WILLIAMS, Elmer D. 1944-1961

WILLIAMS, JANSSEN

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 4/29/2016 at 07:36:42

Elmer D. Williams Killed in Shotgun Accident Sunday

Elmer Williams, 17-year-old son of Mrs. Janet Williams, was killed Sunday afternoon in the haymow of the barn of the Williams farm southwest of Wellsburg, when his shotgun accidentally discharged.

He was found by his brother-in-law, Marlyn Peters, and Herman Primus, a neighbor, about 8 p.m. who began to look for him when he did not return to finish his chores.

It is thought the gun discharged when he slipped on a bale of hay in the haymow. The bullet entered his head. Grundy county Sheriff Leslie Craven and Dr. Robert Meyer, deputy Grundy county medical examiner, pronounced the death accidental.

Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the home and at 1:30 p.m. at the First Christian Reformed Church with the Rev. Bernard Visscher officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

A men's quartet composed of Arnold Eiten, Richard Schafer, Melvin Haupt and Larry Riebkes, sang. Mrs. Henry VandeVoort, Jr., was organist and Miss Doris Haupt, pianist. Mrs. Herman Primus and Miss Ordie Geerdes were flower attendants.

The pallbearers, all senior class mates, were Larry Ackerman, Darrell Freese, Bernard Eilderts, Benny DeVries, Edwin Ascher and James VanDeest. The senior class of Wellsburg high school attended the service in a body.

Obituary
Elmer Dean Williams, son of Mrs. Janet Williams (nee Janet Janssen) and the late Will Williams, was born at Eldora, February 7, 1944 and was baptized in the First Christian Reformed Church of Wellsburg on April 9, 1944. He was faithful in his attendance to church and Sunday School. He spent all of his young life on the farm 3 1/2 miles southwest of Wellsburg.

He received his early schooling at Timothy Christian School where he graduated from the eighth grade in May 1957. At the time of his death Elmer was a senior at Wellsburg Community School from which he hoped to graduate in May of this year. Upon graduation he planned to enter our country's service. His earthly life came to a sudden and unexpected end on Sunday afternoon, March 12, 1961.

Those who survive him are his mother, Mrs. Janet Williams; two sisters, Wilma, (Mrs. Marlyn Peters) Eldora, and Elaine at home; a brother-in-law, Marlyn Peters, two nieces, Rochelle and Dawn Peters, the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Will Janssen, the paternal grandmother, Mrs. Frieda Williams, all of Wellsburg.

Those who preceded him in death were his father, Will Williams, who passed away in October 1957 and an infant brother, Wendell, who died in 1941.

--The Wellsburg Herald (Wellsburg, Iowa), 16 March 1961, pg 1