Earl Thomas Hatland 1902-1951

HATLAND, AHRENS

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 12/4/2012 at 20:05:29

Baby Killed in Car Accident
7 Other Persons Injured
4-weeks-old Infant Victim
A four-weeks-old baby was killed near here yesterday in an accident which also injured seven other persons, two critically, on their way home from church. The boy had been christened less than an hour before the fatal accident occurred.

Dead is Larry Carl Ahrens, son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Ahrens, of Estherville, who died of a skull fracture and other crushing injuries when the cars of Earl Hatland of Estherville and Henry Laue of Fairmont, collided at 12:20 p.m. yesterday. The Ahrens were riding with the Laues.

Injured are Earl Hatland of Estherville, with a fractured collar bone, chest injuries and shock; Eunice Hatland, his daughter, with a skull fracture, broken wrist and lacerations on her face; Mrs. Carl Ahrens, fractured pelvis and internal injuries, Henry Laue of Fairmont, fractured back, Mrs. Laue, Shoulder separation and shock.

The Hatlands are in critical condition, their physicians report.

Carl Ahrens received chest injuries and his one-year-old daughter, Helen, was treated for shock, but both were released after treatment at the hospital last night.

The accident occurred three miles north and two miles east of Estherville or two miles east of the Emmet consolidated school.

Hatland was driving his 1951 sedan east on his way home from church when he collided with the northbound Laue care. Mr. and Mrs. Laue had come from Fairmont to be sponsors for Larry Ahrens at his baptism at Immanuel Lutheran church.

Mrs. Ahrens was holding Larry in the left back seat of the Laue 1951 club coupe at the time of the impact. The entire left side of the Laue care was crushed inward. The front seat of the car had to be removed to release Laue. The front windows were smashed and the dashboard crushed.

Front seat of the Hatland car had been pushed forward on the driver’s side and the steering wheel bent when Hatland’s body was pushed forward. The entire front of the car was crushed and the right windshield was cracked.

It was reported vision was obscured by tall corn.

Passengers who were unhurt were Lester Hatland and Allan Solmonson in the Hatland car.

Survivors of Larry Ahrens are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Ahrens; a brother, Duane, 4, two sisters, Helen, 1, and Eileen, 2.

Funeral arrangements have not been completed. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 1, 1951)

Second Death from Two-Car Collision
Hatland dies of Blood Clot
Arrangements for Funeral Incomplete
[Remainder too faint to read] (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 12, 1951)

Hatland Rites Monday
Funeral services for Earl Hatland of Estherville, who died here Thursday [October 11, 1951] from injuries received in a auto accident will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the farm home and at 2 p.m. at the Estherville Lutheran church. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 13, 1951)