Reeves, Duane H., Lt. – d. 1950

REEVES, VRIEZELAAR

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 3/28/2017 at 17:40:54

Lt. Duane Reeves Dies In Airplane Accident
Lt. Duane M. Reeves, son-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. Gradus Vriezelaar of Otley,-was killed Sunday night in an airplane accident near Evansville, Ind. He was a crew member on a C47 airplane on an official flight for the Civil Air Patrol.
Lt. and Mrs. Reeves have been making their home at Sioux Falls, S.Dak., since they were married less than one year ago. Mrs. Reeves is the former Jean Vriezelaar.
Funeral services for Lt. Reeves were held Thursday at 1 p.m. in Sioux Falls and final burial rites were held at Watertown, S. Dak. Relatives from here left for Sioux Falls Wednesday evening.
Mrs. Vriezelaar will remain at Sioux Falls with her daughter for about a week after which, both will return to the Vriezelaar home.
Among those flying with Lt. Reeves on the C.A.P. flight were the famed golfer, Skip Alexander, injured, Col. James R. Barnett, killed, Lt. Oliver A. Singleton; killed and Lt. Forrest Elliot, killed
It is believed that the pilot attempted an emergency landing because of trouble with both engines of the transport.
The crash occurred in a railroad yard near Evansville where Alexander, the only survivor, was found crawling away, from the wreckage, his clothes afire.
Alexander had finished sixth in the $15,000 Kansas City open golf tournament and was on his way, to his home at Lexington, N.C. Bob Hamilton of Evansville, a former professional golf champion, said Alexander told him in the hospital he had "hitched" a ride on the military plane, intending to go as far as Louisville. Later he had, planned to go to Venezuela to play golf.
Source: The Monroe Mirror (Monroe, IA); Thursday, September 28, 1950