Owen PEAKE, called Red, was the youngest son of Lee David PEAKE, Sr., and Virgie MARTIN PEAKE. He was born 3 Feb 1936 in South Carolina. The family lived in Richland County, South Carolina.
Red was my first cousin, once removed. His mother, Virgie, and my grandfather, Joel Daniel MARTIN, were siblings.
Red and his older brother, Bobby, were only three years apart in age. They probably chummed around together often.
On 10 February 1946, Red and Bobby went off playing in the woods as kids would do. As they meandered around, they found an old jar with moonshine in it. Red drank it and became very ill. Bobby helped him home.
Virgie took Red to an old doctor in Elgin, South Carolina who said to take him home and keep him warm which she did.
Virgie’s grown daughter, Lillie Mae PEAKE DAVIS, and her husband, John Amos DAVIS, came to the house to check on Red. Virgie was in the bed with Red, all bundled up with him and trying to keep him warm. Lillie and Mae and John could see how sick Red was, and they took him to the hospital. Lillie Mae held Red in her arms on the way there trying to keep him warm.
Red Peake in his casket
When they got the hospital, the doctor examined him and said he was ‘dead as a doornail.’ He had died enroute to the hospital.
According to the death certificate, Red died of alcohol poisoning. It says he drank ½ gallon of corn whiskey. Also, a contributing factor was exposure to rain for 6 hours.
I believe he is buried at Spears Creek Baptist Church Cemetery in Pontiac, Richland County, South Carolina.
Such a sad story. He was just a little boy.
Special thanks for Elaine Davis LaValley, granddaughter of Virgie, for telling me this story.
Copyright © 2015 Nancy H. Vest All Rights Reserved 
Nancy says
November 21, 2015 at 1:52 pmOh, how very sad. The poor little fellow.
NancyHVest says
November 22, 2015 at 10:15 amIt’s just heartbreaking. His poor mother.
Dawn Kogutkiewicz says
November 22, 2015 at 7:22 amHi Nancy,
This is such a sad story! I also happen to live in Elgin, SC. If you like I can try to find out if there is a marker for Red at the Spears Creek Baptist Church Cemetery. However, if the church is in a certain section of Spears Creek Road that was washed away in the recent flooding here I might not be able to get the photo until the road is open again.
NancyHVest says
November 22, 2015 at 10:16 amThank you for offering to do that, Dawn. I would appreciate it, whenever you can get out there.
Mandy says
February 5, 2019 at 4:15 pm..okay .. ..this is coming from Tally Lee Peake Sr. He is the only son of Bobby Peake …who is actually the youngest son of virgie and Lee Peake
And hes been told this story many times by my pawpaw (Bobby Peake)
Im Mandy Peake Tally Peake Srs only Daughter im writing this for him..
Okay..
Pawpaw said
He was 7 and red was 10
They had found that whiskey and drank it and passed out
Bobby said he passed out on the higher side of the ditch and red passed out down in the ditch and the rain came and the water filled the ditch and red drowned .. pawpaw was the one that was found and most likey taken to the hosp and wrapped up to keep warm seeing as how he got pneumonia from this and almost died himself ..
I wasnt there obviously but this cant be a lie seeing as how it came out of the mouth of the man that laid on the high side of the ditch that night.
Nancy H. Vest says
February 5, 2019 at 5:48 pmOh, gosh, Mandy. These details make the story even more tragic. What an awful thing to happen to a family. Thank you for sharing what you know about it. I appreciate it very much.