Killed, Part 6- A Tragic Mistake

 

Date: 15 Jul 1961

Place: Ventura County, California 

The Story:

35 year old Earl Mason Mendenhall was a deputy sheriff in Ventura County, California. He had been on leave for sometime and was back 3 days when this tragic accident occurred. 

Earl was transporting a mentally ill prisoner to the psychiatric ward of Ventura County General Hospital. 27 year old James Edward Snow had threatened to kill his family- 25 year old wife named Neoma & young son Douglas. Neoma and Douglas were riding in the backseat of the car, which is probably why James was placed in the front seat of the the police car; However, he was not handcuffed. The man apparently started hearing voices, grabbed the wheel from Mendenhall and crashed the vehicle into oncoming traffic. The officer died. Snow, his wife and child all suffered minor injuries. 

The car that the police collided with was driven by 41 year old Stewart Walther. Also in the car were his daughter (15) and another passenger (15). Mendenhall was the only one killed. 

The Victim:

Earl Mason Mendenhall was born on 01 Sep 1925 in Akron, Ohio to 

Image from Findagrave.com

William E. Mendenhall (1894-1960) & Clara L. Jones (1892-1973). 

He had one brother- Howard P. Mendenhall (1928-2006).

Earl married twice. First, to Lota Mae Dixon (1927-2005) on 23 Jun 1944 in Craven County, North Carolina. They had 3 children: David, Daniel and Sue. On 22 Apr 1960, Earl married Barbara Ann Dickey and they had 4 sons: James, William & Robert (Twins), and Richard. Richard was just 2 months old when his father was killed.  

Image & newspaper info:
Ventura County Star-Free Press Newspaper
17 Jul 1961

After Earl's death, his wife/widow received $750 from donations called the "Mendenhall Fund"

Ventura County Star- Free Press
26 Jul 1961

Next, I wanted to see if I could find anything on James Snow, the prisoner. 

Things news articles have told me: 

James Edward Snow, 27 (born about 1934)

Former home- Lebanon, Missouri

Wife- Neoma, age 25 (born about 1936)

Son- Douglas (4 or 5 years old in 1961, born about 1956)

In late July, 1961, Snow was committed to Camarillo State Hospital, court ordered, but I know he escaped and by Dec 1961, he was on the run with his wife and child.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything else on Snow and his family. I feel like both his first and surname are far too common, it would be hard to pinpoint which person it is. 

~Earl Mason Mendenhall (1925-1961) was my 9th cousin, 3x removed.

Gone too Soon, #6- Jerry Max Fenters (1931-1944)

Jerry Max Fenters

born: 05 Jun 1931, Indianapolis, Indiaina

died: 08 Aug 1944, Muncie, Indiana, age 13

cause of death: Intestinal Injuries due to  truck accident (passenger), driver was Danny Fetters (17)

Jerry was the son of Robert Jack Fenters (1908-1978) & Helen Davita Williams (1908-2003). He had 2 siblings- Williaim Robert (b. 1928) & Danita (b. 1938).

Jerry's Birth Certificate 

Jerry's Death Certificate 

Obituary 

 

The driver of the truck- Danny Fetters (age 17) lived.

Jerry is buried in the Pennville IOOF Cemetery in Pennville, Indiana. He shares a bench-like gravestone with his mother and father.

Jerry is my 8th, 3x removed

Killed, Part 5- A Tragic Accident Dayton, Ohio Never Forgot

Date: 04 April 1969

Place: Near New Carlisle, Clark County, Ohio

05 Apr 1969
Dayton Daily News- Dayton, Ohio

My dad is the one who told me about this story. He grew up in Dayton and remembers when this happened- he was a senior in high school and knew some of the kids involved. 

So, four teens from Dayton, Ohio were driving either to or from the lake and at 10 pm, ran off the road and hit a tree. The car was a convertible with no seat belts (1969) and all passengers were ejected from the car and hit trees (the image in my mind is terrifying). Three of the four boys died.

One other thing my dad told me was that his cousin had been asked to go on the trip with these boys but because he didn't have money to chip in for beer, he didn't go! Can you imagine knowing you COULD have been in an accident that killed friends?! How devastating! 

05 Apr 1969
The Journal Herald- Dayton, Ohio

The Victims: 

~Driver- 

Terry A. Wallace 

born: abt 1953

died: 04 April 1969, age 16

Terry was buried in Willowview Cemetery, no picture available

~Passenger-

Paul Stephen Franz

born: 02 Feb 1951, Dayton, Ohio

died: 04 Apr 1969, age 18

Calvary Cemetery- Section 3, Lot 185
Dayton, Ohio

~Passenger- 

Michael Stephan Pietrzak

born: 09 Nov 1951, Ohio

died: 04 Apr 1969, age 17

Calvary Cemetery- Sec 18, Blk X, Lot 196, Space 9
Dayton, Ohio

Passenger- 

Ralph Paul Allen- Only survivor of the accident

born: 01 Nov 1953, Dayton, Ohio

died: 07 Jan 1983, Dayton, Ohio, age 29

Paul was buried in Calvary Cemetery, plot 19x92x4 in Dayton, Ohio

The very sad story with Paul Allen, the only survivor, is that Paul died at the age of 29 by suicide. My dad told me Paul had severe "survivors guilt" and shot himself in the head. 

Truly, a tragic story all-around! 

School Bus Hit By Train, Eads, Tennessee, 1941

On 10 Oct 1941, in Eads, Tennessee, a school bus stopped on the train tracks and was hit by the oncoming train. 7 died at the scene and 1 died later, totally 8 dead.

Picture from newspaper, crushed bus

I want to primarily focus on those who perished and who survived rather than the actual accident. 

Perished: 

~Hayden Austin Williams Jr. "Austin"

born: 15 Sep 1934 in Eads, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 7

burial: Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville, Tennessee 

Son of Hayden Austin Williams (1910-1965) & 

           Pauline Leake Earnheart (1909-1987)

~Murrey Kenneth Bryan

born: 08 Dec 1932 in Eads, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 8

burial: Reid Cemetery in Eads, Tennessee

Son of Perry Wallace Bryan (1899-1967) & 

          Alva Lee Cooper (1905-1981)

~Siblings Alma & Glenn

Daughter and Son of Joseph Guy Sherrill (1906-1986) & 

                      Dale Vaughn (1907-2000)

Both siblings are buried together in Salem Associate Reformed Presbyterian Cemetery in Salem, TN.

Alma Irene Sherrill

born: 22 Oct 1932 in Tipton County, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 8

W. Glenn Sherrill

born: 22 May 1929 in Tipton Co., Tennessee 

died: 13 Oct 1941, Memphis, Tennessee, age 12

Injuries: Glenn survived the accident but was in critical condition. Death certificate states injuries were cerebral contusion, edema with fractured skull, fractured right femur & multiple bruises. He died 3 days later of his injuries.

~Melvin Finis Richmond "Tootsie"

born: 04 Feb 1930 in Eads, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 11

burial: Eads Cemetery in Eads, Tennessee

Son of Walter Peyton Richmond (1887-1944) &

          Lilly Irene Snider (1899-1969)

Deadly injuries from the accident- (from findagrave.com)- "Someone layed Tootside in her [his mother] arms and it was there that he took his last breath. The only visable injury was a small scratch above one eye. But his neck had been broken. He died within minutes."

His brother Tommy survived the accident.

~Guy Clifford Anderson Jr.

born: 03 Mar 1929 in Memphis, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 12

burial: Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville, Tennessee

Son of Guy Clifford Anderson (1905-1984) &

           Olivia Maude Ellis (1909-1984)

~Norma Jean Seward "Jean"

born: 30 Jun 1929 in Shelby County, Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 12

burial: Reid Cemetery in Eads, Tennessee

Daughter of Norman E. Seward (1895-1973) & 

                Mary Richardson (1905-1972)

~Bennie Harrell Priddy - the driver of the bus

born: 19 Jul 1886 in Shelby Co., Tennessee

died: 10 Oct 1941 in Eads, Tennessee, age 55

burial: Bethany Cemetery in Eads, Tennessee 

Son of William Henry Priddy (1846-1911) & 

          Mary Harrell (1845-1923)

Husband of Lillian Strong (1884-1976)

Father of 6: George, Nina, Sara, Grace, Bennie Jr., and Charles.

Survivors:

~Kenneth Richardson, age 7

~Nancy Jenkins, age 9

I did find in a newspaper from 26 Oct 1941 that someone visited her in the hospital- 16 days later.

~Peggy Lee Spain, age 9

~Ella Mae Warren, age 13

~Mary Bryant, age 13

~Mary Ann Baxter, age 6 was the youngest and luckiest- walking away with only a few bruises. A newspaper reports her saying: "I was sitting in the front seat across from the driver...I was sitting on the side opposite the train....I saw it, some of the others saw it and we called to Mr. Priddy. He tried to get out of the way, tried to pull over, but he couldn't....The train hit us and I cried and the rest all cried. I climbed out by myself, but Austin didn't. Austin was killed....Austin and me were going to ride a mule today---we was going to ride that mule together."

Austin Williams, 7, was her closest friend. 

~Charles John Markle

age in 1941 during the accident- 8

born: 06 Jul 1933 in Macon, Tennessee

died: 11 Jul 2005 in Gallaway, Tennessee, age 72

Son of Johnnie Elton Markle (1911-1966) & 

           Sula Voyles (1911-1971)

~Christopher Daniel Sammons

age in 1941 during the accident- 13

born: 25 Dec 1927 in Eads, Tennessee

died: 25 Feb 1982 in Tupelo, Mississippi, age 54

Son of Autrey Aubrey Sammons (1887-1969) &

          Isabella Luck (1887-1977)

He had a wife & 3 children.

~Thomas Emmett "Tommy" Richmond (Some newspapers at the time of the accident stated that Tommy had died in the accident)

age in 1941 during the accident- 14

born: 01 Nov 1928 in Eads, Tennessee

died: 09 Jan 1987 in Memphis, Tennessee, age 58

burial: Memphis Memory Gardens in Memphis, Tennessee 

Son of Walter Peyton Richmond (1887-1944) & 

           Lilly Irene Snider (1899-1969)

Injuries from the accident- (from findagrave.com) "Tom was thrown from the bus. His back ripped open and lungs exposed".

Tom was married to Joe Ann Nelson (1930-2006)

Killed, Part 2

Date: 13 Apr 1957

Place: Carson City, Nevada

In the early morning, about 2 am, two cars collided head-on on a long stretch of highway. 

One car, a 1953 station wagon had a single occupant, driver Ronald Frank Malestin (22) (died instantly) was on the wrong side of the road when it collided with the other vehicle, a 1950 sedan.

In the sedan was a husband, wife and their two daughters- Clifford Montgomery (34) (survived), Anita (34) (driver- died instantly), Tina Elizabeth (8) (died during surgery for head trauma), and Monti Marie (2) (survived). 

The estimated combined speeds of the two vehicles was more than 130 MPH. Highway patrolmen described the accident as "one of the worst" they'd ever seen.

Anita Montgomery was my great-aunt. 

 

Helen & Anita (Sisters) as children

Anita Mae Montgomery

Born: Anita Mae Seaver on 05 Jun 1922 in Indiana

Died: 13 Apr 1957, Carson City, Nevada, age 34

Cause of Death: Multiple and Extensive Injuries (Crushed) in Automobile accident

                     Anita's death certificate: 

Daughter of Otto Watson Seaver (1901-1972) & Ruby Mae Henderson (1901-1990)

Married 1st to Eugene Robert Quist (1916-1977), together they had 3 children: Patricia, Robert & Tina. 

Married 2nd to Clifford Milton Noland Montgomery (1924-1986) in 1941 and they had a daughter- Monti Marie. 

(At the time of the accident, Patricia & Robert were living with their father Eugene Quist)

Anita and her daughter Tina are buried together in Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City, Nevada.

Two years later, a totla of $9,112 was awarded to the Montgomery family from Ronald's estate. Clifford received $7,832 for the death of his wife Anita and four year old Monti received $1,275 for the loss of her mother. Eugene Quist, Tina's father, receieved only $5 for the loss of his daughter, Tina. 

The money was taken from the estate of Ronald Malespin, the other driver who was killed in the accident because he had been on the wrong side of the road. 

So, the thing is, I've known about this "story" a long time. I've always been very partial and biased because a 22 year old killed a wife and mother who was very dear to my family. But, I never stopped to think about him before. Who was he? What I found shocked me.

I knew that Ronald was only 22 years old at the time of his death/car accident, but he wasn't just some "kid"....

Ronald's death certificate: 

Ronald Frank Malespin

Born: 05 Mar 1935 in San Francisco, California

Died: 13 Apr 1957 in Carson City, Nevada, age 22

Cause of death: Extensive Head Injuries (Crushed) due to car accident

Son of Frank Malespin (1911-1984) & Ethel S. Davis (1917-1999).

Ronald married Myra Carolyn McCullouch (1932-2012) in 1954 and out of that union came 3 children, Melanie, Cindy & Ron. I was so devastated to hear that it wasn't just him. He had a wife and a family. He wasn't just a kid that was probably messing around at 2 am...he probably just fell asleep at the wheel and it cost him his life and the lives of two others.

                  Photo courtesy of ancestry.com

Ronald was buried in the same cemetery as Anita and Tina- Lone Mountain Cemetery in Carson City. 

When I think of this accident, I don't just think of my great-aunt and her daughter...I think of that face- Ronald's face in that picture. It's a beautiful picture. At the end of the day, two families lost loved ones. Such a tragedy!