Obituary

Car Crashed Thru Bridge Banister, Fell Twelve Feet

In Wreckage 4 Hours Before Found

  Aloysious (Bud) Hogan, 32, prominent young farmer residing northwest of Lenox in Mercer township, died at seven o'clock Sunday morning in an Omaha hospital from the effects of injuries received in an automobile accident about two o'clock Saturday morning, when his car crashed through the banister of a bridge a half mile east of the Jesse Haggerty home in south Mercer township. Death was caused by a broken spinal column.
  The accident, and the death of Mr. Hogan following, is one of the most tragic happenings in this community in many years. When all of the circumstances of the events following the accident were learned, friends and relatives of the young man were shocked to think of the suffering he must have undergone for nearly two hours following the accident. He was found about six o'clock Saturday morning in an unconscious condition by Earl Bassett of Corning, who happened to be driving along the road. As near as can be figured out, the accident happened shortly after two o'clock Saturday morning.
          Car Hit Banister
  Mr. Hogan spent Friday evening playing cards with friends at the home of the Lynch brothers south of Corning. He left the Lynch home about two o'clock and the accident happened as the young man was on his way to his home northwest of Lenox. He was driving a Ford coupe. At the point where the accident occurred, there is a rather sharp turn to the right in the road just at the west end of the bridge. For some reason, Mr. Hogan failed to make the turn and his car apparently struck the left hand bridge banister almost directly head-on.
  It is believed the car rode the edge of the bridge about half way across and then fell about twelve or fifteen feet into the creek below. The car apparently turned completely over and when found was resting on the hood and top with the wheels in the air. Hogan was not pinned in the wreckage and was in no way cut or scratched. He apparently received no serious injury except the broken spinal column. There was a bruise on the left front of the skull, but physicians stated there was no fracture of the skull.
  When found by Mr. Bassett, Hogan lay inside the upturned top and was completely unconscious. Mr. Bassett at first believed the young man was dead, but noticed that he move one arm slightly. Bassett then went to the Haggerty home for assistance and Hogan was brought to a Corning physician in the Haggerty car. After preliminary examination in Corning, Hogan was taken to an Omaha hospital.
  After arriving at the hospital, Hogan was given immediate treatment to offset the effects of the several hours of exposure in the chill night air. The young man responded nicely to these treatments and gained semi-consciousness shortly after noon Saturday. He continued to come out of the coma and by evening was fully rational. He remembered all of the circumstances of the accident and related them to relatives and friends. He stated that he simply forgot about the turn in the road and then when he saw what was happening, it was too late to keep the car from going off the bridge.
          Brakes Faulty
He stated that he believed if his car brakes had been in good condition, he might have avoided the accident. Mr. Hogan stated that he was fully conscious for nearly two hours following the accident but that his body was completely paralyzed below the hips and he was unable to drag himself out of the wreckage. He stated that he felt sure his back was broken and that all he could do was move his arms and the he wore himself completely out in frantic efforts to drag himself out of the wreckage but finally lost consciousness.
  Saturday evening, after Mr. Hogan had responded so well to treatment to counteract the effects of the exposure, hopes were held out for his recovery. However, between 9:00 and 10:00 o'clock Saturday night his condition became more serious and he continued to decline until his death at 7:00 o'clock Sunday morning.
  Mr. Hogan was one of the most industrious and hard working young farmers in the community. He was always very willing to assist neighbors with their work and it was often remarked about Bud Hogan that he always did more than his share of the work when any group of men assembled to assist a neighbor. He was successful in his farming operations and his untimely death leaves a vacancy, not only in the immediate family circle, but among his hundreds of friends, that will never be filled.
          Obituary
  Aloysious Hogan (known to his many friends as Bud) passed away in St. Joseph hospital in Omaha Sunday, March 27th, 1938, at seven a. m.
  Alousious was born October 23, 1905 on a farm in Mercer township. He was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. John Hogan and was one of the finest young men in Adams County, devoted to his parents and home, true to his faith a devout Catholic. He attended school in this locality and later at Conception, Mo.
  Besides his parents he leaves three sisters, Mrs. Helen Gilmore of Seattle, Wash.; Mrs. Marie Flanagan, Omaha, Nebr.; Mrs. Clotilda Curry of Red Oak, and one brother Albert of Corning; also two nieces, Mary and Ann Flanagan of Omaha and two nephews Denny Flanagan of Omaha and Jack Curry of Red Oak, all of whom attended the funeral, which was held Wednesday at 9 a.m. from St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Corning, Rev. Father McStay of Lenox was celebrant; Rev. James Wilson of St. Columbia Society was deacon; Rev. Timothy Connolly of St. Columbia Society was sub-deacon and Rev. M. J. Powers of Corning was master of ceremonies. Rev. M. M. Tennessen of Red Oak, Rev. James Doyle of Imogene and Rev. John O'Donovan of Omaha were in the Sanctuary.
  His pastor Rev. Father McStay, of Lenox, spoke a few words to the grief stricken family and the many friends who filled the church to capacity. The Knights of Columbus attended in a body. The pall bearers were Lewis and Leo Ryan, Oscar and Paul Lynam, John Keefe and Mark Sullivan.
  Bud conducted and lived on a farm the past three years near Lenox and has been very successful in his work.
  Friends and relative who attended the funeral were: Mrs. P. J. Cunningham, Mrs. John Monahan, James Monahan, Mrs. Nellie Melroy, Edward Melroy, Winterset; Mr. and Mrs. Joe Morris, Prole, Ia.; Mrs. John Swift and sons Cyril and John, Cummings, Ia.; Mrs. Don Lovely, Greenfield; Will Hogan, Greenfield; Mrs. Vincent Connole , and son Vincent, Jr., of Council Bluffs; Mr. Hugh Baird, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Schuetz, Mrs. H. O. Louzenhiser, Mrs. E. F. Green, Mrs. Fred Rossback, Mrs. Ed Welsh, Miss Marcella Brennan, and Mrs. D. P. Hogan, all of Omaha.
(Adams County Free Press, Thursday, March 31, 1938, p. 1)