Don Snitker & Wm Ewing died 1971

SNITKER, EWING, MOSIER, WELCH, NESS, SICKELS, ADAMS, ELLIS

Posted By: Connie Ellis (email)
Date: 11/16/2010 at 16:35:16

TWO MEN LOSE LIVES IN TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Donald Snitker, 42, owner of Don's Truck Repair, Postville and William Ewing,36, an employee of Don's, lost their lives Friday night, April 2,1971, when the pickup truck Mr. Snitker was driving went out of control on an icy curve on old Highway 51 about four miles north of Postville and plunged into Yellow River.

The Leonard Adams family, traveling the same road, observed tracks leaving the highway and stopped to investigate. Hearing cries for help, they called the police, who in turn called the Postville firemen's rescue team. When the fireman arrived, Dale Ellis entered the water and pulled Ewing, who had lost his hold and was several feet away from the truck, to safety. Mr. Ewing was later pronounced dead at the Postville Hospital.

Firemen continued the search for Snitker from 11:00 pm until 1:00 am, when his body surfaced, having been carried away by the current. The Allamakee county medical examiner believed the shock of being in the icy waters of the river contributed to the deaths as neither man appeared to have sustained serious injuries from the accident.

Both men are from the Rossville area. The bodies were taken to the Martin Brothers Funeral Home in Waukon, Iowa.

William Ewing is survived by his wife, Anna; his mother, Mrs. Charles Ewing, Jr. of Waukon, seven children, Lawrence, LuAnn, Deborah, Daniel, Patricia, Judith, and Donna, all at home; two brothers, Stanley of Waukon and John of Cornallis, Oregon, and three sisters, Mrs. Carl(Delores) Mosier, Mrs. Darrell K. Snitker*, and Mrs. Ambrose(Phyllis) Welch, all of Waukon.

Donald Snitker is survived by his wife, Joyce; his father, Fred, of Waukon; nine children, Mrs. Sigurd (Barbara) Ness of Waterville, Arlyn of Ames, and Steven, Delora, Nancy, Russell, Lavonne, Laverne, and Bruce at home; two grandchildren and a sister, Mrs. Gene (Darlene) Sickels of Waterville.

Source: Postville Herald April 7, 1971
*Note: Mrs. Darrell K. Snitker, it should read as: Mrs. Darrell (Kay) Snitker. The original clipping did NOT list Kay's name correctly -- they used it as an initial "K."

Contributor: Connie Ellis - Not related but acquainted with both families

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Added by Connie Ellis, July 2, 2014:

I just found the religious funeral card for William R. Ewing who died in the accident in the Yellow River along with Donald Snitker.

William R. Ewing was born November 1, 1934
and he died April 2, 1971