Extracted from The Centreville Press (Centreville, AL)
Thursday, April 28, 1949

Wood Doss Drowns In Rockview Lake

A Saturday afternoon fishing trip ended in tragedy Saturday night at Rockview Lake, a favorite fishing spot about ten miles from West Blocton.

Woodfin C. Doss, 44, a miner employed by the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company was drowned when the boat he was in overturned. His three companions, Harry Adams, H. C. Henderson, and Carlos Seagle, Jr., escaped. He was taken from the water by Claude Hayes and a Mr. Hamilton who were also fishing there. Mr. Herman Shamblin, superintendent for Black Diamond Coal Mining Company was at the lake fishing with his young son, and he administered artificial respiration until Dr. Percy Nolen arrived and pronounced Doss dead.

Mr. Doss is survived by the wife, Mrs. Ruby Johnson Doss, one daughter, Helen, his mother, Mrs. E. C. Doss, Sr., of West Blocton, four sisters, Mrs. Ernest West and Mrs. Murphy Reach, West Blocton, Mrs. John Chambers, Bessemer and Mrs. Jack Pearson, Tuscaloosa and one brother, E. C. Doss, Jr., West Blocton.

Funeral services were held Monday at 4 P.M. from the West Blocton Baptist Church with the Rev. Lewis Marler, officiating. Pall bearers were Ralph Byram, Herman Shamblin, Johnnie Warren, Charles McElroy, Gardner Walker, and Eugene Roland.