Lindale Woman Found

Dead From Suffocation

The sudden flash of a gas heater apparently began a chain of events which claimed the life of Mrs. Naomi (Omie) Luce, 60, south of Lindale, Smith County deputy sheriffs said Monday.

Mrs. Luce's body was found beside the stove by her son, Muril Luce of Route 5, Swan, about 3:30 p.m. Monday and Mrs. Joe C. Allen, justice of the peace in Tyler, said the woman's body had apparently remained by the stove for about 18 hours before the discovery.

Deputy sheriffs and Mrs. Allen said Mrs. Luce apparently attempted to light the stove when it flashed suddenly and singed her hair. When this happened, Mrs. Luce apparently stood up, turned around, and fell forward and was knocked unconscious.

She was in a nightgown when discovered by her son. Mrs. Luce lived alone in a small frame residence near Lindale and her son had to break down the door when he went to check up on her.

Mrs. Allen said she would return an inquest verdict of death from suffocation.

Mrs. Luce had lived all of her life in the Lindale area.

Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday in the York-Caudle Funeral Home Chapel in Lindale with the Rev. Howard Hill, pastor of the Prairie Creek Baptist Church, and the Rev. Don Alfred, pastor of the Wood Springs Methodist Church, officiating. Interment will be in the Dover Cemetery at Carroll.

Survivors are her husband, Sam Luce of Tyler; two daughters, Mrs. Ross Wood of Lindale and Mrs. Clyde Dunn of Denton; two sons, Claud Luce of Carroll and Muril Luce of Swan; four sisters, Mrs. Jimmie Norris of Lubbock, Mrs. Lois Kinard of Tyler; Mrs. Irene Denham of Port Arthur and Mrs. Dewey Stroud of Carroll; a brother, Joe B. Denham of the Rio Grande Valley; 13 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.

Mrs. Luce was a member of the Prairie Creek Baptist Church.

Pallbearers will be Henry Davidson, Joe Luce, J. C. Luce, R. C. Luce, Calvin Luce and R. A. Stroud.

Tyler Morning Telegraph

Tyler, Texas • Tue, Jan 2, 1962 Page 12