DAVID LEE STAPLETON
1930-1939
   
David Lee Stapleton Dies of Unusual Malady.
  
Funeral rites for David Lee Stapleton, age 9, who died Monday were
held in the M. E. Church Wednesday afternoon.
  
Services were in charge of Rev. G. W. Townsend, pastor of the church,
and Rev. Arthur Greene, of Ashland.  The rites were beautiful and
most impressive.
  
"Precious Jewels" and "How Beautiful Heaven Must Be" were sung by a
quartet, composed of R. C. Thomas, Mr. Keen, Mrs. Wizenburg and Miss
Gertrude Patrick, accompanied by Miss Mary May Salyer.
  
A duet, "No Disappointments in Heaven," was sung by Mrs. Wizenburg
and Miss Patrick and "Have Thine Own Way, Lord," was sung by the
Junior Choir of which David Lee was a member.
  
His schoolmates from Mrs. Christine Murray's room attended in a
group. The flower bearers were Mrs. P. B. Hall's Sunday School class
of boys, of which he was a member.
  
The active pallbearers were Robert H. Meade, Stafford Smith, Robert
Hall, Charles Melvin and W. H. Potter. The honorary pallbearers were
Dan Wheeler, W. B. Bailey, Ralph Oppenheimer, Jr., Johnny McDaniel,
W. H. Potter, Sr., Dr. Stafford, Dr. A. D. Slone, Jack Stafford, Mr.
Fisher, James Ruth, Gaylord Pack, Tracy Pack, and C. C. Hall.
     
The many beautiful floral offerings attested the place he held in the
hearts of friend and loved ones.
     
Burial was in the Stafford Cemetery across from Paintsville.
   
The following obituary was read:
   
David Lee Stapleton was born April 1, 1930 and departed this life May
8, 1939, being 9 years, 1 month and 7 days old.
  
He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Green Patrick, a baby
brother, John Harris, and a sister, Betty Allene Stapleton.
  
His short life was enriched with unusual intelligence for one of his
years.  He had the keen perception of an older person and his
conversation often surprised his relatives and friends. David Lee was
especially talented in music, singing and drawing, and he gave
promise of being a genius. He could play with a degree of accuracy
any piece of music he heard.  He had a good voice and sang whole
songs through all the verses.  On last Thursday, while he was very
weak, he crawled to the piano and played.
  
He loved flowers, and to be outdoors, and always raised a little
garden of his own.
  
The greatest influence in his life was his grandmother, Mrs. Dora
Spears.  He told Bible stories to neighbors and friends and when
asked where he learned so much about the Bible, he said his
grandmother taught him.  She always gave him special attention.  He
cherished her memory and lived over and over his associations with
her.  His mind was on her almost constantly the last month preceding
his death. David Lee had great faith in prayer.
  
He had suffered for years, but he told his relatives that when
doctors could not help him, he always recovered from his sickness by
praying.  He had an unusual malady, one that baffled all the medical
profession.  Any slight injury would cause a bleeding that would not
stop.
  
This was the case in his last illness, when two teeth became loose.
A short time before he passed away he prayed that he might live.  In
his simple, earnest way he told the Lord he would never complain of
his ankle again, if the bleeding would stop.  When he could no longer
talk to his mother, he called "Jesus," over and over.  While David
Lee's faith was that he would again get better by prayer, his
strength was one, and our Father called him to be with Him.
  
When he was very small, one Sunday after he had been to Sunday School
and had first learned of David, he told his mother of David, he told
his mother, "They just talked about me all the time at Sunday
school." He attended Sunday school at the M. E. Church and sang in
the Junior Choir. He enjoyed it all so much and often went when he
was physically unable.
  
He had wonderful parents in all the years he had been in ill health,
and was so grateful when he could be out, and although he could only
watch other children in their activities, he was glad to be with them
and did not complain.
  
Thou art happy now at last,
This painful life o"erpast;
thou art happy now at last on heaven's happy shore;
Amid the shining bands
Of angels thou dost stand,
And list thy little hands
Evermore.
In the land
Of the dear departed.
Afar in the silent land.
  
Paintsville Herald
Thursday 
5-11-1939
     
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