Yesteryear Stories: The Mysterious Death of Mamie Cubbage Yager
After dying under odd circumstances, Mamie was buried, exhumed, sent to autopsy, and her case closed — all in the span of a few days.
From the Page News and Courier archives
BODY EXHUMED
January 11, 1937
Page County officers today ordered the exhumation of the body of Mrs. Mamie Florence Cubbage Yager, 27-years-old, third wife of a hill country farmer, after her father complained that she was buried without any members of her own (Cubbage) family being present.
January 12, 1937
STRANGE DEATH NEAR GROVE HILL
An unusual death occurred last week when the wife of John I. Yager died from causes unknown at the home of her husband, about three miles south of Grove Hill, this county.
It was stated by parties familiar with the case that Mrs. Yager stumbled over an obstacle on the floor, and that a concussion apparently caused death.
Her husband was home at the time, and it is said, refused to let neighbors enter the house.
Friday afternoon, W. O. Brill, undertaker at Elkton, was called, and upon reaching the Yager home, could not induce any of the women in the neighborhood to prepare the body for burial. Mr. Brill called in his wife who performed the task.
According to Brill, no marks of violence or scratches were found on the body, although decomposition had set in to a considerable degree at the time.
It is not known how long after death of the body had lain before Brill was called in. Burial was made beside the road near the Yager home.
Mrs. Yager was a daughter of Ernest Cubbage, of the Cubbage Hollow section. Her husband, who was about 70 years of age, has been a resident of the Grove Hill neighborhood for years. They had been married about 10 years and were parents of two children, both living. It is said, both man and wife were reputed to be heavy drinkers.
Suspicion over the death has arisen from the fact that the body of the woman was not given attention until decomposition had set in, and that relatives of the dead woman were not notified until after her burial.
It also seemed improbable that a woman of Mrs. Yager‘s age could suffer fatal injuries by a fall over a floor obstacle.
The body was ordered exhumed yesterday, and taken to the Charlottesville hospital where it will be given pathological test and examination. No arrests have yet been made.
January 14, 1937
PROBE INTO DEATH OF LURAY WOMAN DROPPED
Commonwealth Attorney S. L. Walton, Page County, said today, the investigation of the death of Mrs. Mamie Cubbage Yage had been dropped following an autopsy report showing she died of a cirrhosis of the liver.
“I think she died a natural death, and have always thought so,” the prosecutor declared.
According to Find A Grave, the location of Mamie’s final resting place is unknown.
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