His death certificate records Archie McBrayer, age 18 years 7 months 28 days, born 24 Jan 1911 in W. Va., died 19 Sep 1929 at Portsmouth General Hospital, Portsmouth, Scioto Co., Ohio, residence 3723 Grace St., New Boston, Ohio, single, occupation steel worker, employer Wheeling Steel Co., father W. E. McBrayer, mother’s maiden name Susie Slusher, both born in Ky, cause of death burns in gas explosion in home, informant W. E. McBrayer, Minor, Ky, burial in McBrayer Cemetery.

The Rowan County News of Oct 3, 1929 contains this item “On Sept 19 Mr Archie McBrayer and Elbert Click were badly injured in a gas explosion at their boarding house at New Boston, Ohio, which resulted in the death of Mr McBrayer. The remains were laid to rest in the family cemetery at Wagner Ky, on Monday 23. Mr McBrayer leaves to mourn his loss, father and mother, two brothers and four sisters.” A followup item in the Oct 10 issue says “Mr Harve and Martha McBrayer visited the McBrayer Cem at Wagner Sunday afternoon. Some pictures were taken of the grave of Mr Archie McBrayer who was recently killed in a gas explosion.”

The information that I got from Earl McBrayer in 1993 was that Archie was shot and killed on 29 Sep 1929 by a jealous husband as he was trying to board a train in Cabin Creek, WV, to return to Rowan Co. It is hard to reconcile this story with the records. Earl and Archie were first cousins, only 7 months apart in age, and must have known each other very well. Apparently either Earl confused Archie with someone else, or perhaps he was shot earlier in his life and recovered.