LEO KELLER

KELLER

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 5/8/2002 at 20:35:33

Decatur County Journal
Thursday, November 4, l920

LEO KELLER, a member of the high school football team, was struck by an automobile last Friday afternoon just after the team had started to Garden Grove to play the Garden Grove boys, and injured so terribly that his death occurred in a few minutes after he had been rushed to the Leon Hospital. He was about twenty years old, a member of the senior class of the Leon High School, a good student and a young man of find qualities. His tragic death is a great shock to the whole of Decatur County and his parents, MR. and MRS. O. KELLER, of near Pleasanton, have the sympathy of all.

The football team was just starting to Garden Grove when the accident occurred that cost this splendid young man his life. HARRY SEARS, with LEO KELLER, and several other members of the football team, in his car, was on the way north and had just passed the fair grounds when LEO KELLER's cap blew off. SEARS drove on to the corner, a distance of about twenty-five rods and then turned and drove back to the point where LEO's cap lay stopping his car on the west side of the highway. LEO got out of the car to get his cap going around the rear of the SEARS car. Other cars were coming and the boys in the SEARS car called to him to be careful. He ran across the road and secured his cap and instantly turned about and started back to the SEARS car when a car driven by GEORGE STUTEVILLE, another high school boy, struck him. As he started back across the road it is said that he was running in a crouching position and the car driven by STUTEVILLE had struck him so that some part of the car hit him on the back of the head crushing his skull. It is said that young STUTEVILLE did everything possible to avoid striking the young man but was unable to do so. The boys gathered the injured lad up and hurried him to the Leon Hospital where physicians were soon attending him but his injuries were too great to overcome and he passed away in a few minutes without regaining consciousness.

Two of the boys in the SEARS car in which LEO was riding, had called to him to look out for the other car. He either did not see the other car or misjudged distances. No blame is attached to the STUTEVILLE lad. He was driving at a moderate speed, we are informed and did all he possibly could do to avoid the terrible accident. He ran his car to the side as far as possible and missed the other car. LEO had played a guard position on the football team for three years. He was a young man of excellent character and a good student. He was industrious at all times and was popular with all. His death is a terrible shock to all. His classmates sent to the funeral a mass of flowers.

The funeral was held Sunday afternoon at the Christian Union Church at Pleasanton, the services being conducted by Wm. J. Campbell, of Davis City, and J.D. Boyer, of Belle Plaines, Kansas. Members of his class were pall bearers. Interment was made in the Hamilton Cemetery.

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LEO KELLER, the second son of ORIEN and LIZZIE KELLER, was born Sept. l, l900, two miles west of Pleasanton, Iowa. He died Oct. 29, l920, being struck and killed by an automobile near Leon.

LEO was twenty years, ll months and 28 days of age. He was a student in the Leon High School in the Senior Class. He was a good, quiet, studious boy, well respected by his teachers and class mates. To a great extent he was paying his own way through school by working during vacation and saving his wages. LEO obeyed the Gospel in the summer of l9l7 and tried to live the Christian life. He was a member of the Pleasanton Church of Christ. He was usually in his place in the worship of God on the Lord's day.

He leaves to mourn his departure his father, mother and four brothers, besides many other relatives and friends. His older brother, FAY, died about two years ago. He will be missed in the home, school and the church, and yet, "we sorrow not as those who have no hope." The funeral services were conducted at the Christian Union Chapel at Pleasanton, Sunday, at 2 p.m., by Wm. J. Campbell, of Davis City, and J.D. Boyer, of Belle Plaine, Kansas. Beautiful floral offerings were presented by his classmates and others. Twelve boys of his class were at the funeral and from these were the pall bearers. The body was buried beside that of his brother in the Hamilton Cemetery.

Thus another has been called from this life in early manhood, while the visions of a useful life were in his mind and while preparing for such a life. We are thus reminded of the certainty of death and of always being ready for the change that awaits us all.

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CARD OF THANKS

We take this means of expressing our gratitude to our kind friends and neighbors who have helped us, and to all who presented the beautiful flowers on the occasion of the death and burial of our son, LEO.

ORIEN and LIZZIE KELLER.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
May 5, 2002