Sayre, Elijah

Passed: 1941-07-27

Age: 71

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1941-08-01

Information: The first traffic fatality in Jackson county this year occured at 6 o'clock Sunday evening at Evans, when Elijah Sayre, of that place, suffered fatal injuries when his machine left the road and plunged into an electric pole.  Accoring to Cpl. W. M. Beckett and Trooper Paul Ebbert, Mr. Sayre, who was 71 years old, accompanied by Ray Adam Fox, was returning to his home.  He apparently lost control of his machine as he entered the village and struggled desperately to keep it from going over the fill.  After plowing along the edge of the fill for some distance, his car cut back into the road, overturned and struck an electric pole in front of the home of Justice of the Peace A. A. Shinn.  He was brought to the Kessel Hospital by Troy Kay where it was found he had sustained injuries to his shoulder and side.  Death occurred about 11 o'clock Sunday night.  According to a hospital report, death resulted from injuries received in the wreck, coupled with shock and advanced age.  Born on John's Run, a son of Elijah and Mary Jane Hunt Sayre, he lived his entire life in that section as a farmer until about 20 years ago when he moved to Evans.  Since that time he had operated a store there.  Mr. Sayre is survived by his wife, Odalet Sayre; two sons, Delbert and Walter Sayre of Akron, Ohio; and five daughters, Delia Frey, Beulah Pritt, Letitia Sayre Hill and Lola Robertson, all of Akron, and Beatrice Hunt of Cottageville.  Funeral services were held at Long View church with Rev. Fiber in charge.  J.  B. Vail was the undertaker in charge of burial in the Long View cemetery.  Herald 1 Aug 1941                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        In the early pioneer days of our country, when the state of West Virginia was a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a land grant was made to Daniel Sayre, of English descent, in what is now Jackson county.  Said Daniel Sayre became to forefather of a large number of the population of this community.  One of his sons, Elijah Sayre, married Mary Jane Hunt and the deceased was the youngest of a large family born to that union.       Taking the given name of his father, Elijah Sayre was born on Jan. 1, 1870.  One February 10, 1892 he was married to Alpina Margaret Anderson, and took up his residence on what is called John's Run, where he had spent his childhood and youth.  Mr. and Mrs. Sayre were blessed with eleven children, three of whom, Creota, Wirt, and Lillian died in infancy; Louise, the eldest daughter, dying in young womanhood.  In middle life he was converted and attended the M. E. church at Longview.  Twenty years ago the family moved from their farm to Evans, where he has resided since, Mrs. Sayre having departed this life in June, 1933.  Mr. Sayre died Sunday evening, July 27, 1941, at the age of 71 years, 6 months and 29 days. He was the last of his father' s family to remain, his last two brothers, Daniel and Jasper, dying in recent years.      Surviving  are the following children:  Mrs. Beatrice Hunt of Cottageville, W. Va., Mrs. Letitia Hill, Mrs. Delia Frey, Mrs. Beulah Pritt, Mrs. Lola Roberson and Delbert and Walter Sayre, all of Akron, Ohio.  Mr. Sayre remarried in November 1933 to Odalet Brooks Woodard, who survives, as does also twenty grandchildren and many relatives and friends.  Funeral services were conducted by Rev. W. I. Fiber Wednesday afternoon at Longview Methodist Church.  A large crowd was in attendance and the floral offerings many and beautiful.  The choir of the Evans church had charge of the music and interment made at the Longview cemetery by Undertaker Vail.   FUNERAL SERVICES ARE HELD AT LONGVIEW WEDNESDAY - Elijah Sayre, age 71, was fatally injured in an automobile accident at Evans near his home near Evans Sunday about six o'clock.  He was rushed to the Kessel hospital where he died three hours later.  His chest was badly injured and a bad wound in the head.  Ray Adam Fox was riding with him in the car at the time of the accident but was not injured.  Mr. Sayre and Mr. Fox were on their way home traveling east on Route 33 when Mr. Sayre, who was driving, lost control of the car and after swerving from side to side, the back end of the car hit a telephone pole and turned over on the side Mr. Fox was on but for some reason he was not hurt.  Mr. Sayre had owned and driven a car for a number of years and was always considered a fast driver but not a speeder.  There was considerable loose gravel where he lost control of the car and possibly the speed was too much for the kind of road he was on.  The accident happened within a few hundred feet of his home.  Mr. Sayre was the last of a very large family.      He is survived by his wife and the following children:  Mrs. Beatrice Hunt, Cottageville, Delbert Sayre, Mrs. Lettie Hill, Mrs. Delia Frey, Walter Sayre, Mrs. Beulah Pritt, Mrs. Lola Robertson, all of Akron.