Gail L. Kilgore rescued Charles E. Brownson from burning, Willamina, Oregon, January 7, 1987. Brownson, 91, was inside his burning mobile home. Kilgore, 72, a security guard who was employed nearby, ran to the scene when he saw smoke and flames issuing from the trailer. Learning that Brownson was still inside, Kilgore dropped to his hands and knees and crawled into the mobile home. Seeing Brownson, who was disoriented, about 20 feet away, Kilgore crawled to him and pulled him out of the mobile home. Within moments, a portion of the trailer’s roof collapsed. Brownson was severely burned and died of his injuries seven months later. Kilgore recovered from minor burns to his arms and ears.
61709 – 7150
61709-7150Obituary
Gail LaVerne Kilgore, 78, died on July 27, 1992. He was a native of McMinnville, Ore., and was a log truck driver for 25 years. Following his retirement, he was a night watchman for Zimbrick Logging.
In 1987, he received a heroism award from the Carnegie Hero Fund for saving a Willamina man from a burning home.
(Edited from an obituary in the Statesman-Journal, July 28, 1992.)