Mildred Earl Thomas -- Died Tragically at the Age of Eleven

 

Mildred Earl Thomas was born on June 16, 1923 in Trigg County, Kentucky, but she only lived to the age of eleven when she died in a tragic fire accident.

Mildred was the oldest of three daughters born to Bluford Earl Thomas and Mildred Hawkins Thomas.  Bluford Earl was born in 1899 in Trigg County and was the son of Seldon Trimble Thomas and Bettie Bridges Thomas, both Trigg County natives.  Mildred Hawkins was born in 1897 and was the daughter of Robert Lee Hawkins and Ersula Elizabeth Adams Hawkins, who were also Trigg County natives.

Mildred’s two younger sisters were Ann Tressa Thomas who was born on January 18, 1925 and Clara Elizabeth Thomas who was born on November 17, 1930.

Bluford Earl worked as a farm laborer and he and his wife and three daughters lived on a farm in Trigg County, which according to the news articles at the time was located “far in the country.”   

On Saturday afternoon, March 17, 1934, Mildred Earl, age 10, was in charge of her two sisters, Ann, age 9 and Clara, age 3. The children were alone at the time.  Mildred Earl was washing dishes for the family when she noticed that there was leak in one of the pans she was washing.  She attempted to plug the hole in the pan using a patent solder. Some burning chemicals from the solder dropped on her dress and ignited it.  Mildred Earl with the assistance of her sisters tried to smother the flames using an oilcloth, but this method failed.  With her dress blazing, Mildred Earl ran to the well in the yard, drew water from the well and filled a tub and submerged herself.  

Mildred Earl was badly burned from her chest to her knees. Newspapers at the time described her valiant effort to save herself from the flames as an “…unusual manifestation of self-control….”  

 Unfortunately, Mildred Earl did not survive the tragedy.  She lived for over three months and died on June 26, 1934 just ten days after she had reached her eleventh birthday.  Her death certificate listed her cause of death as “third degree burns.” Mildred Earl was buried in the Lawrence Cemetery in Trigg County but no tombstone marks her grave site.


LINEAGE:  (Mildred Earl Thomas was the daughter of Bluford Earl and Mildred Hawkins Thomas, granddaughter of Seldon Trimble and Martha Elizabeth “Bettie” Bridges Thomas, and great-granddaughter of James Jasper and Mary Magdaline Cunningham Thomas.  James Jasper was the fourth child of Starkie and Mary Bridges Thomas.  Starkie was the fourth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.  Mary Bridges was the seventh child of Drury and Charity Cohoon Bridges.)