Mrs Charley Johns Burned to Death Sunday Morning

Using Coal Oil to Start Fire Was Fatal for Young Mother
Building and Contents Burned to Ground

While starting a fire with coal oil at her home in Tygee last Sunday morning the oil can exploded and so severly burned Mrs Charles Johns that death resulted from the burns about eight hours later. The exploding oil can spread the flames so rapidly that the entire building together with all its contents was hurriedly burned to the ground.
Last Sunday morning about eight o'clock Mrs Charles Johns who resided in Tygee about six miles west of Afton, arose and started the kitchen fire. For some reason the fire did not burn as readily as Mrs Johns wished as she was in a hurry to get the children ready for Sunday School. To hasten the fire she secured a gallon can of coal oil, and lifted the lid from the kitchen stove and started pouring a small quantity of the oil on the smoldering coals. The instant the oil came in contact with the coals an explosion resulted, that immediately set fire to the clothing of Mrs Johns as well as the entire room. She immediately screamed for help and her husband, who was dressing at the time, rushed to the kitchen door to where she had ran. He secured some old canvass and wrapped her in them to extinguish the flames. By that time the four small children who were able to walk, had make their escape from the burning building. The five week's old baby however was still in the house, and to go to the room where the infant was, it was necessary to go through the kitchen which was all aflame. This Mr Johns did, and in doing so he received severe burns about the hands and face, but fulfilled his mission and saved the small baby from a terrible death.
By this time John Miller and Sam Draney nearby neighbors had noticed to flames, and rushed to the scene of the fire. Mrs Johns was burned so badly that her clothing was all falling and with it the flesh was pealing off. she was placed in Mr Mill's car and taken to the Miller home, where Dr West Was summoned. He arrived there in record time, and after rendering first aid, placed her in a car and brought her to the home of Arthur Johnson, one mile south of afton, where all that medical skill could do was done to save her life, but the efforts were of no avail as she passed away late Sunday afternoon.
Mr and Mrs Johns had been married ten years. They had resided in Tygee for three years where they were soon to prove up on a homestead. Before her marriage to Mr Johns she was Miss Cressa Crook of Smoot, a daughter of Mr and Mrs Orson Crook.
Besides a heart broken husband and five small chilldren the oldest of which is only 9 and the smallest five weeks, she leaves a father and mother and brothers and sisters to mourn her untimely death.
Funeral services were held from the Smoot meeting house Tuesday afternoon. The speakers were Albert Barrus, Orlando Barrus, Sam Draney, Wilford Cranney and Bishop Peterson. Interment took place in the Smoot cemetery.

Johns, Mrs Charley (3 Sep 1920)Star Valley Independent

Laura Tressie CROOK is the daughter of Orson Samuel CROOK and Mary WINTERBOTTOM
Laura Tressie CROOK married Charles JOHNS 14 Jun 1911 in Paris, Bear Lake, Id