Madisonville, TN (near) Home Fire, Apr 1961

SIX OF FAMILY PERISH IN TENNESSEE FIRE.

Madisonville, Tenn. (AP) -- Six persons, a grandmother, her two daughters and three grandchildren, burned to death in a fire which followed a kerosene stove explosion at their home early Sunday.
Two men, husbands of two of the victims, were burned in the blaze which destroyed their cabin home in a remote mountainous area near here.
The victims were:
MRS. WEBSTER (LUCY) FRYE, 68, her two daughters, MISS RUTH FRYE, 36, a deaf mute, and MRS. J. R. (DARLENE) WATSON, 26; and MRS. WATSON'S three daughters -- BARBARA ANN, 8, BETTY RUTH, 4, and KATHY, 9 months.
MRS. FRYE'S husband, WEBSTER, about 70, was hospitalized at nearby Sweetwater with second-degree burns. MRS. WATSON'S husband escaped with minor burns.
FRYE said he had attempted to build a fire in the stove at about 6 a.m., and his wife threw kerosene on it when the fire failed to start immediately.
He said the kerosene, apparently ignited by smouldering coals, flared up and set fire to MRS. FRYE'S clothing.
Coroner Beacher Miller said MRS. FRYE had attempted to extinguish the flames by leaping into bed. Kerosene she had been holding also ignited, and the room became a holocaust within moments.

Montana Standard Butte 1961-04-17
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!