Olson, Genevieve (Peters) died 1952

OLSON, PETERS, BECK, RURODEN

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 9/25/2009 at 17:34:53

Mrs. Olson, the former Genevieve Peters, was born at Elgin and attended high school in West Union. Surviving, besides her husband, are a son, Dennis; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Peters, her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peters, a sister, Kathleen, and four brothers, William, Joseph, Robert and Donald, all of Brainerd, Minn. Funeral services are pending.

~Cedar Rapids Gazette, August 25, 1952
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Mrs. Lyle Olson Is Killed Saturday In Automobile Accident

Mrs. Lyle Olson, 25, Gunder mother, was killed instantly in a two-car crash on highway 52 three miles north of Garnavillo about 9:30 Saturday evening.

Mrs. Olson, who was decapitated, was riding in a car involved in a collision with one driven by John Beck, 23, of Elkader. The car in which she was riding was driven by Leslie Ruroden, 28, of Elgin, who turned onto Highway 52 from the St. Olaf gravel road and could not stop when his brakes failed.

The Beck car, a 1951 Mercury, smashed broadside into the Ruroden car with the main force driving into the back seat. The Mercury rolled end over end smashing the Ruroden car from both sides and the top and then made two more rolls before coming to a halt. Beck escaped injury by crawling through the broken windshield of his car a moment before it exploded and burned.

Lyle Olson, who was riding with his wife in the back seat, received a broken left arm, broken left collar bone and cracked pelvis. Ruroden received a cut knee and was bruised. Mrs. Ruroden had a broken arm and leg. All were taken to McGregor hospital for treatment.

~Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated 1952, from my mother's obituary collection.