MAMIE B MAY

Ernest James May was born August 20, 1895, in Marysvale Territory, Paiute County, Utah, the son of a Mormon pioneer family. Ernest was the third child born to Rosetta and William May. His father worked in the silver mine in Silver Reef, Utah, and his mother was a cook for the miners. In the 1900's, after Ernest's father's death, his mother moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and became a cook for the Union Pacific Railroad. Ernest was very young when his father died so to help out financially, he went to work for the railroad. He was an industrious young lad and as years passed he labored to become an engineer. He met Mamie Bundy and they were married in 1917. Ernest was an engineer and a policeman while he was raising his family. There were seven children born to Mamie and Ernest: Anita, Rosella, Ernest, Marjorie, Daisy, Pearl, and Darlene. On February 19, 1929, Ernest was shot in the arm when apprehending four burglars in Woodward's Garage. After his brush with death, his wife urged him to seek a safer job, so he left the Las Vegas Police Department and went to work for the United States Government as a U.S. Deputy Marshall; however, his heart was always with the police force so he resigned as deputy marshal and resumed his duty as a policeman in Las Vegas. His kind way with people was one of his greatest attributes. The story was told that he would have to run a "hobo" out of town, but not until he'd given the man his last $5, and this was during the depression. On June 8, 1933, Ernest was tragically killed attempting an arrest. He was the first policeman killed in the line of duty in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ernest James May was truly loved by his family. "He was a wonderful husband, father, and friend who was very charitable and kind, but fearless in the face of adversity." It is a fitting tribute to one who loved his community as did Ernest J. May that this school carry his name.