Gale Chapman 1944-1961

CHAPMAN, THOMSEN, ZIRKLE

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 12/2/2019 at 16:11:00

2 November 1961 - The Tipton Conservative

Gale Lee Chapman, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lomax Chapman and a Tipton high school senior, died about 10 a.m. Sunday in University hospitals in Iowa City as the result of injuries received in football practice Oct. 25.

Chapman's spinal cord was partially severed by a dislocation of the fifth and sixth vertebrae, which are located at the base of the neck. The injury was described by doctors as "transected," and resulted in an increasing paralysis below his neck.

He was taken to University hospitals within an hour after the accident and placed in traction. He was able to talk and have visitors. Lee Crawford, former Tipton coach who is now a graduate student at the University of Iowa, spent considerable time with him.

A tape recording of the Tipton-Maquoketa football game was made and taken to him Saturday.

It was nearing the end of the practice, about 4:40 p.m. Oct. 25, when Chapman was injured. He was playing tackle on the team demonstrating Maquoketa plays and the play went into his area. Coach Witt heard him yell just as he blew the whistle, stopping the play.

Chapman was in the group of players on the line of scrimmage and, as they got to their feet, Chapman was on his back.

Coach Witt asked him what was wrong and Chapman replied that he "couldn't feel anything." Witt took the mouthpiece from Chapman's mouth and straightened out his left arm. Otherwise he was not touched. Chapman then told Witt that "his back hurt."

Witt first asked Bob Tschirki, assistant coach, to get a doctor. However George Stamos was watching the scrimmage and he volunteered to go. Dr. Walter Kopsa, a member of the school board was in his office and he came to the field at once.

Meanwhile Witt had got the jerseys from the coaches and from some of the players who had not been scrimmaging and covered Chapman. He asked several of the boys who had been playing to stand to the north of Chapman, to provide a windbreak against the wind that was coming down the field.

It was less than 5 minutes after the accident when Dr. Kopsa arrived at the field. Just before the doctor arrived, Chapman told Witt that he "thought somebody had fallen on him."

As soon as Dr. Kopsa saw that Chapman was unable to move he asked for an ambulance and Witt and Stamos went to the home of Wayne Miller, west of the football field, and called for an ambulance. Merle Dahn came immediately and Dr. Kopsa, Dahn, Stamos and the coaches loaded Chapman into the ambulance. It was 5 p.m. when the ambulance left Tipton.

Witt went with Chapman in the ambulance and Dr. Kopsa called University hospital, and Dr. Wentworth of the neurological department was waiting for the ambulance when it arrived at 6 p.m. The trip was made at speeds as low as 5 miles an hour because of the condition of the road between West Branch and Iowa City.

Chapman was taken into the hospital. None of his equipment, except for the mouthpiece had been removed. Dr. Wentworth, an intern and 2 nurses cut off Chapman's uniform, with Dr. Wentworth removing the helmet. He was then taken to the X-ray room where Witt and Dahn assisted in putting him on the X-ray table.

Witt said that Chapman was wearing the best equipment that Tipton had been able to purchase. The helmet used by the Tipton team is the same headgear as that used by the University of Iowa. The face guards worn are those required by the state athletic association.

Funeral services for Chapman were held Oct. 31 at St. John's United Church of Christ with the Rev. A. R. Stratemeyer in charge. Pallbearers were Herman Helmold, J. P. York, Myrl Edler, Hermann Onken, Alvin Christensen and Eugene Moore.

Honorary pallbearers were members of the Tipton varsity football squad.

Mrs. J. P. York, Mrs. Hermann Onken, Mrs. Herman Helmold and Mrs. James Kautz were in charge of flowers. Mrs. Arnold Swan was organist.

Burial was in Muscatine Memorial park cemetery.

The son of Lomax and Inez Chapman, he was born April 16, 1944 at Iowa City. He spent his life in Tipton and was a senior in Tipton high school at the time of his death.

He is survived by his parents, a brother, Don, Clarence; a sister, Mrs. Tommy (Barbara) Thomsen, Tipton; his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Murial Zirkle, Letts and 9 nieces and nephews.

A memorial service was held at the Tipton school at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Arthur Stratemeyer in charge.

A memorial to Chapman has been established as an educational building fund for St. John's United Church of Christ. The fund will be used to provide youth facilities in the proposed building.