Millie Leverne Wharton

Millie Leverne Wharton

• Father: John Eyra Wharton
• Mother: Ola Fern Graham

• Millie Leverne Wharton was born on 10 March 1933 in Red River County, Texas.
• She married William Dewey Kempe, son of William M. Kempe and Emily Honor McCracken.
• Millie Leverne Wharton died on 3 April 1955 at age 22 in Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas, at 505 NW 21st at her residence. . Her death was officially witnessed by William Dewey Kempe Jr.
• She was interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas.
• The following appeared on 27 December 1961 in the Corsicana Daily Sun: Seven-year-old William Dewey Kempe Jr., whose father said he was "old enough to look after himself" walked out of his house during an argument between his father and a woman and was crushed to death under the wheels of a car shortly before Monday midnight.
       The accident came at the end of a Christmas night in which the motherless boy had been left with two younger children for several hours while his father partied at a beer tavern.
       The driver of the car, John Tonetti, 19, said the boy darted in front of the auto.
       The father William Dewey Kempe Sr., said he and his girl friend, Mrs. Maxine Harris, 28, were involved in a heated argument when the boy walked out of the room.
       Kempe, 46, a construction foreman, said he was not disturbed when his son left saying:  "He does it all the time. He goes outside late at night to play."
       Kempe, his girl friend and her sister and brother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Foster, spent about three hours Christmas night drinking and dancing.
       Young Dewey was left at home in charge of the Fosters' children, 6 and 3.
       Asked if he thought Dewey was old enough to be in charge of the younger children, the father replied: "Why not, he's old enough to look after himself."
       Dewey lives with an aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Albert T. Pulsifer, during school months. He had gone to his father's home Christmas Eve to spend the holiday with his parent. His mother died when he was an infant. During the summer he lives with his father.
       Peace Justice Jim Boorman ruled the death as accidental. 

• Last Edited: 4 Jan 2011