In Memoriam

LLOYD W. O'REAR
August 30, 1918 ~ January 13, 1971

Lloyd O'Rear, 52, Idabel, newly appointed Street Commissioner, died at approximately 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, January 13, in Idabel, from a heart attack.

Born August 30, 1918, in Roland, he had been a resident of Idabel for 45 years.

He was a veteran of World War II and a member of Central Baptist Church of Idabel.

A former Idabel Street Commissioner and employee of the State Highway Department, he had been appointed as Idabel Street Commissioner less than 24 hours before his death.

Survivors include his wife, Margaret L. O'Rear; two sons, Kenneth O'Rear and Wayland O'Rear, both of Idabel; three brothers, Paul O'Rear of Texarkana, Ark., Basil O'Rear of Marshall Hill, and Bill O'Rear of the U.S. Army; half-brother, Earl O'Rear of Marshall, Texas; six sisters, Mrs. J.C. (Cecile) Ferguson of Idabel, Mrs. Bill (Burline) Bunn of Mesquite, Texas, Mrs. Pauline Williams and Mrs. Imogene Garrett, both of Lawton, Miss Laverne O'Rear of Montgomery, Ala., and Mrs. Laura Lee Schmukler of Dover, Del.; and three grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday January 15, in the Idabel Norwood-Welch Funeral Chapel.

Arrangements and burial in Denison Cemetery are under the direction of Norwood-Welch Funeral Home.

McCurtain Gazette
Thursday, January 14, 1971

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LLOYD O'REAR TO RECOVER FROM CRITICAL KNIFE WOUNDS
Young Officer Is Under Specialist's Care In Dallas

Lloyd O'Rear, 29-year-old Idabel policeman, remains in a serious condition at Baylor hospital, Dallas, but doctors now express the belief that he will recover from severe knife wounds suffered about midnight Saturday.

His assailant, Thomas Deal Locke, 40, Holly Creek, was buried this morning. O'Rear was rushed to Williams hospital-clinic within minutes after he was knifed, but doctors at first expressed little hope that he would live through Sunday.

Locke had stabbed his knife into O'Rear's back and pulled it nine inches around toward his side, slashing into his left lung. A second stab was made two inches belowthe first cut and about four inches long, O'Rear's left arm was cut about half off, also, his shoulder was slashed and he suffered five other stab wounds. His heart was visible through the larger wound.

B U L L E T I N
Dr. W. W. Williams has been informed in a telephone conversation with doctors at Baylor hospital that O'Rear is "doing fine." The clips were removed from his wounds Tuesday and he showed no signs of infection.

Chief of Police Howard Palmer said the brief affray occurred as he and O'Rear, accompanied by Bill Dollarhide, started their beer joint check at midnight to dee that all were closed.

The officers were nearing the railroad track near Stapp's market when Locke and another Holly Creek man, J. C. Gore, staggered into the road. O'Rear, who was driving, pulled up beside the men and stopped.

"You boys are going to have to go with us," he told the two. Both men said all right, and O'Rear opened the door on his side, stepped out and held the front seat of the two-door car while Gore got into the back seat.

Locke was standing nearby as if waiting for Gore to get in. O'Rear placed his hand on Locke's shoulder, Palmer said, and Locke, without saying a word, started stabbing and slashing.

O'Rear pulled his gun and started trying to beat Locke off, and Palmer, thinking they were scuffing, jumped out and ran around the car. O'Rear later told Palmer after he was stabbed the first time, he was trying to knock Locke out to keep from shooting him.

O'Rear fell as Palmer rounded the car, and Locke was holding him with one hand and had the other drawn back for another stab when Palmer grabbed his shoulders and pulled him back.

Palmer did not know that Locke had the knife until O'Rear yelled for him to "watch out for the knife." Palmer then shoved Locke away from him and Locke staggered several steps.

Palmer pulled his own gun, he said, as Locke turned and started for him and O'Rear again. O'Rear fired at Locke, the bullet striking him just under the collar and emerging from the back of his neck.

The entire affair took only about 10 seconds from the time the first stab was made until Locke fell fatally wounded within two feet of O'Rear.

O'Rear told Palmer he was cut and asked to be taken to a doctor. Palmer had Dollarhide and Gore take the injured officer to the hospital, and he stopped a passing motorist, Joe Johnson, to carry Locke.

It was not until they had O'Rear at the hospital that they realized how seriously he had been injured. O'Rear, himself, did not realize that he had been so critically injured.

Locke was taken to the Sanitarium of Paris, where he died at 3:45 p. m. Sunday.

More than 250 stitches were required to close O'Rear's wounds. He was taken, on the advice of Dr. W. W. Williams of the local hospital, to Baylor where he could be under the observation of a lung specialist. He was accompanied in a Wilson ambulance by his wife and a sister, Mrs. Pauline Tapley.

The young officer is a veteran of six years in the army, having served with the 45th Division through all of its European campaigns without injury. He had been on the police force about five months, Palmer said.

The O'Rears have two children, Kenneth Ray, 8, and Wayland, 5.

McCurtain Gazette
Wednesday, May 12, 1948

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LLOYD O'REAR PRELIMINARY TO BE TUESDAY

A preliminary hearing for Lloyd O'Rear, 29-year-old Idabel policeman, will be at the district court room Tuesday, County Attorney Ed Shipp said this morning.

The preliminary will be held in connection with the fatal shooting May 8 of Thomas Deal Locke, Holly Creek.

O'Rear was critically wounded in the fatal affray, about 250 stitches being required to close his wounds. He has since recovered sufficiently to return to his duties on the force.

McCurtain Gazette
Saturday, July 17, 1948

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MURDER CHARGE AGAINST O'REAR IS DISMISSED
Shooting Called Self Defense And Justifiable

Charges of murder were dismissed against Lloyd O'Rear, 29-year-old Idabel policeman, in a preliminary hearing Tuesday morning before Justice of the Peace Elmo Sweet, who served as examing magistrate.

County Attorney Ed Shipp said that Sweet found it justifiable homicide by reason of self defense.

Charges were filed in connection with the fatal shooting of Thomas Deal Lockem 40, Holly Creek, on May 8 of this year.

O'Rear was attempting to arrest Locke when Locke suddenly stabbed his knife into O'Rear's back and pulled it nine inches around toward his side, slashing into his left lung.

The officer fought his assailant, trying to beat him off. It was only after O'Rear was down and Locke was making another lunge at either O'Rear or Chief of Police Howard Palmer that O'Rear fired the fatal shot.

Both O'Rear and Locke were critically injured. Locke died the next day in the Paris Sanitarium. More than 250 stitches were required to close O'Rear's wounds, which exposed his heart. He has recovered sufficiently to return to his duties on the city police force.

In the Tuesday preliminary, the state called six witnesses, Chief of Police Howard Palmer and Bill Dollarhide, who were with O'Rear at the time of the shooting; Clarence Billy; J. C. Gore, companion of Locke on the night he was shot; Joe Johnson, who carried Locke to the hospital, and W. S. Locke, a brother of the deceased.

O'Rear did not take the stand.

McCurtain Gazette
Wednesday, July 21, 1948