Mother and Child Die Following Fire

Mrs. Louis Carr Jr., 27, and her daughter, Patricia, two years of age, suffered burns from which they died at their home near Kansas City Wednesday of last week.

Mrs. Carr is the former Miss Marjorie Bliss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bliss of Coldwater.

A graveside service will be held at Crownhill cemetery at 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon of this week.

Mrs. Carr and daughter were burned when vapors from a container of cleaning fluid were ignited by a burner on a gas range, according to reports.

An account of the funeral service and their lives will be published in the Star next week

Obituary reads:

Marjorie Maud Bliss, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. Frank Bliss of Coldwater, Kansas was born near Coy, Oklahoma January 21, 1928 and passed away in Kansas City, Kansas March 7, 1955, at the age of 27 years, 1 month and 14 days. When she was 11 years of age she moved to Coldwater with her parents and attended the Coldwater grand and high schools.

On November 11, 1948, she was united in marriage in Medicine Lodge, Kansas with Louis A. Carr Jr. To this union were born four children – Michael, who died in pneumonia in Medicine Lodge April 28, 1950, following a fire which consumed the home and all of it contents; also Wayne, age 8, Gary, age 3 and Patti Ann, 2.

The family moved to Bethel, Kansas in 1951 and continued to make that city their home. Mrs. Carr is survived by her husband, two sons, Wayne and Gary, per parents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Bliss, of Coldwater, six brothers and six sisters – John L Bliss, Coldwater, Donald M Bliss, Ridge Farm, Ill,; Glenn Bliss, Lahoma, OK.; Jack C Bliss, Olathe, CO.; Lorin Bliss, Fargo, ND.; and Kenneth Bliss, Camp Kilmer, NJ.; the six sisters: Mrs. Mamie F. Brown, Mrs. May Nuekirch, Mrs. Roberta Malone and Miss Willma Jean Bliss, all of Coldwater; Mrs. Marie M. Johnson, Pratt, KS; and Mrs. Josie Thompson, Fresno, CA.; also by a host of other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Carr was a loving wife and mother and was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Bethel.

Patti Ann was born April 28, 1953 in Kansas City, KS and was 1 year, 10 months and 2 days of age at the time of her death.

The sorrowing relatives have the sincere sympathy of the entire community.
-- The Western Star – March 18, 1955

Final Rites for Mother and Daughter
Mrs. Margaret Carr and Patti Ann Victims of Burns
A graveside service for Mrs. Louis A Carr Jr. and her two-year-old daughter, Patti Ann, whose death occurred recently, was held in Crownhill Cemetery near this city Thursday afternoon of last week, March 10, at 3:00 o'clock. They were in charge of Rev. C.W. Roll, pastor of the Coldwater Christian Church. Mrs. Mabel Eaton and her daughter, Mrs. David Cary, sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and "Safe in the Arms of Jesus."

Mrs. Carr and here two year old daughter, Patti Ann, were critically burned at the two room family home in Bethel, Kansas at the edge of Kansas City, Kansas on March 2, when cleaning fluid Mrs. Carr was using ignited.

The daughter passed away 22 house later in Providence Hospital, Kansas City, Kansas and her mother died in the hospital of third degree burns on March7.

Funeral service for the daughter were held on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Warnick-Custer-Sads chapel in Kansas City, Kansas and Mrs. Carr's funeral services were conducted there Wednesday afternoon, March 9, at 2 o'clock
-- The Western Star – March 18, 1955