Grace Reed

REED, KELLY

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 17:43:30

September 29, 1917 - The Clinton Advertiser page 1

TRAIN HITS AN AUTO AT STANWOOD; THREE DIE.
(Special to the ADVERTIER)
Stanwood, Ia., Sept. 29--Train No. 18 of the Chicago & Northwestern crashed into an automobile near this city at 3:30 o'clock Friday afternoon, and the three occupants of the car were almost instantly killed. The dead: SCOTT HAMILTON, of Stanwood; MISS FLORENCE GIBSON, of Elvira; MISS GRACE REED, of Elvira.

The mangled bodies of the victims were carried more than a block by the train before the engineer could bring it to a stop. Today the remains of the two Elvira girls were sent to their homes in that town.

The train struck the automobile, which was driven by Mr. Hamilton, at a crossing on the edge of town. Miss Gibson was a niece of Mr. Hamilton, while Grace Reed was a cousin. It is believed that the engine of the automobile stopped while the car was in the center of the track, and before any of the victims could get out of the car, the fatal crash occurred.

Miss Gibson and Miss Reed were popular young Elvira ladies. They had come to Stanwood to attend a meeting of the Women's Missionary Society of the LeClaire Presbytery, both having been active church workers.

Mr. Hamilton had taken them out into the country to call on relatives, and when they were returning to Stanwood the triple tragedy took place. The auto, smashed to pieces, was carried several rods in front of the train.

The train was stopped not far from the rear of the Hamilton home, and a porter rushed to the back door of the residence. Mrs. Hamilton answered his summons, and learned that there had been an accident. The porter asked her for some sheets to cover up the bodies beside the tracks. Mrs. Hamilton quickly got the sheets and started at once for the scene of the accident. She was nearly prostrated to find that the victims were her own husband and his two relatives.

Grace Reed was 22 years of age, and was the daughter of Curt Reed, living about a quarter of a mile west of Elvira. She leaves to mourn her untimely death her parents and three brothers, Clarence and Marvin.

Miss Reed was the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Kelly, who live in Park place, this city. She would have been 24 years of age on October 24th.

October 1, 1917 - The Clinton Advertiser page 3

The funeral of the three victims of the Stanwood auto accident, Scott Hamilton, Miss Florence Gibson and Miss Grace Redd, was held this afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Elvira United Presbyterian church, of which the two girls were members. Mr. Hamilton had been a former member of the church and his remains were brought from Stanwood for burial in the Elvira cemetery.

The church being too small for the large number of friends of the three victims, the seats were removed to the outdoors, and open air services were held on the church lawn. The present pastor, Rev. Bell, and the former pastors, Rev. Leeper of Morning Sun, Iowa, and Rev. Walter Davidson, of South Bend, Neb., preached the services over the three bodies.

The pallbearers for Miss Gibson were her six boy cousins from Andrew, Iowa. For Miss Reed there were Earl Hill, William Blake, E. Van Epps, George Cromer, Rolland Ingwersen, Leslie Smith. The honorary pallbearers were girl friends of the deceased as follows: Misses Dorothy Bray, Hazel Ingwersen, Nellie Hall, Nona Myers, Belle Reusche and Ruth Livingston.

Grace LeEtta Reed would have celebrated her 23rd birthday the fourth of this month had she lived. She was a lovely girl, popular with everybody in the community. She was of a home loving disposition and was happy when helping any of her friends. She was assistant secretary of the Women's Missionary society and treasurer of the Sunday school class of the Willing Workers, and will be missed in church circles.

Miss Reed was especially dear to her neighbors and friends. She lived with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Curtis Reed, across the road from Miss Gibson, and they had been life-long friends. Surviving are a brother, Clarence, of Low Moor, and a sister and brother, Marion and Marvin, at home.

Miss Reed was a delegate to the LeClaire Presbytery from the local church and gave a splendid report of her society. She conducted the devotional exercises on Friday morning and went in company with Miss Gibson to the Hamilton home.