NEWTON, Mary 1855-1937

NEWTON, OCONNOR

Posted By: Tammy (email)
Date: 11/10/2016 at 14:28:20

1000 Attend Funeral Services For Auto Crash Victims

Bodies Of Mrs. Raymond Brown And Daughter Marcia From Cedar Rapids Brought Here For Services At The Church; Was The Largest Funeral Ever Held In Grundy Center

1000 bereaved and sympathetic friends attended the last rites for the victims of the automobile tragedy near Vinton last Thursday evening which snuffed out the lives of five members of the Newton family. The services were held in the Methodist church in Grundy Center beginning at eleven o'clock Monday morning. They were conducted by the local pastor, Rev. J. B. Bird. Kenneth and Keith Canfield and Russell Kruse sang two selections. Mrs. Arthur Trevillyan officiated at the organ.

The middle section of the church was reserved for the relatives. The section directly west of the middle section was occupied by members of the Grundy Legion Auxiliary of which Mrs. Marie Newton was a most active and valued member. The east section of the main auditorium was occupied by the pall bearers and by the early comers. The lecture room was filled an hour before the services began. The overflow exceeded in number those who were seated within the church. With the help of a loud speaking system, those without as well as those within could hear the services.

The Dead
Mrs. O. A. Newton
Mrs. Marie Newton
Mrs. Edward (Bud) Schaa
Mrs. Raymond Brown
Marcia Brown

Five Caskets Before Altar
The five caskets were placed before the altar in the church. They were completely embedded with the most profuse floral display ever seen at any service in the county. The flowers filled three truckloads. The caskets were opened in the church an hour before the commencement of the services and hundreds viewed the remains during that period.

The caskets holding the remains of Mrs. Raymond Brown and daughter Marcia were brought up from their home in Cedar Rapids to be among the other three members of the family in that last journey from which none every return. At the conclusion of the service the remains of Mrs. Brown and daughter were taken back to Cedar Rapids where they were laid in one grave in the Cedar Rapids cemetery.

One hearse from Cedar Rapids carried the remains of Mrs. Brown and daughter. There was a separate hearse to take the remains of each of the other three victims of the tragedy from the church to the Grundy Center cemetery.

Seven cars were required for the pallbearers and twenty-three cars for members of the bereaved family. The procession of cars extended from the church to the cemetery.

Six highway patrolmen, including the assistant chief, Major Connely from Cedar Rapids, were here at the request of the Grundy sheriff's office to help keep traffic in check during the services at the church and the procession to the cemetery.

Many Pallbearers
There were twenty-four pallbearers who assisted in the service. The pallbearers for the grandmother, Mrs. O. A. Newton, were R. E. Gottsch, R. V. Koons, Emery Davis, Ralph Pabst, Al Morrison and John Reynolds.

Pallbearers for Mrs. Marie Newton were A. C. Gravenstein, R. F. Schneider, A. J. Hasbrouck, C. W. Mooty, Sydney Sperry and Lyle Hawn.

Pallbearers for Mrs. Edward Schaa were Vance Boren, Edward Giesey Jr., Paul Coulson, Harold Kluver, Carl Dudden and Robert Grimes.

Pallbearers for Mrs. Raymond Brown and daughter were Robert Stevens, Ralph Graves, Pearl Vogt, Tom Neessen, Stanley Stevens and Elmer Geiter.

Relatives from a distance who were present at the services were Mrs. John Proctor, Lockport, New York; Verne Robins, Charleston, West Va.; Mrs. Jennie Dunn, Estes Park, Col.; Glenn Dunn, Chapel, Neb.; Elmer Newton, Cedar Falls; Mrs. Leonard Laufer and Mrs. Henry Harms, of Gladbrook; Mr. and Mrs. Charles Long, Ames; Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Newton, Hampton; Russell Newton, Belfield, N. Dak.; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Brown and son, Mr. and Mrs. Laverne Lemon, Mr. and Mrs. Don Knock, Cedar Rapids; Mr. and Mrs. Lew Robins, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Robins, Brandon, Iowa; Laura Robins, Mr. and Mrs. Otto Schwenn, Marshalltown; Mrs. O. F. Conklin and daughter of Bettendorf; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Robins, Reinbeck.

Business Houses Closed
All business houses in Grundy Center were closed from ten o'clock until after the funeral services at twelve.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 4 November 1937, pg 1

-----------------------------------------------

Five Grundy Center People Die In Automobile Crash

Newton Family Dealt Crushing Blow in Headon Collision Near Vinton Thursday Evening

Benton County Man Is Victim And Brother Seriously Injured

The Dead
Mrs. O. A. Newton, 83
Mrs. Harry Newton, 52
Mrs. Raymond Brown, 29
Marcia Brown, 3
Mrs. Edward (Bud) Schaa, 21
(All members of the Newton family, Grundy Center)
James Roach, 71, Vinton

Six people were killed and one more is likely to die from a head-on automobile collision six miles south of Vinton between 5:15 and 5:30 Thursday evening. Five of the victims were members of the Harry Newton family from Grundy Center.

Mrs. O. A. Newton, Mrs. Schaa, Mrs. Brown and daughter were killed instantly. Mrs. Harry Newton died about two hours later at the hospital in Vinton. Mrs. Arthur Robins and three-year-old son Douglas were thrown from the car. They were not seriously injured.

James Roach, in the other car, was killed instantly. His brother David was dangerously injured and it is believed that he can't recover.

No One Knows Cause of Collision
No one knows the cause of the collision.

The Newton family were on their way home from Cedar Rapids where they drove in the forenoon to get Mrs. Brown and her daughter for a week-end visit with their folks at Grundy Center. Mrs. Schaa was driving her father's 1937 Chevrolet.

The Roach brothers are farmers who were on their way home from Vinton. They were driving a Ford V-8. No one knows why the two cars ran together. First reports were that the driver of the Roach car was attempting to pass a truck and that he collided with the Newton car. This report has been proven to be wrong. A truck came upon the scene of the accident shortly after, but the driver was not implicated in the accident and shortly after the sheriff of Benton county interviewed him at Cedar Rapids.

Victims Crushed in Car
The engine of the Newton car was pushed back and the left side of the car was caved in. A piece of the body of the Ford car was left imbedded in the top of the Newton Chevrolet. The grandmother, Mrs. O. A. Newton, was riding with the driver. Mrs. Harry Newton, Mrs. Brown and the little girl, and Mrs. Arthur Robins were riding in the back seat. Mrs. Robins had her little son on her lap. The right door of the Chevrolet car was thrown open and Mrs. Robins and her son were shot out through the door. They were thrown about 15 feet from the car. Mrs. Robins was dazed for a few moments, after which she was able to get up and gather her son in her arms.

Mrs. Harry Newton partly regained consciousness on her way to the hospital. She asked those in attendance what had happened.

Mrs. Robins doesn't remember what happened. She evidently didn't see any danger before the cars struck.

Bodies Returned to Grundy Center
The bodies of three of the victims, Mrs. O. A. Newton, Mrs. Harry Newton and Mrs. Schaa, were brought to Grundy Center and they reached here shortly after midnight and were taken to the Coffman funeral home. Mrs. Brown and the little girl were taken to their home in Cedar Rapids. L. D. Coffman, Grundy undertaker, was sent for about 8:30 and left for Vinton at once.

The dead were taken from the wreck to the undertaking parlor in Vinton, from which place they were removed later in the evening.

Coroner Can't Find Who Is to Blame For Collision
At an inquest held by the coroner of Benton county Friday forenoon, it was undetermined who was to blame for the collision.

It is believed that one of the drivers lost control of the car for a moment as they were approaching each other. It was not yet dark so that the car lights were not to blame.

The Newton car remained on the road. The car owned by the Vinton men left the road and it is believed that it turned over several times. Both were nearly new cars before the collision. After the collision they were left a mass of junk.

Worst Car Tragedy in History of the County
This collision resulted in greater loss of life to Grundy people than any other in the county's history. It was the worst tragedy that ever took place in Benton county.

Four Generations in Tragedy
This tragedy resulted in deaths from four generations. There was the grandmother Newton, the daughter-in-law, Mrs. Harry Newton, two granddaughters, and one great-granddaughter.

Harry Newton lost his wife, his mother, two daughters, and a granddaughter. Few men during a lifetime are called upon to carry a burden of bereavement such as has come to him.

Victims Badly Crushed
Mrs. Schaa, the driver of the Chevrolet, was fatally injured about the head and she received a terrible bruise in her chest which it is believed resulted in her instant death. The grandmother had her skull crushed and many bones broken in her body. Mrs. Brown and the baby received fatal internal injuries. Mrs. Harry Newton was bruised about the head and face and she suffered fatal internal injuries. Mrs. Brown expected to become a mother for a second time in about a month. Her husband, who is employed in an insurance office in Cedar Rapids, expected to drive up next Sunday to get his wife and the little girl. He wished to have the bodies of his beloved ones taken to their home in Cedar Rapids. They may be sent here for burial.

Funeral Arrangements Not Made
Arrangements have not been made for the funeral, which may be on Sunday.

Was Mother of Ten
Mrs. Harry Newton was the mother of ten children, eight of whom with the husband survive. The surviving children are Dick, Roland, Bruce, Donald, Oscar, Fred, Elmer and Harriett (Mrs. Fred Fink). She was born in Grundy county and resided here all her life. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Robins, who survive. Other surviving relatives are three brothers and two sisters. The brothers are Fred Robins, Reinbeck, and Arthur and Frank, Grundy Center. The sisters are Mrs. Jennie Dunn of Estes Park, Colo., and Mrs. Vera Greany, Grundy Center.

Mrs. O. A. Newton was a pioneer resident of Grundy county, who had lived here more than 60 years. Her husband died a few years ago. She is survived by two sons and two daughters. The sons are Harry and Sam. The daughters are Mrs. Ross Long and Mrs. Will Mutch, all of Grundy Center. There are a large number of grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Raymond Brown, whose maiden name was Marian Newton, was born near Grundy Center and resided here until she was married about four years ago. Practically all of her married life was spent in Cedar Rapids.

Mrs. Schaa, whose maiden name was Katherine Newton, was married about three years ago. She resided here continually up to the time of her marriage and much of the time since. She has a daughter two years old, who with the husband, the father and other relatives survive.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 4 November 1937, pg 11

-----------------------------------------------

Mary Ann O'Connor Newton
"Grandma Newton"

Mary Ann O'Connor Newton was born March 16, 1855, at Nova, Ill., and passed away Oct. 28, 1937.

She was united in marriage to Ovando Adset Newton on Dec. 13, 1874.

They settled on a farm in Lincoln township after being married and lived there until the year 1911 when they retired from farming and moved to Grundy Center.

To this union were born three sons and two daughters. The deceased was preceded in death by her oldest son, Edgar, and her husband.

She was a member of the Methodist church, also of the W.R.C., King's Daughters and the Pythian Sisters.

She leaves to mourn her departure two sons and two daughters: Harry and Sam, Mrs. Will Mutch and Mrs. Ross Long; 19 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, besides other relatives and friends.

--The Grundy Register (Grundy Center, Iowa), 11 November 1937, pg 3