It was in Hopkinsville, Kentucky during the first of November 1957, when twin sisters, Maurine and Christine Thomas, ages 9, were visiting their cousins in the home of their uncle and aunt, Rufus King or Raymond as he was known and his wife Flora Cunningham Thomas. The two twins, daughters of Minnie McIntosh and Othell Lamont Thomas were enjoying their visit with their cousins, Virginia, age 14, Kenneth Ray, age 11 and Richard, age 8.
The Lamont Thomas family occupied a five room frame house in a residential section of Hopkinsville. On Saturday evening of November 9, they all bedded down for the night. On the following Sunday morning, Minnie went to the Thomas home to retrieve her daughters and discovered a horrible tragedy.
Minnie entered the house through the front door around 8 a.m. on Sunday morning and detected the odor of gas fumes. She quickly ran to the room where her daughters were sleeping and carried them to the front porch where she called for help. When the police arrived they found the entire house filled with gas fumes. The police found the other family members in beds in three different rooms and that all the windows in the house were locked.
The victims were rushed to Jennie Stuart Memorial Hospital where it was determined that the cousins Virginia Thomas and Christine Thomas were dead. Admitted to the hospital in serious condition were Christine’s twin sister, Maurine, her cousins, Kenneth Ray and Richard. Their parents, Lamont and Flora, were also admitted and were reported to be in fair condition. On the following day, Maurine died. The remaining victims survived but the tragedy had claimed the life of three young children.
The police determined that the two young girls had been dead about two hours when they were found. It was also determined that a defective gas furnace, which had been installed about two weeks earlier, was the blame for the deaths.
The twins, Christine and Maurine were born on March 21, 1948 in Trigg County, Kentucky. Virginia Juanita Thomas was born on June 17, 1944, also in Trigg County. All three children were buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Tombstone of twins Christine and Maurine Thomas
Tombstone of Virginia Thomas
LINEAGE: (Christine and Maurine Thomas were the daughters of Othell Lamont and Minnie Lou McIntosh Thomas. Virginia Juanita Thomas was the daughter of Rufus King and Flora Cunningham Thomas. Othell Lamont and Rufus King were the sons of Robert Henry and Virginia Lee Ezell Thomas and the grandsons of Rufus King and Alvie Adeline Dunn Thomas. Rufus was the fifth child of Perry and Elizabeth Josephine Bridges Thomas. Perry was the third child of James and Mollie Standley Thomas. Elizabeth was the sixth child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)
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