Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Jepson, Earl Merton 1923 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net May 19, 2018, 9:03 am Ionia County News, 8 Nov 1923 Three Die As Auto Plunges From Bridge Death Toll Heavy in Sad Accident Near Lowell Sunday Evening One Member of Party Escapes Paul Weber Makes Way To Shore While Companions Are Drowned Saranac, Nov. 8. – The village has been filled with sorrow this week. Especially was this true on Wednesday morning when the funeral service was held for Earl Merton Jepson, 24, son of Mr. and Mrs. Merton Jepson, who was a victim of a horrible accident in which two others met death last Sunday night at Lowell. The tragedy occurred as a party of four, returning to Lowell from Belding last Saturday night, when the auto in which they were riding, plunged through the light railing of the bridge at Lowell Power company bridge. Three were drowned, including Earl Jepson, Miss Winnifred McCaul, 17, and Thelma Smith, 16, both of Lowell. Paul Weber, son of Postmaster Weber of Saranac, the fourth member of the party, miraculously escaped death. He was thrown from the machine and in some way, which he is unable to tell, he got to the shore. The bodies of the two girls were found before midnight. One was found an hour after the accident. The body of Earl Jepson was not found until nearly all the water had been let out of the canal. It was noticed on the side of the banks near where Earl Jepson’s body was found that he had clawed for safety, but the soft substance gave way. The Kent county officials left the scene at midnight, before the job was finished, but Sheriff Cook of Ionia was there until everything had been made certain. He was instrumental in having the water lowered to find the body. Dale Jepson, brother of Earl, says much credit is due to the sheriff of Ionia county. The mishap is believed to have happened as the machine, in trying to make the sharp turn onto the bridge at the foot of the incline on M-66, as it came from the north, swerved into the bridge railing. The machine went over the bridge into about 15 feet of water. Thelma Smith was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orris Smith of Grand Rapids, who has moved to Lowell to give their family of five children school advantages. The father attempted to throw himself into the water, following the recovery of the girl’s body, but was restrained by several at the scene. Winnifred McCaul was the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.L. McCaul of Lowell. The parents were overcome by the news of the tragedy. The Lowell victims were high school students. Earl Jepson was the youngest child of Mr. and Mrs. Merton Jepson and was born in Keene township and was born in Keene township, April 3, 1899, and was 24 years, 7 months and one day old at the time of his death. Earl lived in Keene township until two years ago last September, when he moved with his parents to their present home on Vosper street in this village. He attended school in Keene and was later a member of the Saranac high school. A sister and brother, Gladys M., and M. Ford died several years ago. He was one of Saranac’s most popular young people. He is survived by his father and mother, Merton K. and Clara Belle Jepson, his brother’s family, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Jepson and two children, his grandmother, Mrs. James B. Jepson, Sr., 93. The funeral, on Wednesday morning, was held from the late home at 9:30 o’clock, and from the Congregational church at 10 o’clock. The Rev. L.L. Halladay, pastor, was in charge of the service. Interment at the Saranac cemetery. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/j/jepson7742gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb