Henry Morton Slavens, age 88, a well-known resident of the Portland Mills community, died at the Putnam county hospital at 6:40 a.m. Tuesday of a shotgun wound which was self-inflicted Monday afternoon.
According to Sheriff Joe Rollings, the elderly man had been working on the wood pile at his home east of Portland Mills. He went into the house and told Mrs. Homer Slavens, his daughter-in-law, that he had fallen and hurt his neck.
Mrs. Slavens went outside a short time later to tend to some chickens, the sheriff reported. When she returned, she found Mr. Slavens sitting on the bedroom floor. He told her that he had shot himself. He had used a shotgun and the blast had entered his left side, the sheriff stated.
He was brought to the county hospital in the Rector ambulance, where he passed away Tuesday morning.
The deceased was a prominent resident of nortwest Putnam County nearly all his life. He was a retired farmer and the last of a family of ten children.
He had been in rather poor health for some time.
Mr. Slavens was born April 25, 1863, in Clinton township, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Slavens.
Survivors are one son, Homer, with whom he made his home, and the daughter-in-law; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and other relatives.
Funeral services will be held at 2 o'clock (CST) Thursday afternoon from the Clinton Falls church. Burial will be in the Clinton Falls cemetery.
Friends may call at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Slavens on the Portland Mills road.
Greencastle (Indiana) Daily Banner, May 29, 1951.