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Notes for ROBERT FRANKLIN SMATHERS:
May 31, 1946, front page story of The Mountaineer Newspaper. Robert Franklin Smathers, Veteran dies in Oteen Hospital. Funeral services were conducted Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 at the Pleasant Balsam Baptist Church for Robert Franklin Smathers, 31, veteran of World War II who died at Oteen Government Hospital at 9:30 PM Tuesday where he had been a patient for some time. Officiating ministers were Reverend W.H. Whitlock, Reverend Nando Stephens and Reverend Lush Rogers. Burial was in the Red Bank Cemetery on the Balsam Road. Serving as pallbearers were cousins as follows: Ratio Arrington, James Garrett, Jack Rabb, Gene Smathers, Bonner Rabb, Gordon Smathers, William Stephens, Lloyd Derrick and Claude Smathers. Mr. Smathers served for 3 and 1/2 years in the armed forces, 30 months of which were spent in the European Theater of operation. He was attached to the 82nd Airborne Division and was entitiled to wear the EAMT Ribbon with six bronze service stars, one Silver Arrowhead, Distinguished Unit Badge, Combat Infantryman's Badge, Good Conduct Medal and Victory Medal of World War II. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Smathers and is survived by his parents, one brother Don Smathers, at home, three sisters Mrs. Zeb Bryson of Waynesville, Mrs. Ed Smith of Canton and Miss. Louise Smathers at home.
Wade Haskett told Elsie Smathers the following story. Haskett approached Elsie while at work and said "I'm going to tell you what happened at Bill Rabb's house that morning. We were all up there and been drinking for a while and Robert was becoming drunk. Bill Rabb, who had been drinking heavily, told Robert to leave his house. Robert left the house and went outside and sat down near a shed. It was raining. Bill Rabb came outside the house and told Robert to leave his house. Robert had been drinking to the point where he could not get up. Bill Rabb became angry and picked up a large rock and hit Robert in the back of the head. Robert fell to the ground and did not move. Bill Rabb went back into the house. About 1 PM we noticed that Robert was still laying out in the rain and had not moved. We went outside and Bill Rabb and "Bad Eye" Cagle brought Robert back into the house." Haskett then said he left the house and ran into Alonzo Arrington and told him Robert had been hurt. Alonzo went and told Frank Smathers about Robert and Frank went to check on Robert. While at Bill Rabb's house the men told Frank that Robert had been drinking with them and had climbed a tree and fell out injuring his neck. Robert was paralyzed. Frank went and got Jack Rabb's car and returned to Bill Rabb's and placed Robert in the car and brought him home. Robert could not move and when he spoke he was incoherent. A doctor was called who came and examined Robert. After the examination the doctor advised Frank to move Robert to the Veterans Hospital at Oteen. An ambulance was called and Robert was transported to Oteen. This "accident" occurred on May 20, 1946 and Robert died at Oteen on May 27, 1946.
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