Excerpted from the GREENVILLE DAILY ADVOCATE - Thursday, November 4, 1926
ANNIE OAKLEY DIES HERE LAST EVENING
WAS CHAMPION LADY SHOT OF
UNITED STATES DIED AT HOME OF MISSES
BRODERICK AND ZEMER, EAST THIRD STREET, THIS CITY
End Came After Illness of Eight Weeks - She Was Champion Woman Rifle and Pistol Shot of the World-
Born in Darke County and Gained World-Wide Fame in her Profession-Traveled with Buffalo Bill Show for Many Years- Body to be Cremated at Cincinnati.
Annie Oakley (Mrs. Frank Butler), one of
the noted women of America, and a native of Darke county, died at the
home of the Misses Broderick and Zemer, 237 East Third street at eleven
o'clock Wednesday night, where she had been ill for the last eight
weeks. Her death was due to pernicious anemia.
The hand of death thus brought to a close
the life of a remarkable woman. She was for long years the champion
rifle and pistol shot among the women of the world, and her fame is
world wide. For many years she traveled in the various countries of
Europe, the Americas and the Orient, and gave exhibitions of her skill
with firearms before the crowned heads of all the countries of the
world, and she was the largest attraction that many of the leading shows
of the world carried for a number of years.
"Annie Oakley" was born in the
northeastern part of Darke county, then known as "the wilds",
early in the 60's. Her parents were named Mozee and, they came from the
hills of Pennsylvania some time during the early 50's. Her father was a
hunter and sportsman, while her mother had a natural talent for art, a
few of her crude drawings being treasured among her neighbors for many
years. But...the parents knew mostly hard work among the brush and
swampy land, and they were very poor.
The ability of Annie to handle a gun
seems to have come with her birth. At the age of six years she would
secretly follow her brother when he went hunting, and when discovered
would plead to be permitted to go along.
When about eight years of age she had her
first experience with a rifle. Seeing a squirrel at play on a rail fence
one day when alone, she got down her father's old nuzzle loader, and
resting the gun across the limb, cut the squirrel's throat with a
bullet. After that she was permitted to shoot the
rifle occasionally, and when twelve years old, was given a rifle and
shotgun of her own, and her skill with these guns was to be a great help
to the family in a short time.
During her career, Annie Oakley
established many records with a rifle, among her best being the breaking
of 945 tossed balls out of a 1000; 96 small clay pigeons out of 100, 50
straight double clays and 49 live birds out of 50. It is also recorded
that she broke 4,772 glass balls out of 5,000 in one days shooting. She
has shot wild deer in America, wild bear in Germany, and roebuck in
Austria.
Annie Oakley was slight in build, a
little below the average in height. She had clear, keen, blue-gray eyes,
and black flowing hair, that turned white in one night while in a train
wreck. She possessed a rare modesty for a person that had followed the
life she did, and was unaffected and sincere, and of charming
personality.
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR ANNIE OAKLEY
Funeral Services for Annie Oakley will be
simple and brief. They will be absolutely private, in accordance with
her wish, being attended by her very near relatives, including her
brother, John Mozee, who will arrive here from Oklahoma tonight.
This service will be held Friday morning,
with the Rev. Wessel officiating. Following this the body will be taken
to Cincinnati, where it will be cremated, and later the ashes will be
brought to Greenville, and will be buried in the grave prepared for them
in the little cemetery at Brock.
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