Patrick "Pat" William Mullen-1
Gaffer told Patrick that he baptized him, himself, in the Holy Water at the Catholic Church, in West Plains, Howell Co., MO, because his father-in-law didn't want any of his grandchildren to be Catholic -- Gaffer came from a long line of Irish Roman Catholics! And, any good Catholic knows that anyone can perform a baptism, out of necessity, if done correctly, with the right intentions!! So, I suppose, for all purposes of religion, Patrick was a baptized - never practiced the faith - Catholic.
Gaffer did NOT approve of his marriage to Laveta -- she was raised Methodist Episcopal and they got married in a Baptist church. With Gaffer believing he had baptized his oldest son Catholic...well, he had no problem telling the young couple that they were not really married, they were living in sin and that all their children would be bastards! (told to me by Patrick AND Laveta (Burdett) Mullen)
They were married 65 years and had 15 children; 1 stillbirth, 1 killed riding a bicycle at age 13, 1 hung himself at about age 20, 1 died of a heart attack at age 20 and 1 died of Lou Gehrig's disease at age 48; 10 are still living, across the states.
headstone is a simple 'rock' with "MULLEN" carved into the top -- the eliments of nature have nearly erased the stone top
114. Edwin "Eddy" Dwayne Mullen-6
Eddy hung himself -- no one has ever known why. His younger brother, Larry, found his body.
headstone inscription --
EDWIN D.
MULLEN
1935 USN 1952
(*birth year is 1932*)
120. James "Jimmy" Paul Mullen-12
FROM A LETTER/A "NOTICE OF DEATH"
from Laveta (Burdett) Mullen to her son & his family --
"Cuba, Mo
July 8, 1959
Dear Bill, Edna & son,
I am just writing this in a hurry. I hate to have to write this worse than anything I've done but once before.
Our Jimmy was hit by a car while he and another boy were riding a bike east of town. Both died within 10 minutes. There is only one thing they never either one suffered. I understand they were crushed by the impact with the car or gravel. No one seems sure. They were on the shoulder and a 17 year old girl passed a truck and no one knows why she got scared and lost control of the car.
Arrangements aren't complete only he will be taken to St. James where Eddy is Thursday p.m. The funeral will be here at the Hoener Chapel with the Baptist Minister officiating.
Yesterday was Beverly's birthday too. She is just sick and poor Larry just stunned. See he found Eddy when he died and to come home from work and find this. They called out there but he and Dad had already left so found out when they got home.
I can't write anymore now. Just felt you should know.
Love us."Note--no mother ever wishes to out live any of her children; Laveta outlived five of hers (one a stillbirth). She told me, that she was told, that the truck driver motioned for the girl in the car to stay back -- of course he could see the boys on the bike, on the opposite shoulder of the road, coming toward him. She just assumed he was trying to keep the girl from passing until both vehicles were past the boys. But, pass she did, at a high rate of speed, losing control and veering off to the left, head-on into the boys on the bike. It still seemed to bother Laveta, some 30 plus years later that one of Jimmy's shoes was never found and that his wallet had already been stolen (before she could get there). There was only a couple dollars in Jimmy's wallet, that he had earned, yet someone made sure the bodies were searched for valuables and what was found was taken. Jimmy was killed on Beverly's 10th. birthday.
headstone inscription --
JAMES P.
MULLEN
1944-1959
Penny Ann was born mentally retarded. She resided at the state school in Marshall, MO. Penny liked to dance wildly and then throw herself on the floor -- as if to say, "Okay, I'm finished". October 1970, at a dance, she went through her routine of dancing and falling, but that time, she did not get up and was pronounced dead on the scene.
headstone inscription --
PENNY A.
MULLEN
1951-1970
