Homer Babb, 45, of Desloge, was killed Tuesday afternoon in a premature explosion at Mine No. 6 of St. Joseph Lead Co., where he was employed as a drill man.  He had been employed with the lead company eleven years.

    Working with Babb was Ray Pulliam, and they had charged the hole, preparing the blast, when the explosion occurred.  Babb was crushed by tons of falling rock, which buried him in the stope.  The accident happened at 12: 40 p.m. and a crew of men worked until shortly after five o'clock to bring him out.  Pulliam had carried a ladder from the stope, and was stunned by the force of the explosion, but was not injured.

    Babb's body was removed to the C. Z. Boyer & Son Funeral Home in Desloge, where an inquest was conducted by Coroner Berl Miller, Wednesday afternoon.   The jury's verdict was that:  "The deceased came to his death in St. Joseph Lead Company's Mine No. 6 by an accident involving an explosion of dynamite which covered  him with several tons of rock". 

    Mr. Babb is in state at the Boyer Funeral Chapel and funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 26, at the First Baptist Church in Esther. [Interment was at St. Francois Memorial Park Cemetery.]

HOMER JESSE BABB  

    Homer Jesse Babb, son of Joseph and Olive Hardy Babb, was born in Esther, Mo., April 19, 1909, and departed this life, February 22, 1955, aged 45 years, 10 months 3 days.

    He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Orpha Babb, to whom he was married on October 29, 1943; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Babb of Esther, three step-daughters, Isabelle (Mrs. Earl Rau), Overland, Mo.; Dorothy (Mrs. Harold Crepps), Esther; and Sally (Mrs. Luther Lennox), Berkley, Mo.; two brothers, Walter R. Babb, Farmington and Howard Babb of the state of North Carolina; two sisters, Lizzie (Mrs. Willard Williams), Flat River and Helen (Mrs. Earl Thomas), Farmington, and nine step-grandchildren.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Feb. 25, 1955.