Submitted by

Vicki Ebert

Elderly Man found Dead East of City

The body of Frank Gildhouse, longtime Kay county farmer, was found at his home six miles east of Blackwell Saturday morning, after a neighbor reported seeing the body thru a window.
Mrs. L E Million, who lives just east of the Gildhouse home, reported to city police that she had failed to see the elderly man for a day or two and investigated. County authorities were called and Sheriff Norman Coffelt and Undersheriff Leo Sheets investigated.
A physician was called from Ponca city and estimated that death was from natural causes, and probably occurred Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
Officers theorized that Gildhouse was seated on the edge of his bed when stricken, and fell backwards. His pipe, which he was smoking at the time ignited the bedclothes and mattress but no further damage to the home resulted.
Rev. W Jene Miller, pastor of the First Methodist church, will conduct a funeral service at 2:20 pm Monday in Green Lawn Abbey at the Blackwell IOOF Cemetery.
Gildhouse, who would have been 81 in January, came with his parents from Kansas, his father homesteading the family farm east of Blackwell.
A retired farmer in later years, Gildhouse continued to live on the family place during his lifetime. He never married.
He worked for the county highway department in earlier days and was one of the workmen who helped build Highway 11.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews in the area.