The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1949-10-06
MOTHER, DAUGHTER
AND DAUCHTER-IN-
LAW LOSE LIVES
Mrs. Lenore Myers and Mrs.
Belle Miller Instantly
Killed
Mrs. George Myers Dies in
Hospital After Truck Hits
Car

Bluffton's first triple funeral in
history, attended by crowd which
filled the First Mennonite church to
oyerfowing last Sunday afternoon
was the aftermath of country road
crossing motor crash which took the
lives of three members of Blulfton
family, late last Thursday afternoon
4 crowded church of mourners
and banks of flowers around the
caskets marked the community's final
respects for Mrs. Belle Miller, sc,
widow of George Miller and Mrs.
Lenore Myers, 50, daughter of Mrs
Miller both living on College road OPP
posite the campus and Mrs. Eleanor
(Keeney) Myers, 25, daughter-in-law
of Mrs. Myers, and the mother OF
three small children living near Gratz
crossing a short distance west of the
Dixie highway three miles southwest
of town.
The three members of the tragedy
ridden family met their death in an
accident at 4:30 p IN. last Thursday
when their passenger automobile was
struck by truck and trailer at the
intersection of State Route 696 (the
Napoleon road) and the Grismore
road, one mile north of the Hilty
school. Scene of the mishap was
about five miles northwest OF
Bluffton.
Mrs. Miller and her daughter We're
killed instantly in the crash. The
younger Mrs. Myers, who was thrown
into corn field about 35 feet from
the point of impact, died two ano
one-half hours later in Bluffton Com
munity hospital.
Coroner Rules
DR.. R. G. Hendershot, deputy Aller
county coroner said deaths of Mrs
Miller and LIrs. Lenore Myers Were
due to severe head injuries. A
fractured skull was the cause of the
younger woman's death, he reported
The triple tragedy was a blow tc
the community in which the family
had an important place. Mrs. Lenore
Myers was Bluffton college librarian
and an English instructor at the
school. Her daughter-in-law, altho g
native of Pennsylvania, was a gradu.
ate of Bluffton college. Mrs. Miller
had been resident of the town fol
many years and was widely known
here.
According to state highway
patrol report, the victims were re,
turning to their homes in Blufftor
after visiting Miss Helen Barnett, il
Columbus Grove.
Mrs. Eleanor Myers was driver oi
the car travelling east on the Girls
more road, which parallels the Grove
street road, one mile to the north
The car had started across the inter
section at Route COG and had reached
the center of the highway when i
was struck by the heavy truck, which
was travelling south on the STATE
route.
Car Demolished
In the impact the passenger ca
was spun completely around and th'
wreckage was tossed into a ditch a
the southeast corner of the inter
section. The truck jacknifed, but dit
not leave the highway. Its driver
Willfred w. Henry, 81, of Leipsic
escaped with minor cuts and bruises
The view to the north at the mis-
hap corner may have been obscure'
by stand of corn and it is assumes
the mishap victims did not see tn
truck approaching from that direc
ton.
Willis AmstutZ, whose home
only few rods from the acciden
scene, was driving north on Rout
COG. and had left the road at tn
corner, where it jogs and follows
dog-leg route. He had stopped at tn
dead-end of short strip of roa
just as the Myers car passed, an
was a witness of the accident.
George Myers, husband of tn
younger Mrs. Myers, who is employ
ed as book salesman out of Toled
headquarters, could not be immediate
" located, and it was late Thursda
night before he was notified of tn
tragedy The three Myers children
all under school age, had been lei
at the Mrs. Lenore Myers home
the care of baby sitter for til
afternoon.
Triple Services
Rev. J. N. Smucker, pastor of tt
Continued on page 10Y