.
Interment was in the Wilmore cemetery, Wilmore, Kansas.
Obituary Miss Carrie Belle Dillinger, daughter of Martin and Esther (Oliver) Dillinger, was born June 10, 1881, at Trade, Tenn., and departed this life Sept. 4, 1960 at her farm home near Wilmore, Kans., at the age of 79 yrs., 2 mo., and 25 days.
She moved with her parents and younger brothers and sisters from Tennessee to near Wilmore, Kansas in March of 1908, where she lived until her death, with the exception of three years when the family lived near Mullinville, Kans.
She joined the First Baptist church at Wilmore in 1908, where she was a faithful member until her death.
Surviving are one sister and two brothers, Mollie and Noah with whom she made her home, and Charles, of South Mound, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Jacob of Moorecroft, Wyo., and Edward, of Buena Park, Calif., and two sisters, Mrs. Sarah Boyle of Avard, Okla., and Mrs. Alice Salsberry of Waldron, Kansas. One brother and one sister died in infancy.
Esther (Oliver) Dillinger, mother of Carrie Belle Dillinger.
Mary Frances "Mollie" Dillinger, sister of Carrie Belle Dillinger.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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