Lauber, Keith L. 1934-1964

LAUBER, YOUNG, JUSTICE, CRAWFORD, WINCHELL, FRITZ, GREGSON, GERMAN, MITCHELL

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/5/2005 at 17:28:17

KEITH LAUBER
KILLED IN KELLOGG AUTO CRASH GRINNELLIAN PINNED IN CAR AFTER HITTING BRIDGE ON HIGHWAY 224

Keith L. Lauber, 30, of rural Grinnell, died Friday night of injuries he received in a one-car accident just south of the Kellogg city limits on Highway 224.

The accident occurred about 8 p.m.

HITS BRIDGE

Lauber, who was driving south passed another automobile and smashed head-on into the north edge of the west restraining wall of the bridge which crosses the north Skunk river.

He was alone in the car.

The impact of the crash shoved the front end of the car back into the driving compartment, pinning Lauber between the dashboard and front seat.

The auto's front wheels were shoved back to within approximately 3 1/2 feet of the rear ones.

STILL ALIVE

A wrecker had to pull the wreckage apart before Lauber could be removed.

Still alive then, he died while being rushed by ambulance to a Newton hospital.

Dr. Frank Forsythe, Jasper county medical examiner, pronounced Lauber dead at the hospital.

Probable cause of death was a crushed chest. Lauber also received numerous head cuts and fractures of both legs in the accident. He was Jasper county's third traffic fatality of the year.

SERVICES TODAY

Funeral services for Lauber were held this afternoon at the Smith Funeral Home with Elder Fred Phipps of Le Grand officiating.

Mrs. Rhee Auman was organist and Mrs. Bill Anderson and Mrs. Carroll Smith were flower bearers. Pallbearers were James E. Adkins, Bill Anderson, William R. Badger, Dick Emmert, Wayne Puls and Carroll Smith.

Burial was in Rock Creek cemetery in Jasper County.

The son of Henry and Pearl Young Lauber, he was born in Jasper county on March 5, 1934. He attended Grinnell high school and graduated with the class of 1952.

ARMY VETERAN

After enlisting in the Army and serving as a corporal with Battery B of the 804th Artillery in Germany, he was discharged in 1956 and attended Iowa State University for a short period.

Lauber then moved to Ohio to work as a heavy equipment operator in highway construction. He returned to Grinnell about one year ago. Married to Nell Justice in 1958, Lauber is survived by her and three children - - - Mary Lou 5 1/2, Gregory, 4 1/2 and Jeffrey, 3, all in Ohio.

MORE SURVIVORS

Also surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lauber of Rte. 2, Grinnell; his grandmother, Mrs. Ada Young, also of Rte. 2, Grinnell; and 10 brothers and sisters: Mrs. Max (Lois) Crawford, Grinnell; Mrs. Merle (Doris) Winchell, Malcom; Mrs. Richard (Berniece) Fritz, Newton; Mrs. Donald (Jacqueline) Gregson, Livermore, Calif.; Duane Lauber, Newton; Mrs. Larry (Donna)German, Grinnell; Mrs. James (Marilyn) Mitchell, Grinnell; Ronald Crawford, Grinnell; Mrs. Lois (Joan) Houck, Cresline, Calif.; and Carol Lauber, at the parental home.

Originally submitted on Mon Dec 8 08:59:30 1997 by
Esther Breeden, breeden@townsqr.com