Funeral Services for Henry Vanstory Were Held at His Mother's Home, May 19, 1926

Vanstory Funeral Held on Tuesday. . . Services Held at Mother’s Home in Lincolnton, Burial There, Many Shelby People Attend

The funeral services of Mr. Henry L. Vanstory, proprietor of Cleveland Springs hotel, were held Tuesday afternoon at 5 o’clock at the residence of his mother in Lincolnton. Burial was in the cemetery there.

The services were in charge of Dr. H.K. Boyer, pastor of the Shelby Central Methodist church. Many Lincolnton friends and relatives gathered to pay their final respects to the man well known over the entire section and in addition to Lincolnton home folks, scores of friends from Shelby and elsewhere over the state were in attendance. The floral tribute was unusually large and beautiful.

Served Well Here

The deceased was for four years proprietor of the Cleveland Springs hotel and during that time became the friend of hundreds of local people in addition to his large acquaintance among commercial travelers and tourists. Prior to coming here Mr. Vanstory was assistant manager of the Grove Park Inn at Asheville and before that was connected with hotels at Connelly Springs, Greensboro, Newton and elsewhere over the state, being one of the best known hotel keepers in the Carolinas.

Body Not Brought Here

The body of Mr. Vanstory was not brought to Shelby following his tragic death Monday afternoon at his farm in Catawba county, where he fatally shot himself with a single-barrel shot gun. The remains were taken from the farm to his mother’s home in Lincolnton, where the funeral services were held.

Full details of the suicide have it that Mr. and Mrs. Vanstory with the two younger children and chauffeur left the hotel here about 2:30 in the afternoon. Immediately upon arriving at a negro tenant house on the farm in Catawba, it is said that Mrs. Vanstory proceeded to a well in the yard for the purpose of securing a drink of water. While there she heard a gun fire in the tenant house, the tenants being away at the time, and upon entering found her husband dead upon the floor. Ner him lay the single-barrel shotgun which had been discharged. A small limb had been cut from a tree and was used in touching the trigger of the gun, the muzzle being held against the head near the right eye, the full load taking effect in that portion of the head. A pistol with cartridges were found in his pocket. It is said that on previous visits to the farm Mr. Vanstory had used the shot-gun to shoot birds and knew of its location in the house over the mantle-piece.

Mental depression of some time brought about through financial worry is thought to have been back of the tragic deed. The deceased was of a reserved nature and usually kept his troubles and worries to himself, the continued mental worrying, it is thought, having finally overcome the stronger will of his personality.

Shelby along with the entire section sympathizes with Mrs. Vanstory and her attractive children in their tragic sorrow and loss.

Surviving in the immediate family are Mrs. Vanstory and four young children: Margaret, James, Violet and Lola Kate. Mrs. Vanstory and children returned to the hotel Monday evening, while Margaret, the eldest child, is now confined with mumps.

From the front page of The Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Wednesday, May 19, 1926

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