Mintle, Earl d. 1963

MINTLE, SMITH, COX, NISSON

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 5/9/2005 at 11:18:27

Grinnell Herald
EARL MINTLE, IVER IVERSON DIE IN CAR-SEMI CRASH EAST OF CITY

Earl Mintle

Two men - - - one a Grinnellian and the other a former Gilman resident - - - were killed Wednesday morning in a car-semi crash, at the Highway 6-63 junction 7 miles east of Grinnell.

The victims were:
Earl Mintle, 67, 1026 Summer Street, Grinnell.

Iver Iverson 72, Longmont, Colo., a former Gilman resident.

DIED INSTANTLY

Mintle, a rider in the right front seat of the car, died instantly. Iverson, the driver, died in a Grinnell hospital about one hour and 15 minutes after the crash.

The accident occurred about 8:00 a.m. The Iverson auto was traveling east on Highway 6 and was turning north onto Highway 63. A westbound semi truck driven by Darrell Long, 20, Bettendorf, smashed into the right side of the car.

Witnesses said Iverson let one car pass and then turned directly into the path of the semi on the divided junction. Long swerved the truck to the right, but had no chance to miss the car.

Skid marks showed the truck braked only about 30 feet before smashing into the automobile. Long estimated that he was driving 40 to 45 miles an hour as he approached the intersection.

INTO DITCH

The truck slammed the car off the northwest corner of the intersection. Two stop signs were knocked down as the vehicles rammed into a ditch.

Both vehicles came to a halt on their wheels. The rear portion of the truck remained on the highway.

Iverson was thrown from the car, landing about 12 feet from the spot where the car stopped. Mintle remained in the car. Mintle and Iverson were on their way to Tama when the accident occurred.

Iverson and his wife, Lena, were in Grinnell for a visit with relatives and friends, includng Mintle.

Long, the truck driver, was not injured.

Highway patrolman Jud Kahler and Sheriff Bill Welsh investigated the accident.

FIFTH, SIXTH DEATHS

Mintle and Iverson were Poweshiek county's fifth and sixth traffic fatalities of 1963.

Previous fatalities were:
Joseph Lacina, rural Grinnell who died June 4 in a 2-car crash on Highway 146 six miles south of Grinnell.

Mrs. Elsie L. May, rural Malcom, in a car-truck crash at a rural intersection four miles north of the Malcom junction of Highway 6 and 63. She died June 13.

Ernest Bodine, Haddonfield, N.J., in a 2-car accident at the Interstate 80- Highway 146 junction three miles south of Grinnell June 24.

Edwin Wolf, Deep River, in a tractor-truck crash near Deep River. He died July 9, the day after the accident.

FUNERAL SERVICES

Funeral services for Mintle will be held at 2 p.m., Saturday at the Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Robert Dewey, pastor of the Congregational church, officiating.

Burial will be in Hazelwood cemetery with graveside rites to be conducted by members of the Grinnell American Legion post.

Final rites for Iverson will be conducted in Longmont, Colo. Further information about the Iverson services can be secured from the James- Schalinske Funeral Home. OBITUARIES

Mintle was born June 10, 1896, near Grinnell, the son of Ernest and Laura Smith Mintle. He attended the local rural schools and graduated with the Class of 1916 at Grinnell high school.

On August 23, 1924, he was united in marriage with Nona Cox at Oskaloosa, and to this union were born three children: Max, who preceded him in death in July of 1960; Mrs. Donald (Joan) Nisson of Burbank, Calif.; and Tom of St. Louis, Mo. In addition to his widow, son and daughter, Mintle is survived by six grandchildren, Michael Mintle, Gregory, Paul, and Marla Nisson; and Steven and Karen Mintle.

Mintle was preceded in death by his parents, his son Max, and three brothers and one sister. He was employed at the Grinnell post office for many years until retirement in 1948. He enlisted with the 1st Iowa Cavalry in September 1917, as a buglar, and later served oversees with the Army Engineers. Following his discharge he returned to make his home in Grinnell.

Originally submitted on Sun Jan 4 14:31:20 1998 by
Esther Breeden, breeden@townsqr.com