OBIT: Harold BOOSE, 1930, Summit Township, Somerset County, PA File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Meyersdale Library. Transcribed and proofread by: Richard Boyer. Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/ ________________________________________________ HAROLD BOOSE Motorcycle Joy Ride Results in Death of Popular Boy and Girl Harold Boose and Kathryn Hare Fatally Injured When Machine on Which They Were Riding Collided with Automobile Driven by Frank Padfield - The Latter Slightly and His Companion, Miss Ida Davis of Frostburg, Md., Severely Injured. Disaster Occurred On U.S. Highway 219 Near Maust's Pine Grove Saturday Night Two bright young lives were snuffed out about 11:30 o'clock last Saturday night when a motorcycle collided with an automobile, head-on, on U.S. Highway Route No. 219, a short distance north of the Elk Lick-Summit Township line near Maust's Pine Grove about midway between Meyersdale and Salisbury. The victims of the fatal disaster were Harold Boose, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Boose, residing on the Boose farm about three miles north of Meyersdale, and Kathryn Hare, eldest daughter of Deputy Sheriff and Mrs. Fred P. Hare of Meyersdale. Frank Padfield of Frostburg, Md., formerly of Meyersdale, and Miss Ida Davis of Borden Shaft, occupants of the automobile with which Boose's motorcycle collided were injured, the former only slightly, and the latter quite severely, both requiring surgical attention. The disaster was one of the most distressing that has taken place in this locality in a long while, and has excited much interest and sympathy owing to the prominence and popularity of the two young people who lost their lives by it in such a shocking manner. The Tragic Joy Ride Harold Boose, who would have been 19 years old, had he lived until his next birthday anniversary, December 12, was one of the best young men of Summit Township and had many friends in Meyersdale and vicinity. He was his father's main stay on the farm, being willing and industrious and a good hand with machinery of all kinds. About a year ago he invested his savings in a motorcycle, which his parents first objected to, but possession of which they gave their consent to owing to his eagerness to have it, and later helped him to obtain a better one than he had first purchased. It was Harold's custom to ride to Meyersdale on Saturday evenings on his motorcycle and to treat his boy and girl friends to joy rides on the tandem seat of his vehicle. Last Saturday evening he took several of his girl friends out for a short ride, and about 11 o'clock asked Kathryn Hare, who had been helping during the evening rush in her parents' restaurant, Casey's Cafe, to accompany him on a short run. Kathryn, who was always a very dutiful girl, asked her mother whether she might take a ride with Harold, and Mrs. Hare gave her consent, but cautioned the young man to drive very carefully and not go far. He promised to comply with her wishes in the matter, and the young couple started happily on their joy ride which was to end so tragically within the next half- hour. The Fatal Crash They rode to Salisbury, where they turned around and started homeward. Persons who saw them going to and returning from Salisbury state that they were preceeding orderly and at ordinary speed, and that lights were showing on the motorcycle. It was a bright moonlight night and objects on the road could be seen distinctly for some distance even without lights. All apparently went well with them until they had recrossed the township line into Summit Township, at the corn-borer quarantine station, and had proceeded a few hundred yards beyond the latter place to the old barn on the east side of the highway about half-way between Pine Grove and Chris Wahl's residence at the foot of Hundsrick Hill. Near the old barn danger lurked and overwhelmed them. Just how or why the accident happened will probably never be known, as the pair on the motorcycle did not live to give their version of it, and the driver of the automobile, with which the motorcycle collided, pleads ignorance of the cause of the crash. To all who questioned him he stated that he did not see the motorcycle approach, and did not know how his car came to be on the left side of the road where the collision occurred. He claims he was unaware of danger before the crash. Be that as it may, all the evidence seems to prove that the motorcycle approached the place of disaster on the side of the road that it should have been, and that Padfield's car was over on the same side of the road where it should not have been. The motorcycle crashed into the front of the automobile about midway between the radiator cap and left front wheel of the car, and became so tightly wedged in the bent and twisted metal of the car that it took considerable force to pull the two wrecked machines apart. Victims' Skulls Fractured The vehicles collided with such force that Miss Hare, who was riding on the rear seat of the motorcycle, was catapulted over the top of the automobile, an Erskine coach, her head striking on and making an indention in the sunshade projecting over the top of the windshield, and her body falling on the concrete pavement behind the car, resulting in a fractured skull and other fractures and serious injuries. Young Boose was thrown off the concrete up against a bank at the east side of the road and alongside the front left wheel of the automobile. His skull was fractured, also, besides other injuries to his head and body. Several people arrived at the scene of the disaster with cars within a short time after the crash, and the victims were rushed to Meyersdale hospitals. Miss Hare was taken to the Hazel McGilvery Hospital and breathed her last about ten minutes after entering the institution, without having regained consciousness. Boose was taken to the Wenzel Hospital where he expired, also without regaining consciousness, less than one hour after the accident. His parents and their daughter, Miss Margretta Boose, and their little son, Harry Norman, had spent the evening in Meyersdale, and his father had spoken to him just before he started on his last ride. The family had just returned home when the telephone rang and the news came that Harold was in the Wenzel Hospital quite seriously injured. The father hurried to the hospital at once and found the boy dying. All efforts to rouse him failed. The agonized father telephoned for Mrs. Boose and Margretta to come also, at once, but Harold was dead before they arrived there. Dead Girl Identified by Brother Kathryn Hare's face was so disfigured that no one was able to identify her when she was brought to the hospital. The nurse, Miss Ella Miller, who was on night duty, at first thought she resembled a girl named Shultz who used to be a waitress at Casey's Cafe, so she telephoned to the cafe and Mr. Hare, father of the dying girl, answered and was informed by the nurse that an unidentified girl who had been injured in a motorcycle accident had been brought to the hospital and might possibly be Miss Shultz. Mr. Hare replied that Miss Shultz had left there months ago and was now living in Garrett. It never occurred to him that his own daughter might be the victim. About fifty men and boys called at the hospital after the girl had expired to see whether they could identify her, but none could. Finally Carl Hare, a brother of the victim, called to see whether she might be a Miss Romesberg whom he had seen on a motorcycle late in the evening. To his surprise and horror he recognized the mutilated girl as his own dear sister. The young man was completely stunned by the revelation and had to receive the attention of a doctor and nurse before he could control his grief. The parents and other members of the family also were overwhelmed with grief when the sad news was broken to them. The Hares are an affectionate family very much devoted to one another. Kathryn was a lovely girl just budding into womanhood, the idol of her parents and brothers and sister. She would have been 16 years old on her next birthday anniversary, September 18th. She was one of the most popular girls of her age in town and was greatly admired by all who knew her. News of her tragic death, and that of young Boose, who was also very popular, shocked the entire community and aroused the keenest sympathy for the bereaved parents, brothers and sisters. Maryland Victims Frank Padfield and his companion, Miss Davis, were also taken to the Hazel McGilvery Hospital for surgical attendance and remained there until Sunday morning. Padfield's injuries were not of a serious nature, but he suffered quite considerably from shock. Miss Davis had three teeth knocked out and imbedded in the roof of her mouth which caused a very ugly wound and gave her much suffering, besides other injuries. State police made an investigation and Coroner Kimmel held an inquest Sunday morning at which the limited evidence adduced seemed to indicate that young Boose had been driving without lights on his motorcycle, which was alleged to account for Padfield not seeing the motorcycle before the collision. Padfield was, therefore, exonerated from blame for the accident. No One Held to Blame Witnesses have appeared since the inquest, however, whose statements make it appear that Boose was not to blame for the accident, as he was driving well to the edge of the road, and was displaying lights. Clark Wagner, an employe of the Menno Miller Garage in Salisbury, who claims to have been the third person to arrive at the scene of disaster, is quoted as being willing to testify that lights were displayed on the motorcycle and were still burning when he arrived at the scene of the wreck and that he turned off the lights. According to Wagner's statement the right headlight of the wrecked car was also still on when he arrived there, and he says he turned it off, also. The left headlight of the car was smashed. Alvin Yoder, who was also among the earliest to arrive at the scene of the wreck, is quoted as saying that he took pains to look for the track of the motorcycle before the collision and could plainly trace it for some distance, and that it showed that Boose had kept close to the edge of the concrete on his side of the road and that the collision could not have taken place if Padfield had kept to his own side of the road. No Punitive Spirit Padfield called on both the Hare and Boose families on Monday to express his sympathy and regret. While neither Mr. Hare nor Mr. Boose was entirely satisfied with Padfield's disavowal of knowledge of how the collision came to take place on the east side of the road when he was proceeding southward and supposed to be keeping on the west side of the concrete, they both assured him that they were not disposed to hold him accountable or make him any trouble, as no litigation or indemnity could restore their loved ones to life nor assuage their grief. Both the victims of the disaster were buried on Tuesday afternoon. Funeral Director Joseph L. Tressler prepared the body of Miss Hare for interment and had charge of her burial. At least a thousand people called at the Hare home before the funeral to view the remains and tender their sympathy to the bereaved family. Funeral of Miss Hare The funeral services for Miss Hare were held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, in Zion Lutheran Church of which she had been a member since infancy. She was baptized and confirmed by Rev. J. Luther Frantz and had been under the spiritual tutelage of himself and Mrs. Frantz since her babyhood. She was regular in her attendance of the Sunday school and all the services of the church in which she could take part, since her confirmation. She sang in the junior girls' choir until she outgrew it, and was made a member of the adult choir only a few months ago. She was also the teacher of a class of young boys in the Sunday school and was always willing and eager to take part in and of the pageants or other exercises given by the young people of the church. She was also very efficient and diligent in her public school work and was ready to enter upon her Junior year in the High School. She was a natural leader and favorite of her schoolmates. It was a sorrowful duty that Rev. Frantz had to perform when he preached the funeral of this favorite child of the church. He delivered a short but comforting discourse and paid a beautiful tribute to her life and character. Mrs. Frantz and Paul Critchfield sang two appropriate duets, one before, the other after the funeral sermon. The church was crowded to capacity with sorrowing relatives and friends, and the floral tributes were very numerous and beautiful. Many followed the remains to Union Cemetery where interment was made. Kathryn Hare was born in Meyersdale, September 18, 1914, the daughter of Frederick P. and Ellen Alice (Machin) Hare and is survived by her parents, four brothers, Frederick P. Jr., Carl, Clyde and Jack, all but Jack older than the deceased sister, and two sisters, Betty, aged 14, and Mary Alice, aged six months. The Boose Funeral Funeral Director W. C. Price prepared the remains of Harold Boose for interment and had charge of the burial. The funeral services were held at the Boose farm home at 3 p.m., Tuesday, the services being conducted by Rev. S. F. Tholan, pastor of the Fritz Lutheran Church, of which the deceased young man was a member, assisted by Rev. Bruce Carney, a former pastor of Fritz Church, who baptized and confirmed Harold as a member of the church. Both ministers spoke of his faithfulness to the church and paid tribute to his character and worthiness, adding words of comfort to the bereaved relatives and friends. A male quartet from Meyersdale, composed of Paul Critchfield, H. M. Cook, W. H. Baldwin and W. C. Price, sang appropriate hymns. Mrs. H. M. Cook played the accompaniments. Interment was made in the Fritz Church Cemetery. The funeral was very largely attended and there were many beautiful floral tributes. Harold Boose was born in Summit Township, December 12, 1911, the son of Walter and Clarissa (Brensinger) Boose. He is survived by his parents, one sister, Miss Margretta, who is in training as a nurse in Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, D.C., but was at home on vacation when death broke the family circle, and one brother, Harry Norman, aged 3 years. He was a dutiful son and took an active interest in the work of the farm, taking more and more responsibility upon himself as he grew older year by year. He was also a leader among the young people of the community and was well liked by all who knew him. Meyersdale Republican, August 14, 1930