Raymond was born on 17 May 19381 in Colorado.2 He was adopted1 by Mr. and Mrs. Francis Rowe.3 He was the victim of a hunting accident on 4 November 1949 in Silver Plume, Colo.3
The fatal shooting occurred while Raymond was rabbit hunting with a school chum, Billy Wells, 10, and David Hudson, 35, principal of the Silver Plume elementary school. The two boys planned the hunting expedition after school hours, and asked the principal to go with them. After they had been hunting about a half hour, Raymond sighted a rabbit and dropped to his knee and fired several shots. Suddenly he yelled, “I think I hit him,” and jumped to his feet. As he jumped he stumbled and his head struck the barrel of Billy’s .22 rifle and caused it to discharge. The bullet from the rifle went completely through Raymond’s head. Hudson picked up the boy and carried him to the car and drove to the office of an Idaho Springs doctor. There Raymond was transferred to an ambulance and rushed to Denver. He arrived at Children’s Hospital about 6:15 p. m., but the efforts of doctors and nurses failed to save him and two hours later he died.
His funeral was on 8 November 1949 at the Silver Plume Methodist Church.4 He was buried in Silver Plume.4
1 History of Clear Creek County, 436.
2 1940 U.S. census, Clear Creek Co., Colo., pop. sch., Silver Plume, sheet 61A, 30, Francis Rowe.
3 "Boy, 12, Dead of Shot after Mercy Dash," Rocky Mountain News, 5 November 1949, p. 5, column 2.
4 "Funeral Notices," Rocky Mountain News, 8 November 1949, p. 48, column 4.