Charles B. "Charley" McCoy
Marriages
Stella Hatch McCoy - 1900
Burial Details
Obituaries
Eagle Valley Enterprise page 1 - March 1, 1935
PIONEER RANCHMAN DIES AS RESULT OF GUNSHOT WOUND. C. B. McCoy Meets Tragic Death Caused By Accidental Leg Wound and Amputation of Limb at Oak Creek Hospital.
People of the county were distinctly shocked Tuesday morning to learn of the tragic death on Monday night of Charley McCOY, one of the pioneer stockmen of the Western Slope living on a ranch near McCoy, the town named after his father.
Mr. McCOY's death was the result of a pistol shot wound in the leg, accidentally inflicted by himself while riding at his home last Thursday evening.
Mr. McCOY, together with a hired man, were milking and doing the evening chores. Mr. McCOY's helper was having trouble in getting a heifer in a corral, and the former told him to let the critter go until they were through with the milking and then he would saddle a horse and take care of her. Mr. McCOY prepared to do this, but the heifer was troublesome and he decided to rope her. He took down his lariat and laid it over the cows' head the first throw. As he tightened up on the rope a sixshooter hanging on the saddle in an open holster exploded, the bullet passing along his leg from above the knee, and tearing the flesh, ligaments, blood vessels to shreds, to below the knee, but breaking no bones.
The wounded man was assisted to the house and Dr. COLE called from Oak Creek at once. The doctor worked all night with Mr. McCOY's limb, dressing it and trying to fix it so as to get circulation through the badly torn member. Failing in this the injured man was taken to the hospital at Oak Creek early Friday morning, where, assisted by another surgeon, everything known to surgical skill was done to save the limb and the man's life. It was finally determined that the leg would have to be amputated above the knee joint, and, with the consent of Mr. McCOY and his brother, John F. McCOY, who had been summoned from Glenwood Springs, this was done Saturday. Mr. McCOY rallied from the operation and was, apparently, recovering, and his brother returned home. But Sunday he began to fail, and at 9:30 Monday evening he passed away.
Mr. McCOY said he had no idea how the gun was discharged. He had a long-formed habit, so he told his brother, of carrying the gun on his saddle when riding for cattle in the fall. But that it was customary when this work was through to put the weapon away. But for no particular reason he had failed to do this last fall, so that the gun happened to be on the saddle Thursday when he saddled the horse.
Chas. B. McCOY was born in Missouri over sixty-five years ago, and accompanied his parents to the Blue river valley of Colorado in 1879, when about ten years of age. There he grew to manhood on a cow ranch, the family moving to Eagle county in the early eighties. The family has been a strong factor in the history and growth of this section for more than half a century, and Charles McCOY has been a leading cattleman and rancher of the section since reaching manhood. He was a leader in all community affairs, and his advice was sought and respected by his neighbors on matters which effected the neighborhood. He had a wide acquaintance in Eagle, Grand and Routt counties, and numbered his friends by the hundreds.
He met with a great sorrow last summer when his wife died, and he felt the loss keenly. He is survived by two daughters, married, one living at Alma and the other in Denver; and by a brother, John F. McCOY, a prominent business man of Glenwood Springs.
Funeral services were held at McCoy yesterday afternoon and the body laid to rest beside that of his beloved wife. The services were attended by one of the largest congregations that ever attended a like service in that community.
The deceased will be sadly missed by his neighbors, for he filled a place in the community that will not be easily taken by another.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 7 - February 28, 1935
