Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Keefer, Earl Riley January 8, 1932 ************************************************ 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: Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com February 21, 2021, 8:05 am Sentinel-Std. - Saturday, Jan. 9 & Monday, Jan. 11, 1932 LYONS VET IS FIRST TRAFFIC VICTIM IN 1932 Earl Keefer, 34, Killed Instantly Friday Evening in Collision Near Muir, First to Loose Life in County in '32 The first violent death in Ionia county since the advent of the new year was recorded Friday evening when a World War veteran, father of three small children, was killed instantly in a head-on traffic collision on trunk line M- 21, a quarter mile east of the village of Muir. The victim, Earl Keefer, 34 years old was on his way to his home in Lyons after completing a day's work on the farm of Harry Struble, two miles northeast of Muir, when fate overtook him. The exact cause of the tragic accident probably will never be known, the only explanation being that given county authorities by August Kuiper, of McBain, driver of a truck with which Keefer's light sedan collided in the center of the pavement about 7:30 p.m. As Keefer's car drew near, Kuiper told Coroner B.J. Boynton, and Deputy Sheriff William McKendry, it seemed to swerve as if a tire had blown. Believing the machine would get by al right, Kuiper said he did not halt his truck. The Keefer car however, mixed left fenders with the truck, causing the lighter machine to crash into the protruding platform of the truck with force sufficient force to rip the body of the sedan in half and crushing Keefer, who was hurled to the outer guard rail, some 10 feet away. Post-mortem examination disclosed Keefer died instantly from a severe fracture of the skull caused by a sharp blow on the forehead and his leg and one arm were broken. The remains were brought to the Boynton funeral chapel, where services will be held Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock with interment in Lyons cemetery with military rites. A son of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Keefer, who reside on East Main street in this city, Earl Keefer spent practically his entire lifetime in Lyons township. During the World war he served as a member of Company B, 10th Infantry. Besides his parents, he leaves his widow; three children, Samuel Basil, 10; Betty, 5, and Bertha, 1 1/2 years of age, and a brother, Floyd Keefer. Kuiper, who told authorities he had delivered a load of potatoes at Lowell during the day and was on his way to St. Johns to obtain a load of oats to take back to McBain, was not held. He was accompanied by Henry Jonkman; also of McBain, who sustained a slight cut on the forehead. Arthur Van and R.C. Woodbury, of Muir, Roy Mulnix of Pewamo; Otis and Eugene Stevens and Alva Hill of Ionia, were impaneled at the scene by Coroner Boynton to act as a jury. ___________________________________ Monday, January 11, 1932 The flag-draped casket of Earl Keefer, 34, who was killed in an automobile accident Friday evening was surrounded by friends and relatives at the Boynton funeral chapel Sunday afternoon for the funeral services conducted by Dr. Paul L. Stewart. There was such a large crowd attending that the rooms adjacent to the chapel were also filled. There was a wealth of flowers for the services. Mr. Keefer, a World war veteran, was given every military honor. Acting as ecsort for the funeral services a firing squad from Company H, Sergeant Perry Corporals Roach, Comer; Privates S. Veazy, J. Veazy, Reiger, Reglin, Bennett and Miller, gave the salute at the Lyons cemetery, where the burial took place. Taps were sounded by Bugler, W. Butler. the bearers were: Gordon Fitch, Jay Fitch, Harold Smith, James Hopkins, Leon McQuillan and Lyle Losey. ___________________________ Traffic Toll in County Mounts to 14 for Year, Commission Map Shows Despite mechanical improvements introduced by most automobile manufacturers, from a safety standpoint, the ratio of deaths from traffic accidents occurring on highways within Ionia County during the past year amounted to 14, or an approximate level with other recent years statistics compiled by County Examiner, Allen M. Williams reveal. Although comparing favorably with past years in general, the toll is an increase of four deaths over 1939, when only ten lives were sacrificed on highways in the county. Fifteen were recorded in 1929. Prior to 1928 there had been 45 persons killed on roads in the county so far as compilers were able to ascertain, wither from recorded data or through memories of local residents. Over in the county garage where Mr. Williams... (portion of article unreadable) ... fatal accidents occurring each year, the location of the accidents, and the names of those killed are tallied below. Different colored pins are used for different years in designated locations of accident, and altogether the chart presents a drab, not interesting study. Additional Comments: Age: 34 Service: Sunday, 10 January 1932 Lyons cemetery - Bradt- Row 3- #63 WWI Co. B 10th Inf. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/k/keefer39903nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 5.4 Kb