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Brownfield, Gary Dean (1942-1968)

BROWNFIELD, THOMPSON, EYLER

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:02

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Thursday, March 21, 1968

Head-on Crash Kills 5 at Ft. Dodge

2 local youths, ex-Webster City couple victims

Five persons, including two Webster City young men and a former Webster City couple, were killed early this morning in a head-on crash on Highway 20 about eight miles east of Fort Dodge.

Dead were Dennis Joseph Berleen, 21, and Gary Dean Brownfield, 25, both of Webster City; Mr. and Mrs. George Harold Garth, former Webster Cityans who resided near Fort Dodge, and Mrs. Mildred McCain, 49, Fort Dodge.

Glen McCain, 51, whose wife was one of those killed, was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Mercy hospital in Fort Dodge where he was reported in fair condition.

Relatives here in Webster City reported that today was the birthday of both Mr. Garth, 65, and his wife, Hallie, 64. The Garths' younger son, Chester, residing in Cedar Rapids, also was born on March 21. The Garths formerly lived in Webster City before moving to Clear Lake where Mr. Garth was in the implement business for many years. The family had lived in the Fort Dodge community about 15 years and Mr. Garth was branch manager for the New Idea Implement Co.

Fort Dodge officials said the two couples were returning from the Iowa High Schools Boys basketball tournament in Des Moines after seeing the Fort Dodge Dodgers win their first tournament contest last evening.

According to the highway patrol, the accident occurred shortly after midnight, and Iowa Highway Patrol officers, headed by Darold Stinman of Fort Dodge, head investigator, said indications were that the eastbound Webster City youths' car, registered to Berleen, apparently had crossed the center line shortly before the impact.

Officials said the Berleen car was spun around by the impact and came to a halt in the westbound lane, facing west. The auto caught fire shortly after the crash, and some Fort Dodge high school students, coming upon the scene of the accident, pulled Berleen out, but he was reportedly already dead. The Vincent and Fort Dodge fire departments were called to extinguish the blaze.

Highway patrolmen and others called to the scene helped shove the other car, reportedly driven by Garth, away from the blazing Berleen auto to prevent it from catching fire, too. All the crash victims were apparently pinned inside the autos which had come to a stop on the pavement, both heading west.

The collision tied up traffic on Highway 20 for about two hours. A string of Fort Dodge school buses, coming home from the game in Des Moines, arrived on the scene shortly after the accident. Among the riders in one of the buses was a son of Mr. and Mrs. McCain.

Brownfield Services Set

Funeral services for Gary Brownfield, 25, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Foster Funeral home with the Rev. Marvin Brewer officiating and with burial in Graceland cemetery.

Gary Dean Brownfield, son of Estelle and Maxine Thompson Brownfield, was born May 28, 1942 at Webster City. He attended the Webster City schools, being graduated with the class of 1960.

He entered the U.S. Army in the fall of 1960 and served with the armed forces in Germany, receiving his discharge in 1963 and returning to Webster City.

He later resided in Colorado for a short time, but for the past year had been employed in Des Moines.

He is survived by his parents, two brothers and one sister; Larry Brownfield, Sioux Falls, S.D., Jerry and Dotty Brownfield, both at home; his fiance, Miss Connie Bowers of Des Moines; one niece, Brenda Brownfield; his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Sina Eyler, and his maternal grandmother, Mrs. Ivan Thompson, both of Webster City, and several aunts and uncles.

He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, W.S. Brownfield and Ivan Thompson.


 

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