David W. Dawson 1927-1945

DAWSON

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 2/25/2011 at 23:53:10

David Dawson of Estherville Killed at Park
Fell From Roller Coaster at Arnolds Park Thursday Night
David Dawson, 18, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Dawson of Estherville, was fatally injured Thursday night [August 30, 1945] when he fell 25 feet from a roller coaster, “The Thriller” at Arnolds Park.

The youth died 20 minutes later, at 11:50 p.m., en route to a Spirit Lake hospital from a fractured skull and broken neck.

Illah Shull, 19, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Shull is in Holy Family hospital in Estherville, suffering from shock. She accompanied Dawson and an Arnolds Park physician from the park to the hospital at Spirit Lake and was with the young man when he died just before the hospital was reached.

The young man was flung out of the roller coaster at 11:30 p.m. as it nosed over the highest point of the ride. He is believed to have stood up in the car, either to change seats or onto another car as the coaster attained full speed.

He was thrown out of the car as it raced around a curve, and was found, unconscious, between a fence and coaster rails of the track at the beginning point of the ride. Apparently during the fall he struck 4 x 4 beams of the supporting structure.

Two Estherville girls, Ellen Conway and Beverly Halleck, who were at the park when the accident occurred, ran to a nearby restaurant to telephone Dawson’s parents. They met four other Estherville girls, Marjorie Kennedy, Leon Reich, Mary Jane Ruhberg and Illah Shull in the restaurant and when they had told them what had happened, Illah Shull left the girls and went to the scene of the accident. When a physician arrived, he put Dawson on his ambulance stretcher and drove the Spirit Lake. Miss Shull rode in the back seat and was with Dawson when he died about 11:50, just before reaching the hospital.

En route home the other Estherville girls stopped at the hospital to inquire about Dawson and were told he had died. Miss Shull was taken to Estherville to the hospital by George Kibbee, with whom Dawson had ridden to the park.

David Dawson was born Aug. 6, 1927, in Algona. The family moved to Estherville while he was still a baby. He attended the Estherville public schools and was graduated from Estherville high school in June.

He was a member of the merchant marines for four months last years and then returned home to resume his school duties. He was active in school sports. Last week he had taken his physical examination for the army. He is a member of the Church of Christ.

He is survived by his parents, two brothers, the Rev. Richard Dawson of Nevada and Corp. George Dawson who has been stationed at Greensboro, N.C., believed to have been transferred within the last few days, a sister, Margaret Dawson, who lives at Des Moines.

Funeral services were held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Church of Christ and burial was made in Oak Hill cemetery. (Spirit Lake Beacon, Spirit Lake, IA, September 6, 1945)