Henry Madison "Matt" Sankey

Henry Madison "Matt" Sankey

Sankey Funeral Set For Friday At City Church
Veteran Peace Officer Passes Here As Result Of Acute Heart Attack
Committal Service In Charge Of Masons

He Was on Duty as O. C. W. Watchman Shortly Before Death Claimed Him.

Funeral services for Henry Madison Sankey, age 54, veteran Grady County officer and sheriff for nine years, who succumbed to an acute attack of heart trouble at his home, 1528 South Fourteenth street, shortly after 3 o'clock Wednesday morning, will be conducted from the First Baptist church here Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock by his pastor, Rev. J. W. Bruner. Committal services at the Rose Hill cemetery are to be in charge of the Masonic Lodge.

Mr. Sankey, familiarly known throughout the county and to Oklahoma peace officers as "Matt" Sankey, was born September 21, 1877, in Sullivan County, Indiana, and came to Grady County about 30 years ago.

Mr. Sankey lived at Minco before moving to Chickasha and followed the carpenter's trade there but also served as a marshal there. He had been identified as an officer for 33 years. Mr. Sankey served four terms of two years each as sheriff of Grady County and filled the unexpired term of Hodge Bailey for one year. He served one year as night watchman at the Oklahoma College for Women previous to his last term of sheriff and was an officer in the Oklahoma City police department. Only a few weeks ago he received the appointment as night watchman for the college and had been on duty about one week at the time of his death.

He was on duty Tuesday night at the college until 12:30 o'clock and a short time after retiring at his home complained of a severe pain. His son, Lawrence Sankey, was unable to locate a doctor immediately by telephone and drove to a doctor's home. Mr. Sankey died shortly before his son returned with the doctor. Death was attributed to heart trouble.

He is survived by two sons, Lawrence Edward Sankey, who is an officer in the city police department of Chickasha, and Henry Benjamin Sankey of Chickasha, Miss Thelma Brock, sister of Mr. Sankey's wife, (who died in January, 1930,) has made her home with the family most of her life and is regarded as a daughter at the home. Other relatives are James Sankey, a brother who has lived with Mr. Sankey for the past four years; Mrs. Burt McManima (? as best as I can tell from the dark copy), a sister at Enid; Mrs. Kate Bunyan (?), another sister at South Haven, Kansas; Rev. DeWitt Sankey, a cousin who is a pastor of the Cement Baptist Church; and Dell Sankey, another cousin, who lives at Medford.

Mr. Sankey was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the First Baptist Church. He was a regular attendant of the Men's Bible Class of his church and has filled a prominent place in public life for a number of years.

Pall bearers at the service will represent the Odd Fellows Lodge, the church and Mr. Sankey's fellow officers. The active pall bearers will be W. A. Clackson, F. M. Luginbyal, DeArthur Wilson, Bob Wilson, Frank Routh and A. L. Stephens. The honorary pall bearers will be C. C. Leonard, Bill Curlee, A. L. Davis, Dr. M. A. Nash, Harper Mercer and M. M. Ferguson.