United States Navy,
World War II,
Veteran,
William Edgar "Bill" Bryson, 28 years 3 months and 10 days of age, of Asheville, North Carolina, departed this life on Saturday, December 7th, 1946 in the Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia. He was staying in room No#928 at the time of the fire.
Bill was born in Cullowhee (Jackson County), North Carolina on Wednesday, August 28th, 1918, son of Carrie Sue Bumgarner Bryson and the late Henry Christopher Bryson. He was a former United States Navy sailor during World War II. Bill was a bus driver for Smokey Mountain Trailways where he had been employed since 1938, except for a twenty-months period spent in the United States Navy, most of his military service being spent overseas. Upon receiving his discharge in January of 1946, he returned to his job with the bus company, his regular run being from Asheville, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia through Sylva. He and his wife, Vera had recently purchased a home in Asheville and moved into it.
On Friday morning, December 6th, Bill left Asheville on his run, passing through Sylva at 1:50 p.m., reaching Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. and after checking in his fares and bus, he went to the Winecoff hotel were the bus maintained a room on a yearly basis for its drivers. Bill and two other Trailways drivers, Harry W. Sorrels and Cleve D. Sisk, of Asheville, occupied the same room, and all three lost their lives. As far as reports could be verified, Bill had tried to escape the flames by working his way around to the front of the building but for some reason he lost his hold and plunged nine stories to the ground. First identification was made by his name on his underwear. Notification reached his family Saturday morning. A total of 119 people lost their lives in the Winecoff hotel fire.
The Winecoff fire was one of the most frightful in American history. It was said to have roared through the 15-story hotel building in a matter of minutes, catching the 280 guests asleep in their rooms. The fire was discovered by a bellhop who was called to a room on the fifth floor with soft drinks. He said that he saw no fire nor noticed no fumes as he entered the room but when he returned to leave he was trapped by flames at the doorway. Investigations stated the fire appeared to have started on the third or fourth floor, and was probably caused from a cigarette.
Bill was survived by his loving wife, Vera Timmons Bryson of Asheville, North Carolina; two daughters, Sue Ann Bryson (age 4) and Sherry Nell Bryson (age 2), both of Asheville, North Carolina; his mother, Carrie Bryson, who was a dietician at Western Carolina Teachers College; one sister, J.H. Holder of Ontario, California; three brothers, Carson Bryson of Webster, North Carolina, Wayne Bryson of Athens, Tennessee, and Gordon Bryson of Fresno, California; and a host of other family and friends who mourn his passing.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Christopher Bryson, who departed this life on July 14th, 1925.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December, 10th, 1946 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church with the Moody Funeral Home in Sylva in charge of the arrangements.
Burial followed in the Cullowhee Baptist Church Cemetery in Jackson, North Carolina.
Obituary information curtesy of the funeral home. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
World War II,
Veteran,
William Edgar "Bill" Bryson, 28 years 3 months and 10 days of age, of Asheville, North Carolina, departed this life on Saturday, December 7th, 1946 in the Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia. He was staying in room No#928 at the time of the fire.
Bill was born in Cullowhee (Jackson County), North Carolina on Wednesday, August 28th, 1918, son of Carrie Sue Bumgarner Bryson and the late Henry Christopher Bryson. He was a former United States Navy sailor during World War II. Bill was a bus driver for Smokey Mountain Trailways where he had been employed since 1938, except for a twenty-months period spent in the United States Navy, most of his military service being spent overseas. Upon receiving his discharge in January of 1946, he returned to his job with the bus company, his regular run being from Asheville, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia through Sylva. He and his wife, Vera had recently purchased a home in Asheville and moved into it.
On Friday morning, December 6th, Bill left Asheville on his run, passing through Sylva at 1:50 p.m., reaching Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. and after checking in his fares and bus, he went to the Winecoff hotel were the bus maintained a room on a yearly basis for its drivers. Bill and two other Trailways drivers, Harry W. Sorrels and Cleve D. Sisk, of Asheville, occupied the same room, and all three lost their lives. As far as reports could be verified, Bill had tried to escape the flames by working his way around to the front of the building but for some reason he lost his hold and plunged nine stories to the ground. First identification was made by his name on his underwear. Notification reached his family Saturday morning. A total of 119 people lost their lives in the Winecoff hotel fire.
The Winecoff fire was one of the most frightful in American history. It was said to have roared through the 15-story hotel building in a matter of minutes, catching the 280 guests asleep in their rooms. The fire was discovered by a bellhop who was called to a room on the fifth floor with soft drinks. He said that he saw no fire nor noticed no fumes as he entered the room but when he returned to leave he was trapped by flames at the doorway. Investigations stated the fire appeared to have started on the third or fourth floor, and was probably caused from a cigarette.
Bill was survived by his loving wife, Vera Timmons Bryson of Asheville, North Carolina; two daughters, Sue Ann Bryson (age 4) and Sherry Nell Bryson (age 2), both of Asheville, North Carolina; his mother, Carrie Bryson, who was a dietician at Western Carolina Teachers College; one sister, J.H. Holder of Ontario, California; three brothers, Carson Bryson of Webster, North Carolina, Wayne Bryson of Athens, Tennessee, and Gordon Bryson of Fresno, California; and a host of other family and friends who mourn his passing.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Christopher Bryson, who departed this life on July 14th, 1925.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December, 10th, 1946 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church with the Moody Funeral Home in Sylva in charge of the arrangements.
Burial followed in the Cullowhee Baptist Church Cemetery in Jackson, North Carolina.
Obituary information curtesy of the funeral home. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
United States Navy,
World War II,
Veteran,
William Edgar "Bill" Bryson, 28 years 3 months and 10 days of age, of Asheville, North Carolina, departed this life on Saturday, December 7th, 1946 in the Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia. He was staying in room No#928 at the time of the fire.
Bill was born in Cullowhee (Jackson County), North Carolina on Wednesday, August 28th, 1918, son of Carrie Sue Bumgarner Bryson and the late Henry Christopher Bryson. He was a former United States Navy sailor during World War II. Bill was a bus driver for Smokey Mountain Trailways where he had been employed since 1938, except for a twenty-months period spent in the United States Navy, most of his military service being spent overseas. Upon receiving his discharge in January of 1946, he returned to his job with the bus company, his regular run being from Asheville, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia through Sylva. He and his wife, Vera had recently purchased a home in Asheville and moved into it.
On Friday morning, December 6th, Bill left Asheville on his run, passing through Sylva at 1:50 p.m., reaching Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. and after checking in his fares and bus, he went to the Winecoff hotel were the bus maintained a room on a yearly basis for its drivers. Bill and two other Trailways drivers, Harry W. Sorrels and Cleve D. Sisk, of Asheville, occupied the same room, and all three lost their lives. As far as reports could be verified, Bill had tried to escape the flames by working his way around to the front of the building but for some reason he lost his hold and plunged nine stories to the ground. First identification was made by his name on his underwear. Notification reached his family Saturday morning. A total of 119 people lost their lives in the Winecoff hotel fire.
The Winecoff fire was one of the most frightful in American history. It was said to have roared through the 15-story hotel building in a matter of minutes, catching the 280 guests asleep in their rooms. The fire was discovered by a bellhop who was called to a room on the fifth floor with soft drinks. He said that he saw no fire nor noticed no fumes as he entered the room but when he returned to leave he was trapped by flames at the doorway. Investigations stated the fire appeared to have started on the third or fourth floor, and was probably caused from a cigarette.
Bill was survived by his loving wife, Vera Timmons Bryson of Asheville, North Carolina; two daughters, Sue Ann Bryson (age 4) and Sherry Nell Bryson (age 2), both of Asheville, North Carolina; his mother, Carrie Bryson, who was a dietician at Western Carolina Teachers College; one sister, J.H. Holder of Ontario, California; three brothers, Carson Bryson of Webster, North Carolina, Wayne Bryson of Athens, Tennessee, and Gordon Bryson of Fresno, California; and a host of other family and friends who mourn his passing.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Christopher Bryson, who departed this life on July 14th, 1925.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December, 10th, 1946 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church with the Moody Funeral Home in Sylva in charge of the arrangements.
Burial followed in the Cullowhee Baptist Church Cemetery in Jackson, North Carolina.
Obituary information curtesy of the funeral home. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
World War II,
Veteran,
William Edgar "Bill" Bryson, 28 years 3 months and 10 days of age, of Asheville, North Carolina, departed this life on Saturday, December 7th, 1946 in the Winecoff Hotel fire in Atlanta, Georgia. He was staying in room No#928 at the time of the fire.
Bill was born in Cullowhee (Jackson County), North Carolina on Wednesday, August 28th, 1918, son of Carrie Sue Bumgarner Bryson and the late Henry Christopher Bryson. He was a former United States Navy sailor during World War II. Bill was a bus driver for Smokey Mountain Trailways where he had been employed since 1938, except for a twenty-months period spent in the United States Navy, most of his military service being spent overseas. Upon receiving his discharge in January of 1946, he returned to his job with the bus company, his regular run being from Asheville, North Carolina to Atlanta, Georgia through Sylva. He and his wife, Vera had recently purchased a home in Asheville and moved into it.
On Friday morning, December 6th, Bill left Asheville on his run, passing through Sylva at 1:50 p.m., reaching Atlanta at 7:30 p.m. and after checking in his fares and bus, he went to the Winecoff hotel were the bus maintained a room on a yearly basis for its drivers. Bill and two other Trailways drivers, Harry W. Sorrels and Cleve D. Sisk, of Asheville, occupied the same room, and all three lost their lives. As far as reports could be verified, Bill had tried to escape the flames by working his way around to the front of the building but for some reason he lost his hold and plunged nine stories to the ground. First identification was made by his name on his underwear. Notification reached his family Saturday morning. A total of 119 people lost their lives in the Winecoff hotel fire.
The Winecoff fire was one of the most frightful in American history. It was said to have roared through the 15-story hotel building in a matter of minutes, catching the 280 guests asleep in their rooms. The fire was discovered by a bellhop who was called to a room on the fifth floor with soft drinks. He said that he saw no fire nor noticed no fumes as he entered the room but when he returned to leave he was trapped by flames at the doorway. Investigations stated the fire appeared to have started on the third or fourth floor, and was probably caused from a cigarette.
Bill was survived by his loving wife, Vera Timmons Bryson of Asheville, North Carolina; two daughters, Sue Ann Bryson (age 4) and Sherry Nell Bryson (age 2), both of Asheville, North Carolina; his mother, Carrie Bryson, who was a dietician at Western Carolina Teachers College; one sister, J.H. Holder of Ontario, California; three brothers, Carson Bryson of Webster, North Carolina, Wayne Bryson of Athens, Tennessee, and Gordon Bryson of Fresno, California; and a host of other family and friends who mourn his passing.
He was preceded in death by his father, Henry Christopher Bryson, who departed this life on July 14th, 1925.
Funeral services were held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December, 10th, 1946 at the Cullowhee Methodist Church with the Moody Funeral Home in Sylva in charge of the arrangements.
Burial followed in the Cullowhee Baptist Church Cemetery in Jackson, North Carolina.
Obituary information curtesy of the funeral home. Find A Grave memorial created by Cadmus ID # 46987840.
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