Valissa M. Kommes (1915-1930)

KOMMES, KLINE, OLSEN, KEES, JENSEN, BAUER, BAYLOR, GAULT, JORDAN, MORTENSEN, NYMAND, SCHRADER, SWINEHART, CLEMMENSEN, JORGENSEN, JOHNSON, HECKMAN, OWENS, HANSEN, HERMANSEN, PHIPPEN, FRY, JACOBSEN, JUHL, THOMPSON

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 8/29/2010 at 21:56:46

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Sept 25, 1930, pg. 1
Young Girl Dies
Following Crash

----------
Injuries Fatal to Valissa
Kommes, Three Others
Narrowly Escape

----------

Injuries received in an automo-
bile acci(d)ent Saturday night result-
ed in the death of Valissa Kommes,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank
Kommes, at the Audubon hospital
Wednesday morning. Death was
due to hemmorhages caused by in-
ternal injuries. Two other girls,
Gladys Kline of Atlantic and Olive
Olsen of this place and the driver of
the car, Jim Kees of near Lorah,
received severe injuries in the
crash.

The accident occurred three miles
north of Exira at the corner near
the Oberholzer place where N. C.
Jensen and family reside. Kees
and the three girls were coming
from Audubon in a Chevrolet
coupe. The car was being driven
at a high rate of speed and when
it came to the end of the road the
driver was unable to make the
turn and the car crashed into a
bank. Members of the Jensen
family and some friends were on
the porch of the Jensen home when
the car passed and realizing that
the car could not negotiate the
turn they ran to the road just as
the car hit the bank. A doctor was
called at once, and upon his arrival
an examination of the driver's con-
vinced him that he was under the
influence of liquor and the sheriff
was called. Following the arrival
of the sheriff from Audubon the in-
jured were taken to the Audubon
hospital in the Corl ambulance.

Injuries of Others

Miss Olsen, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Frede Olsen, received a frac-
ture of her left leg above the knee
and her right arm was broken be-
tween the elbow and shoulder. Her
condition is reported as being good
at this time, but she will be bed-
fast for several weeks.

Miss Kline, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Wallie Kline of Atlantic, for-
mer residents of Exira, suffered a
wrenched back and her left collar
bone was broken.

Kees received injuries to his
side, a bad cut on the top of his
head and minor cuts about the
face. He was hurt the least of
any of the occupants and follow-
ing first aid treatment was placed
in jail but was later transferred
to the hospital.

Driver Faces Charges

Awaiting the outcome of the ac-
cident the driver of the car was
placed under bonds of $1000 on
Tuesday and was taken from the
Audubon hospital to the Jones
hospital in Atlantic. Following
the death of the Kommes girl a
coroner's jury started an investiga-
tion into the cause of her death
and it is probable that man-slaugh-
ter charges will be filed against
Kees.

Funeral services for Valissa
Kommes will be held Saturday
morning at the local Catholic
church at 9 o'clock with the Rev.
Fr. Aspinwall in charge. Burial
will be in the Exira Catholic cem-
etery.

Miss Kommes was born February
21, 1915. She was a freshman in
the local school. She is survived
by her parents, two brothers, Am-
brose and Anthony, one sister, Ber-
nice, and a host of other relatives.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Oct. 2, 1930, pg. 5

Audubon Township

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Bauer and
family of Adair attended funeral
services fo Valissa Kommes in
Exira Saturday. They also visited
his sister, Mrs. Dora Baylor, while
there.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Oct. 2, 1930, pg. 8

Card of Thanks

We wish to thank our neighbors
and friends for their many expres-
sions of sympathy and for assistance
rendered at the time of our recent
bereavement through the death of
our beloved daughter and sister,
Valissa. We also wish to thank
those who sent floral offerings.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Kommes
and children

----------
In Loving Remembrance
of Vallisa Kommes

----------
'Tis hard to break the tender
cord
When love has bound the heart,
'Tis hard, so hard to speak
the words
Must we forever part?
Dearest loved one we have
laid thee,
In the peaceful grave's embrace
But thy memory will be cherished
Till we see thy heavenly face.
Mrs. Nellie Kline

OAK RIDGE

Several from here attended the
funeral services of Valissa Kom-
mes that was held at Exira Sat-
urday forenoon.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Oct. 9, 1930, pg. 1

Physicians again found it neces-
sary to reset the bones in Miss
Olive Olsen's limb on Wednesday
and Dr. Walcott of Des Moines
was at the Audubon hospital to
perform the task. Miss Olsen was
injured recently in an automobile
accident, receiving a broken leg
and arm. The arm fracture is
getting along fine but the break
in her limb has been giving con-
siderable trouble. It is hoped that
the injured member is properly
fixed this time.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Oct. 23, 1930, pg. 1
District Court
Now In Session

----------
October Term Opened Tues-
day, Several Cases Are
Assigned for Trial

---------

The October term of the Audu-
bon county district court com-
menced in Audubon on Tuesday
with Judge Earl Peters presiding.
The grand jury, composed of
Frank Gault, John C. Jensen, Leo-
nard Jordan, Phillip Mortensen, W.
C. Nymand, Harry Schrader and
J. L. Swinehart, are now investi-
gating a number of cases. One of
particular interest here is that in
which Jim Kees is charged with
manslaughter, the aftermath of an
automobile accident in which Va-
lissa Kommes was fatally injured.

The petit jurors were excused
until Monday of next week when
they will report at 1:30 p.m. This
week will be taken up with mat-
ters to come before the court. The
following cases were assigned for
hearing at this term:
(numerous cases listed)

As this is the corn picking sea-
son the petit jury will not be held
any longer than absolutely neces-
sary so it is expected that this
term will be rather short.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Oct. 30, 1930, pg. 1
Indict Kees For
Manslaughter

----------
Lorah Man Held on Serious
Charge As Result of
Auto Crash

----------

James Kees, 28, of Lorah bound
over to the Audubon county grand
jury in September on a man-
slaughter charge growing out of
the death of Valissa Kommes, 15,
of this place following an automo-
bile accident, was indicted by the
grand jury which reported late
Monday. Kees is scheduled to be
arraigned in the Cass county dis-
trict court at Atlantic today.

The Kommes girl was fatally in-
jured Saturday night, September
20, when the car driven by Kees
failed to negotiate a turn north of
Exira and crashed into a roadside
embankment. The girl died the
following Wednesday and a cor-
oner's jury called at once found
that Kees has been drinking at
the time of the accident and held
him for manslaughter.

Kees was also quite badly in-
jured and was held under bond at
the Jones hospital in Atlantic for
some weeks. Gladys Kline, 15, of
Atlantic and Olive Olsen, 13, of
Exira, who were other occupants of
Kees' car when it crashed into the
embankment, received serious in-
juries from which they are recov-
ering.

Indict Rum Runner

A second indictment reported by
the Audubon grand jury was that
against A. L. Kuker, operator of
a star route between Carroll and
Audubon, named in a true bill
charging him with illegal trans-
portation of liquor.

Kuker appeared before Judge
Earl Peters in district court Mon-
day afternoon and entered a plea
of guilty. He was fined $500 and
costs, which he paid.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Nov. 6, 1930, pg. 1
Kees Pleads
Not Guilty

----------
Judge Earl Peters Approves
Bond of $5,000 for His
Release

----------

Arraigned before Judge Earl
Peters of Clarinda in district court
at Atlantic Wednesday of last week
James Kees, 28, of Lorah entered a
plea of not guilty to an indictment
charging him with manslaughter
in connection with the death of Va-
lissa Kommes, 15, of Exira, fol-
lowing an automobile accident last
September 20, and was released
under $5,000 bond approved by the
court. His mother, Mrs. Sam O.
Kees and his grandmother, Mrs.
G. W. Howard, were sureties on
Kees' bond.

H. M. Boorman and T. H. Whit-
more, Atlantic attorneys, appeared
for the defendent and S. C. Ker-
berg, Audubon county attorney,
for the state.

Suffering From Paralysis.

Kees, suffering from paralysis
resulting from a blow on the head
received when his car crashed in-
to an embankment when he failed
to negotiate a corner, had to be as-
sisted into the courtroom. He has
been confined to a hospital since
the accident and following the find-
ing of a coroner's jury at Audubon
holding him for manslaughter, he
was placed under guard.

Following the crash which oc-
curred north of Exira, Kees was
arrested and taken to jail at Au-
dubon, but when his condition be-
came worse, he was placed in the
hospital and several days later was
taken to Atlantic to the Jones Hos-
pital, where he was held under
bond. The Kommes girl, Gladys
Kline, 15, of Atlantic and Olive
Olsen, 13, of Exira, who were in
the Kees car, were rushed to the
Audubon hospital immediately af-
ter the accident and the Kline girl
was later taken to the Jones hos-
pital, where she was a patient for
several weeks.

Others Recovering.

Valissa Kommes died the Wed-
nesday following the crash. She
received internal injuries, a frac-
ture of her right hip and a bad cut
over one eye. The Olsen girl re-
ceived a fracture of her left leg
and her right arm, while the Kline
girl's collar bone was broken and
her back injured. A physician
called to the scene of the accident
summoned Sheriff Fred Clemmen-
sen of Audubon, who found a half
pint of alleged liquor in the wreck-
age. Witnesses appearing before
the coroner's jury testified Kees,
driver of the car, had been drink-
ing.

The true bill charging Kees with
manslaughter was returned last
week when the Audubon county
grand jury adjourned.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Dec. 11, 1930, pg. 1
Fate Of Lorah
Man Now In
Hands Of Jury

----------
Trial of James Kees on Man-
slaughter Charge Ended
This Afternoon

---------

The trial of James Kees of near
Lorah on a manslaughter charge
was concluded in the Audubon
county district court this afternoon
and the jury was given instruc-
tions by Judge J. S. Dewell and
are at this time making their de-
cision as to whether or not the ac-
cused is guilty of the crime charge-
ed.

The trial started Monday, the
entire day being used up in select-
ing a jury which is composed of
the following: Chris L. Jorgen-
sen, Martin Johnson, Sam Heck-
man, W. F. Owens, Alvin Hansen,
Albert Signall, Jens Hermansen,
Harry Phippen, Harry Fry, Hans
R. Hansen, John Olsen and Elmer
Jacobsen.

Kees was indicted by the Octo-
ber grand jury on a charge of
manslaughter following an automo-
bile accident north of this place on
September 20 which resulted in
the death of Valissa Kommes and
serious injury to Miss Olive Olsen
and Gladys Kline of Atlantic. Fol-
lowing the accident, he was put un-
der $1000 bonds and a guard placed
over him at the Jones hospital in
Atlantic until his arraignement be-
fore Judge Peters in Atlantic when
he was released on $5000 bonds af-
ter entering a plea of not guilty to
the manslaughter charge.

Quite a number of witnesses were
heard Tuesday and Wednesday and
the trial attracted a large crowd.

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Dec. 18, 1930, pg. 1
Kees Found
Not Guilty of
Manslaughter

----------
Young Man Released Fol-
lowing Trial on Charge
of Manslaughter

----------

A jury of the Audubon county
district court returned a verdict
last Thursday night of "not guilty"
in the case of the State of Iowa vs.
James Kees after deliberating ap-
proximately six hours. The case
was tried last week and many
people from here were called as
witnesses.

The state attempted to prove
that Kees was intoxicated at the
time his car crashed into an em-
bankment north of Exira last Sep-
tember, doctors who examined the
young man testifying that they
smelled liquor on his breath fol-
lowing the mishap. The defense
admitted the contents of a bottle
found at the scene of the crash
was liquor, but introduced evidence
to show that Kees had not drank
any of the liquor during the eve-
ning of the crash in which Valissa
Kommes, Exira high school girl,
received fatal injuries.

S. O. Kees, father of the defend-
ant, told of a trip James Kees and
Ed Juhl of Brayton made to Tem-
pleton on the afternoon of the ac-
cident. He testified his son re-
mained in a cafe while Juhl went
after the liquor and that they then
returned to the Kees farm, where
the liquor was divided. Mr. Kees
testified that he and Juhl each
took a "large swig" out of a pint
bottle, which was about half full,
under the seat of the car.

Olive Olsen of Exira and Gladys
Kline of Atlantic, who were with
Kees during the evening and at the
time of the accident, declared the
bottle had not been removed from
the time that the drinks had been
taken at the Kees farm and that
the bottle was still half full when
found where it had fallen with tools
which were under the seat when
the car hit the embankment. Juhl
denied that he took a drink at the
Kees farm and asserted he did not
even get out of his car.

Miss Olsen and Miss Kline tes-
tified that, to their knowledge,
Kees did not drink during the eve-
ning and said that the coupe in
which they were riding was very
crowded. Miss Kline stated they
had been singing and scuffling in
the car and that Kees was struck
in the ribs, causing him to lose
control of the car.

The accident happened Saturday
night, September 20, after Kees
and Miss Kline had picked up the
Olsen and Kommes girls. As they
came to a corner north of Exira,
Kees lost control of the car which
plunged into an embankment. All
were seriously injured and the
Kommes girl died the following
Wednesday morning. A coroner's
verdict returned two days later
held Kees had been driving reck-
lessly and that he was in an intoxi-
cated condition.

Note: From comparing the Audubon county plat maps of 1930 and 2001, this accident happened near, what in 2001, is the Dale L. Jensen farm on Lark Ave., where the road turns east towards the Dwaine Thompson farm on 265th St., in Hamlin twp., between sections 25 and 26.