Grace Marie Stuart Knipe 1884-1949

KNIPE, STUART, IRWIN, CAMPBELL, SMITH, BURKHEAD

Posted By: Merllene Andre Bendixen (email)
Date: 3/13/2015 at 23:13:40

Car-Truck Crash Kills Dr. & Mrs. J.B. Knipe
Collision Occurs at South “Y”
Car Badly Demolished
Dr. and Mrs. James B. [Boston] Knipe of Armstrong, prominent Emmet county residents, were killed about 10:15 this morning in a three-way collision involving the Knipe car, a large tractor-trailer stock truck and a gasoline truck on Highway 17 just south of the underpass at the south edge of Estherville. Ms. Knipe, 65, was killed instantly and Dr. Knipe, 68, died about five minutes after being admitted to Holy Family hospital. Dr. E. K. Vaubel, county coroner, said both deaths were due to multiple injuries.

The Knipe car was almost completely demolished. The hood was torn off and the motor smashed to bits. Large pieces of wreckage were thrown several hundred feet from the scene of the accident. The front end of the tractor-trailer was smashed and the gasoline truck was damaged in the rear. The stock truck belongs to Smith Brothers Trucking company, Curlew, and was driven by Mike Frohling. Frohling was uninjured. He was en route to Sioux Falls, S.D. The gasoline truck was owned and driven by Beryl Felky. Dr. Knipe was driving the car in which he and Mrs. Knipe were riding.

According to reports from county law enforcement officials the Knipe car was proceeding north down the hill out of Estherville. The tractor-trailer was moving north and approaching the intersection. The gasoline was moving south ahead of the Knipe car. Investigation revealed that the gasoline truck had pulled onto the highway and was alongside the trailer approaching from the south when the collision occurred. The large truck was jackknifed by the force of the crash and slid off the road and on to the shoulder.

It is the city’s first fatal traffic accident in 1949.

Dr. Knipe had left Holy Family hospital this morning and was on his way to address the health education work conference at the Farm Bureau auditorium in Spencer. He was representing the Iowa state medical society.

Survivors include three children. One son, Dr. James. S. Knipe, an army medical corps captain, was killed in action on Okinawa April 12, 1945. William J. Knipe, Spencer; Mrs. William Irwin, Armstrong; and Mr. W.B. Campbell, Gilmore City, are the other children. Mrs. Knipe is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Howard Smith, Clarks Grove, Minn.; and Mrs. O.Z. Burkhead, Clemens, Ia. Five grandchildren also survive. One is the son of James and lives with his mother at Clear Lake, the William Knipes have two sons and the Campbells have two children.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been completed.

Dr. Knipe was born in New Hartford, Ia., Feb. 15, 1881. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob M. Knipe. He was educated at New Hartford high school, Drake university, and received his medical degree from the University of Illinois in 1904. He came to Armstrong after graduation and has practiced there for the past 45 years. He married Grace M. Stuart of Armstrong in 1908.

He was active in educational and political work throughout his career. He had served as member of the Armstrong board of education, and was 20 years a member of the Emmet county board of education. He was a member of the Emmet county republican central committee.

During the first World War he enlisted in the U.S. army. He was discharged a first lieutenant in 1918. He was the organizer and first commander of American Legion Post 459, Armstrong.

Dr. Knipe was a member of the Emmet county and Iowa state medical societies and the Upper Des Moines Medical association; AF & AM 533, and of Methodist church, which he served as a member of the official board.

He was president of the Emmet county medical society at the time of his death and is a past president of the Upper Des Moines society. He also was a district counsellor for the Iowa Medical association and in this capacity has been speaking regularly in opposition to President Truman’s recommended federal health legislation.

Mrs. Knipe was born May 27, 1884, at Grundy Center. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Stuart. Her parents moved to Armstrong when she was very young. She is a graduate of Armstrong high school and Cornell college at Mt. Vernon. She taught school at Ringsted for several years. (Estherville Daily News, Estherville, IA, October 20, 1949)