Preston James Keith (1864-1929)

KEITH, BLADT, HANSEN, HUNTER, CHESNUT

Posted By: Ken Akers (email)
Date: 4/10/2011 at 22:16:27

Audubon County Journal (IA)
Nov. 28, 1929, pg. 1
Audubon Man
Killed by Auto

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Prominent Business Man Dies
After Being Hit By Car
Driven By Youth

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P. J. Keith, who had been in the
grocery business in Audubon for the
last 32 years and prominent in social
activities, died Tuesday morning of
injuries received Monday night, when
he was knocked down by a car driven
by Rasmus Bladt, 16 years old. Mr.
Keith was rushed to the Audubon
hospital where he died at 7 a. m.
without regaining consciousness. He
was sixty five years old.

Clyde Keith, son of the dead man,
and P. L. Hansen, his partner in busi-
ness and with whom he was walking
at the time of the accident, were wit-
nesses to the crash. Both stated that
young Bladt did not stop when enter-
ing highway No. 71 from a side street,
rounding the corner and knocking the
grocer to the pavement.

Mr. Keith is a pioneer of this sec-
tion, having lived in the county since
a small boy. He had been eng(a)ged in
the grocery business with Mr. Hansen
for a number of years.

No action has been filed against the
Bladt boy, who is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Rasmus Bladt of Audubon. The
accident occurred at 7:15 Monday
night.

Mr. Keith suffered concussion of the
brain and a broken artery in the head.
Several stitches were required to close
the wound. He lost considerable blood
before given medical attention.

The deceased is survived by his wife (Rachel Ann Hunter 1870-1973),
two sons and three daughters. The
children are H. D. Keith, Clyde Keith
and Miss Esther Keith of Audubon,
Mrs. Merle Chesnut of near Adair
and Miss Juanita Keith of Casey.

Funeral services will be held Friday
afternoon at 2:30 at the Methodist
church in Audubon. Burial will be in
Maple Grove cemetery.