ELLRIDGE, Ralph Briggs, Beeville Picayune, Friday, 31 May 1912 

Ralph Ellridge Drowned.

A Beeville young man lost his life at Oklahoma City when the boat upset at night of May 23rd. Seldom 
is the Picayune called upon to chronicle a death which has caused more genuine sorrow to the people 
of Beeville than the untimely and unexpected passing of Ralph Ellridge who lost his life by drowning at 
Oklahoma City on Thursday night of last week, when a boat capsized while he and a chum were out for 
a nights pleasure on the water of a tributary of the lake near Oklahoma City. 

Ralph could not swim and his companion was unable to save him. His body was recovered four hours 
later and shipped to Beeville for interment, reaching here Sunday afternoon, the funeral being held from 
the Methodist Church at 6:30 p. m. The following boyhood friends acting as pallbearers, Whizzie Barry, 
Brown Beasley, Earl Jenkins, Tom Hull, Harvey Nunneley  andForest Seymour. A large concourse of 
sorrowing friends followed the remains to their last resting place and banked high the newly made 
mound with flowers and wreaths.

Ralph Briggs Ellridge was born in Norman, Oklahoma, the 2nd son of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ellridge and 
was 18 years, 9 months and 3 days old. He came with his parents to Beeville about seven years ago 
and in 1909 finished the high school course with a splendid average, being salutatorian of his class. 
He taught school the following session and then attended the University of Oklahoma at Norman, the 
place of his birth, one term and in June 1911 went to Oklahoma City where he had a splendid position: 
He expected to return to the University of Oklahoma and complete the course. Superintendent W. E. 
Madderra and class mates speak in highest terms of the unfortunate young man in recalling his 
Beeville school days, and all who knew him intimately and admired and respected him.

The Oklahoma City Daily Times gives the following account of his death.
Ralph Briggs Ellridge was drowned in Belle Isle Lake shortly after 9:30 Thursday evening and had rowed out 
into the channel of Deep Fork Creek, an estuary of the lake, where the water is very deep. Shortly before the 
canoe capsized Lucas and Ellridge changed positions, Lucas going to the bow and Ellridge to the stern of the 
craft and he was playing with the oars when the accident happened that cost him his life occurred.

Lucas stated Friday that he could not account for the canoe turning over unless the waves did it. "The lake was 
choppy," said Lucas, "and a few minutes before the accident, Ellridge and myself had discussed the difficulty of 
rowing with the wind lashing the waves so high."

"When the canoe tipped over we were in the middle of the channel, probably 60 feet from the shore. I went to 
Ellridge and tried to save him. He could not swim. I am a fairly good swimmer but when I reached him he grabbed 
at my head and caught his hands in my hair. In this attitude both would have drowned had I not succeeded in 
extracting myself from his grasp."

"I tried a second time; I pushed him away from me and then swam to him a 2nd time and managed to get him to 
grab a hold of my shoulder. By this time I was very weak and as Ellridge was heaver than I am by several pounds, I 
finally had to let him go, realizing it was impossible for me to reach shore with him."

The dead young man was a son of Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Ellridge who live in Beeville Texas. The father conducts two 
bottling plants in Texas, one in Beeville and the other in Temple. Up to noon the parents had not been heard from.  
Two uncles of Ralph live in Oklahoma City, I. B. and George D. Ellridge.  Ralph Ellridge came to Oklahoma City in 
June 1911 after leaving the State University at Norman, where he had been at school and had for some time been 
private secretary to 0. F. Stith, traveling freight agent for the Louisville and Nashville Rail Road Co., with offices in 
the Insurance Building.

Since coming to Oklahoma City, young Ellridge and Lucas have been intimate friends. They occupied the same 
room at 423 West 8th St. and were together when not engaged with respective duties. The drowned man was a 
member of St. Luke's Methodist Church, an active worker in the Christian Endeavor Society of the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church and was identified with other branches of Christian work.

In addition to his father and mother he is survived by two sisters and two brothers. The body will be sent to Texas 
for interment.