The death of Spencer DeMumbrie will probably always be a mystery, however that will not stop me from searching for how and where he died (as well as the location he was buried, even though I suspect that is under the Mississippi River by now).
Yesterday I was conducting some random searches, when I came across this little blurb. From October 19, 1877 edition of The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), page 2:
The little town of Austin, Tunica county, as been nearly swept away by a tornado.
I can’t help but wonder if maybe Spencer died in the tornado. I know from the 1870 census that he lived in the Austin district of Tunica County, Mississippi. As far as I know, had he lived to 1880, he would have been in the same location.
I just have to keep searching!
