Shelby  County  Indiana
Obituaries

Kimberling

The  Shelby  Democrat
Tuesday, November 15, 1927
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SHELBY  NATIVE
DIED  IN  FIRE
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Miss Estella Kimberling Among
Eight Victims of Indianapo-
lis Blaze Sunday
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          Miss Estella Kimberling,  a native of Shelby county, who had resided in Indianapolis during the past twenty years, lost her life in a disastrous fire that swept the Graystone apartment hotel, 239 north Illinois street, in Indianapolis, early Sunday morning.  Miss Kimberling was one of eight persons killed as a result of the fire, while twelve were in Indianapolis hospitals today, seriously hurt.
          Her death occurred at the Indianapolis city hospital, a short time after she had attempted to lower herself from a window on the third floor of the apartment hotel and had fallen to the ground.  Death was caused by a fractured spine she received in the three story drop.
          According to the story told by surviving tenants in the building, Miss Kimberling and another woman had made an attempt to escape from the burning building by means of an improvised rope made of bedclothing.  It is said that Miss Kimberling had started down the rope when the other woman, who was holding the the upper end of the rope was overcome by smoke and fumes from the burning interior, allowing the former Shelby county woman to fall almost the entire distance from the top floor of the building.  She was taken immediately to the city hospital but her death occurred soon after her arrival at that institution.
          Miss Kimberling was a daughter of the late  Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Kimberling  and was born near Norristown.  During the past twenty years she had resided in Indianapolis and for many years, she had been a valued employe of the Western Union Telegraph Co., there.  She is survived by two sisters,  Miss Zerilla Kimberling,  of Norristown and  Mrs. Beatrice Stafford,  of Detroit, Mich; a brother,  John Kimberling,  of Frankfort, Ind., and a half-brother,  Booker Alexander,  also of Frankfort.
          Funeral services are to be held at 8 o'clock this evening at the Flanner and Buchanan mortuary in Indianapolis, after which the body will be brought to Shelbyville on Tuesday.  It will be removed to the home of the sister, Miss Zerilla Kimberling, at Norristown and funeral services will be held Wednesday.  Burial will be in the Norristown cemetery.  The hour of the services will be announced later by Morris H. Sleeth, funeral director in charge.
Contributed by Phyllis Miller Fleming

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