By Erin Smith
A tragic accident claimed the life of a Bladenboro man on Monday evening.
According to Bladen County Coroner Hubert Kinlaw, at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Murray Rudolph Santee, 88, was operating the tractor near a pond off of Shady Grove Church Road where he was attempting to remove a tree.
“He had his farm tractor hooked to a tree, trying to pull it out of the pond when the tractor raised up and turned over on him, pinning him beneath it,” said Kinlaw.
He said a passerby saw the tractor was upside down and stopped.
The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation into the accident.
Mr. Murray is survived by his wife Elsie Irene Santee of the home, sister Othella Heflin of Bladenboro, children: Sherry Leggett of Fairmont, Pam Durden, Diane McLemore and husband Randy, Patricia Stanley and husband Jimmy, all of Bladenboro; Dave Santee and friend Judy Rauschenbach of Middleburg, FL; grandchildren: Neill Todd and friend Brianna Smith, Kevin and wife T.J. Pait Todd, Ann Marie Durden and husband Lee Bryant, John and wife Lindsey Brown Durden, Bruce and wife Constance McLemore, all of Bladenboro; Brandy McLemore Whitman and husband Joe of Jacksonville, FL; Samantha McLemore of White Lake; Donna Stanley Larrimore and husband Jason of Bladenboro; Doss and wife Jamie Stanley of Elk City, OK; Suzanne Stanley of Bladenboro; Steven Santee and friend Cindy Stretz of Deltona, FL; Della Santee Enerson and husband Phil of Greenwood, IN; 19 great-grandchildren: Gabrielle, Marvin, Britney, Rebekah, Johnathan, Justin, Jordan, Shelby, Madison, Hayden, J.D., Kaitlyn, Jaxson, Curtis, Tara, Evin, Sean, Kaia, and Amelia, and one great-great grandchild, Kaidence.
The family will receive friends from 1-2:30 pm on Friday, October 6, 2017, at Shady Grove Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Bladenboro followed by a funeral service at 2:30 pm in the sanctuary. Burial will follow the services in Old Field Cemetery in Bladenboro.
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