John W. Bachman 1926-1954

BACHMAN, HARMSEN, DECKER, LEMON

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 12/30/2016 at 11:15:46

16 September 1954 - The Clarence Sun

John W. Bachman, 28, of Clarence was killed instantly early on Friday morning, Sept. 10th, when the car he was driving collided head-on with a semi-trailer truck on highway 30, about three miles east of Lisbon. The accident occurred in front of the Pete Greiner farm, which is near the top of a hill, about a mile east of the county line.

John, who was employed at the Montrose hotel in Cedar Rapids as a desk clerk, was headed east toward home when the accident occurred at 1:15 a.m.

The driver of the truck, said that Bachman had been driving on the wrong side of the road just prior to the crash. The truck driver told patrolmen that he swerved to his left just before the impact, but at the last moment John also pulled over in that direction. The impact drove the convertible backward for 92 feet and the 1954 convertible was demolished. Both of the vehicles went into the ditch on the south side of the road.

Auto accidents occur every few minutes throughout this land of ours and the general public takes little concern about them. But when one strikes close to home you sit up and wonder why it all has to be.

John William Bachman, older son of Mrs. Irma Bachman and the late Arthur Bachman, was born January 19, 1926 at Clarence, Iowa, and met his death September 10, 1954. At the time of his passing John had attained the age of 28 years, 7 months and 21 days.

John attended the Clarence school graduating with the class of 1943.

John served with the U. S. Navy during World War II for 2 1/2 years, entering the service in March of 1944. He took boot training and attended radio school at Farragut, Idaho. He was also stationed at Bremerton, Washington, Klamoth Falls and Corvallis, Oregon. In the summer of 1946 he took part in Operations Crossroads in the Bikini area of the Pacific and was honorably discharged in November of the same year.

Following his discharge from the Navy, John worked at the Clarence Co-Operative and also farmed for a time in the Clarence vicinity. For the past several months he worked in the Montrose Hotel at Cedar Rapids.

John was manager of the Junior Legion Baseball team and took an active part in basketball and bowling and was keenly interested in all sports.

He was a member of the Methodist Church of Clarence, Mt. Hope Lodge Lodge 501 and of Victory Post 281 of the American Legion.

John leaves to mourn his untimely death his mother; three sisters, Dorothy Harmsen of Tipton, Alberta Decker and Frances Lemon of Burlington; one brother, Edward of Iowa City, and their families.

Funeral services were conducted in the Chapman Funeral Chapel at 1:30 p.m. and at The Methodist Church in Clarence at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 12, 1954, by the Reverend Forrest E. Flowers. Music was provided by a double-quartet which rendered "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere" and "Abide With Me" with Mrs. Robert Joslin at the organ. In charge of the many beautiful floral tributes were Mrs. Lawerence Reinking, Lois Endorf, Doris Hoffner and Gladys Pruess. The pallbearers were Robert Davis, Lawrence Reinking, Robert Hoffner, Donald Knable, Harlan Yock and Lloyd Hasselbusch. Honor Guards were Richard Blake and Arlo Hasenbank.

Interment was made in the Clarence cemetery where Victory Post No. 286 of the American Legion held graveside services.