This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Ames Classification: Obituary Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/5YB.2ACE/7025 Message Board Post: A very great tragedy occurred last Friday morning when the home hotel and store of C.C. Ames of Durham in the northwest part of Roger Mills County, was destroyed by fire and Mrs. Ames, aged and invalid mother of Mr. Ames was burned to death. Mrs. C.C. Ames also suffered severe injuries from burns about the face, lower limbs and arms. From the reports of the accident it seems that Mrs. Ames was cleaning clothes with gasoline in a Maytag washing machine and it is presumed that the fumes from the gas were ignited by the exhaust from the machine. Mrs. Ames clothing caught fire and she ran from the building then attempted to return for the mother but was unable to do so because of the flames. Many heroic attempts were made to rescue Grandma Ames but all were tutile. Ear Briggs put a quilt over his head and crawled into the burning building but was unable to recover the body. It was not until the building was destroyed that the burned body was removed from among the ruins. The building was a store in the front with a hotel and residence in the rear , causing the property loss a very large one. The building was destroyed but with only a small insurance. Melissa Ames was among the early settlers of the Durham country and was about ninety-eight years of age. The entire community was shocked and grieved because of her death. Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 29-Mar-1930