BUCKNER, Laura Marie (1838-1946)

BUCKNER

Posted By: Kathy Weaver (email)
Date: 5/23/2021 at 19:47:47

Hamburg Reporter
Hamburg, Fremont County, Iowa
Thursday, August 15, 1946
pg 1

Child Crushed Beneath Collapsed Stand

Sunday afternoon, Laura Marie Buckner, 8-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Buckner, was crushed beneath the bleacher seats at the ball game, and died at the local hospital an hour and fifteen minutes later as the result of the injuries. Her skull was fractured and her body crushed by the impact, and she never regained consciousness.

In company of her mother they were walking in the rear of one of the bleacher sections, and the girl hopped up on a pole laying on the ground to walk along, and at that moment the bleachers gave way and crashed. The mother was unable to pull the child away in time, and she was pinned to the ground by the falling timbers. There was no warning of the danger. Nolan Black received a broken left arm. John Hilger was cut and bruised as the result of the accident, and a few others received slight bruises, which is remarkable, as the structure was well filled.

On Monday morning County Coroner, Dr. Ralph Lovelady, called a coroner's jury composed of Howard Colon, Don C. Dougan, Jr., and Jim Givens, and evidence was taken as to the circumstances surrounding the accident, with a number of witnesses being heard. The jury returned the following verdict: "We the jury, find that Laura Marie Buckner, eight years old, met her death at 2:15 p.m. on August 11, being caught beneath a full-seated grandstand as it collapsed. Cause of failure of structure not determined and unknown."

This is one of the saddest accidents to occur in this community for a long time, and members of the baseball team in particular, were deeply affected by the tragedy as was the large crowd in attendance. The sympathy of the community goes out to the young couple in the death of their daughter.