| Die in Auto Crash
Louis Spenler Killed and Darlene Lukavsky Dies of Injuries; Two Badly Hurt
Bernard Swift and Arylus Larson in Hospitals After Auto-Bus Collision
Des Moines, July 24--(UP)-Two Washington, Iowa young persons were killed
and two others injured seriously early today in an automobile-bus
collision near Ankeny.
William Louis Spenler, 17, was killed outright when the car he was
driving crashed head-on into a Jefferson line bus. Anna Darlene Lukavsky,
18, a passenger in the car, died later in a Des Moines hospital.
Condition Serious
Still unconscious the morning Arylus Larson was in a Des Moines hospital
and her condition was described as "not very good."
Pvt. Bernard E. Swift, 23, stationed at the Sioux Falls, South Dakota
air base also was in serious condition at the Fort Des Moines hospital.
He was given a blood transfusion.
Bus Passengers Unhurt
Roger Hoagland, Des Moines, driver of the bus and his 29 passengers, all
escaped without injury.
A front tire on the bus was blown and the fender was damaged,
necessitating the sending out of another bus to remove the passengers.
Expect Swift to Recover
Physicians at the Ft. Des Moines hospital said Swift appeared to be
suffering mostly from shock and apparently will recover.
Miss Larson is believed to have a skull fracture and was under the care
of special nurses. Her physician said at 1:00 p. m. that she had not
regained consciousness and that her condition was "very serious."
Insert Auto Crash
Parked Car Involved
The accident occurred on highway 69, seven miles north of Ankeny when
Hoagland and Spenler attempted to avoid an automobile which had been
parked on the highway because of engine trouble.
The bus and the car met almost parallel with the parked vehicle.
Highway patrolman Leonard Sinis said the parked car was owned by Robert
Jones, Des Moines. Jones and his passengers were not injured, nor was
his car struck.
The automobile containing the Washington people was nearly demolished by the impact.
----------
First word of the accident came to Washington about three o'clock this
morning when Sheriff Putnam was called by a Polk county deputy sheriff
who wanted help to identify the dead and injured.
Later the L. A. Jones funeral home received a call from Des Moines, and
this afternoon Willis Jones went to Des Moines to get the bodies of Mr.
Spenler and Miss Lukavsky.
Left Here in Evening
The party of four young people left Washington Sunday evening in the
Swift automobile to take Private Swift back to his station, where he was
to report today after a furlough, the plan being for Spenler to drive the car home.
Full details of the collision had not been learned, since the two
survivors were in no condition to tell about what happened.
Local Young People
Miss Larson, who was graduated from Washington high school last May, has
been employed in the office at the American Pearl Button factory. The
Adolph Larson family formerly lived on a farm near Washington, but now
live in the Olds community.
Private Swift is a son of Bryan Swift, living five miles southeast of Washington.
William Louis Spenler
William Louis Spenler was born June 6, 1927, at Washington, a son of
Chris William Spenler and Etteine Swift Spenler, and was reared in the
Red Brick community south of Washington and in Washington, attending the
schools here. The family had lived in town for 16 years.
He was a member of the Christian church. Recently he had been employed
in construction work at the site of the soybean processing plant.
His father died May 17, 1939, and he is survived by his mother, Mrs.
Etteine Spenler of 316 East Van Buren street, and these half-brothers
and sisters: Mrs. Ralph McCreedy of Washington, Claire Keating of the
United States army in Italy, Charles Spenler of the United States navy,
Mrs. Frank Magdefrau of Yarmouth, Iowa, Mrs. Clarence Heaseltine of New
York, Mrs. Leonard Strohm of Haskins, Mrs. Al Rodeker of Pleasant Plain.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday afternoon at four o'clock at the
L. A. Jones funeral home, in charge of Rev. Vernon Carter, former pastor
here, now of Marion, Iowa.
Anna Darlene Lukavsky
Anna Darlene Lukavsky was born May 11, 1926, in Washington county, a
daughter of Joe Lukavsky and Margaret May (Suffal) Lukavsky. She
attended the schools in Highland township and in Washington and had been
a resident in town the last five years.
She was an employee at the American Pearl Button company factory. She
was a member of the Presbyterian church.
Surviving her are her father, Joe Lukavsky of 231 East Sixth street,
three sisters, Bernice, Mary Lou and Joan, and one brother, Franklyn,
all at home, one half-brother, Irwin White, in the United States army,
and one half-sister, Mrs. Hubert Evans of Washington. Her mother died Oct. 8, 1942.
Funeral services will probably be held Wednesday, in charge of Dr. F. W.
Eastwood, with burial in Elm Grove cemetery. Funeral arrangements are in
charge of the L. A. Jones funeral home.
(Washington Journal, Washington, Iowa, Monday, July 24, 1944)
Accident victims Funerals Tomorrow
Funeral of Miss Lukavsky Announced for Two o'Clock Wednesday Afternoon
Funeral Services for the two young people who met death in an
automobile-bus collision near Des Moines Sunday night will both be held
Wednesday afternoon, it was announced today.
Services for Anna Darlene Lukavsky were planned today for Wednesday
afternoon at two o'clock at the L. A. Jones funeral home, to be
conducted by Dr. F. W. Eastwood of the Presbyterian church. Burial will
be at Elm Grove cemetery.
As announced yesterday, services for William Louis Spenler are to be
held Wednesday at four o'clock at the Jones funeral home, in charge of
Rev. Vernon Carter of Marion, former pastor of the Christian church in
Washington. Burial is to be at Elm Grove.
Condition Still Serious
Des Moines, July 25--(UP)-The condition of two Washington, Iowa persons
injured in an automobile-bus collision near Ankeny yesterday, remained serious today.
Pvt. Bernard Swift, 23, who was operated on for internal injuries at Ft.
Des Moines hospital yesterday afternoon, had improved slightly this
morning, post hospital attendants said, but his condition remains serious.
Arylus Larson, 17, was still in critical condition with a fractured
skull at a Des Moines hospital.
(Washington Journal, Washington, Iowa, Tuesday, July 25, 1944)
To Hold Inquest On Car and Bus Crash Next Week
Investigation Scheduled Into Collision Causing death of Three Young People
Des Moines, July 27 - Dr. A. E. Shaw, coroner of Polk county, announced
that a coroner's inquest into the death of three Washington, Iowa, young
people in an automobile-bus collision early Monday morning near Ankeny
will be held next week.
A Jefferson Hue bus collided with a Washington car driven by William
Louis Spenler, 17, of Washington, causing the death of Spenler, also
Private Bernard E. Swift, 23, who was on his way to the army air base at
Sioux Falls, S.D., after a furlough at home, and Darlene Lukavsky, 18.
Arylus Larson, 17, fourth occupant of the car, is still in critical
condition at the Iowa Lutheran hospital in Des Moines, with a fractured
skull. She had not recovered consciousness since the accident.
The south-bound bus, driven by Roger K. Hoagland, 22, and containing 29
passengers, was reported to have turned out to avoid striking a stalled
automobile belonging to Robert Jones, 4503 Twelfth st., and collided
with the north-bound auto.
----------
Swift Funeral Delayed
Arrangements for the Swift funeral were still indefinite today, and the
services probably will not be held before Sunday.
Two brothers of Private Swift who are in army camps in Georgia and
Louisiana are expected to reach Washington tomorrow, but a
brother-in-law, Keith F. Houseal, who is a the San Bruno, Calif., naval
base, will not arrive until later, it is expected. He was to leave San
Bruno today, presumably by train.
The body of Private Swift was to reach Washington this afternoon by army
ambulance from Des Moines, where it has been at a funeral home since his
death Tuesday evening.
Funerals Held Yesterday
Funeral services for Anna Darlene Lukavsky and William Louis Spenler,
who were killed in the accident early Monday morning, were held
yesterday afternoon at the L. A. Jones funeral home, attended by large
numbers of relatives and friends of their families.
Services for Miss Lukavsky were held at two o'clock, in charge of Rev.
F. W. Eastwood of the Presbyterian church, with Ben Houseal, Walter
Hoya, Job Knolinerus, Jake Knolinerus, Emmett and Elmer Kelley served as
pall bearers. Burial was in Elm Grove cemetery.
The funeral of Louis Spenler was held at four o'clock at the Jones
funeral home, conducted by Rev. Vernon Carter of Marion, former pastor
of the Christian church here. The service was followed by burial in Elm
Grove cemetery with … Dunlap … Willits, Ed Knopp, Omer Wagner,
Charles Wolfe, and Wil… Lauderman serving as pall bearers.
(Washington Journal, Washington, Iowa, Thursday, July 27, 1944)
|
