HARWOOD, Robert Louis 1918 – 1952, wife Marjorie & daughter Karen

HARWOOD, FREE, EMANUEL, STEPHENSON, REID

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 2/28/2011 at 17:06:18

“The Fairfield (Ia.) Daily Ledger”
Tuesday, April 29, 1952
Page 1, Column 1, and
Page 8, Column 2

R. L. HARWOOD, WIFE AND TOT AMONG 4 DEAD

A head-on collision between two automobiles near Mt. Ayr, Ia., last night took the lives of four persons, three of them members of a former well known Fairfield family who had made their home in this community until January this year.

Those killed in the tragic accident include Robert HARWOOD; his wife, the former Marjorie FREE of this city, and their two-year old daughter, Karen. Their other daughter, Kathleen, 1, was seriously injured in the accident but hospital attendants at Mt. Ayr said she showed some improvement during the night.

The fourth victim is Jack Mills, 45, feed salesman who lived at Mt. Ayr.

A highway patrolman who investigated the accident said it took place at 6:45 p.m. on a straight stretch of pavement 2½ miles west of Mt. Ayr on highway 2.

The patrolman, Oris Dillener of Osceola, said the investigation of the accident was continuing today. During a long distance telephone call the morning (sic), he told a Ledger reporter that it appeared at the accident scene last night that Mills was out of his lane of traffic when the crash occurred.

The HARWOOD car was traveling west on highway 2 and Mills was going east toward Mt. Ayr when the two vehicles smashed headon. Mrs. HARWOOD was killed instantly, and the child died just after her arrival at the hospital. HARWOOD died about an hour after his arrival at the hospital where he was employed as a laboratory technician.

United Press reports of the accident from Des Moines said Mills died at the same hospital about four hours later.

The HARWOODs had made their home in Fairfield for about a year prior to their moving to Mt. Ayr in January this year. They lived here a short time while Robert HARWOOD completed his education at Parsons college where he was graduated in January.

Prior to their returning to Fairfield more than a year ago, the family lived in Des Moines where HARWOOD was a technician in the Veterans hospital for two years.

Both Mr. and Mrs. HARWOOD were reared in this community, both were graduated from the Fairfield high school and Parsons college, and their parents still reside in Fairfield.

Rites Thursday

Triple funeral services will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Methodist church. The bodies were to be returned to the Weston Behner funeral home here in Fairfield this afternoon.

Robert Louis HARWOOD was born June 26, 1918, at Abingdon in Jefferson county, Iowa, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Clay HARWOOD. The family moved to Fairfield when Robert was a small child.

He was graduated from the Fairfield high school in 1936 and served in the armed forces from 1940 to 1945 during World War II. He attended Parsons and then was employed at the Veterans hospital in Des Moines for two years.

The family then returned to Fairfield for a year and Robert completed his college education, graduating in January this year. Immediately after his graduation the family moved to Mt. Ayr where he took over his duties as Laboratory technician at the Ringgold county hospital.

He was united in marriage on June 2, 1946, to Marjorie FREE, Fairfield, who was also killed in the accident. The wedding took place in Fairfield.

HARWOOD is survived by one daughter, Kathleen, who was injured in the accident, his father, Clay HARWOOD, Fairfield and the following brothers and sisters: Lafayette HARWOOD, Fairfield, Charles HARWOOD, Ankeny; Dale HARWOOD, Fairfield; Mrs. Don EMANUEL, Fairfield; Francis HARWOOD, Fairfield; Mrs. Kathryn STEPHENSON, Fairfield, and Ruth, Beverly and Carolyn, all of Fairfield.

Marjorie FREE HARWOOD was born in Fairfield on Feb. 5, 1919, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clyde FREE. She was graduated from the Fairfield high school in 1936 and later from Parsons college.

Before her marriage in 1946 she taught school in the public schools at Agency.

She is survived by her daughter, and her parents who reside in Fairfield, and a sister, Mrs. Carl REID, also of Fairfield.

Karen HARWOOD was born Nov. 27, 1949, at the Jefferson county hospital. She is survived by her sister and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde FREE and Clay HARWOOD, Fairfield.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Wednesday, April 30, 1952
Front Page, Column 4

HARWOOD Infant Transferred To Local Hospital

Tiny Kathleen HARWOOD, seriously injured in an auto accident that snuffed out the lives of her parents and sister Monday night near Mt. Ayr, Ia., was brought to the Jefferson county hospital yesterday where her condition is reported improved today.

The parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert HARWOOD, and their daughter, two-year-old Karen, were all killed in the headon crash that also claimed the life of Jack Mills, Mt. Ayr, driver of the other car involved.

One of the reasons Kathleen was transferred to the hospital here was because no x-rays can be taken at the Mt. Ayr hospital since her father was killed in the accident. He was laboratory technician at the hospital where he and his other daughter passed away a short time after the fatal crash. Marjorie FREE of this city, was killed instantly.

The family had moved to Mt. Ayr only a few months ago after HARWOOD had been graduated from Parsons college in January. They made their home in Fairfield while he completed his education.

Dale HARWOOD, brother of the accident victim, said this morning that the sheriff's report in Ringgold county where the accident occurred said Mills had been drinking at the time of the crash.

The accident took place on a straight stretch of paved highway where they are no curves or hills. Visibility is good for a considerable distance in either direction, according to HARWOOD's brother.

The sheriff at Mt. Ayr said it appeared as if the Mills car swerved across the black line directly into the approaching HARWOOD car. In addition, he said it appeared as if HARWOOD had started to swerve to the right to avoid a collision with the oncoming death car but was unable to get out of its path.

Both cars were totally demolished by the terrific impact and the sheriff said it was apparent the Mills car was traveling at a high rate of speed.

There were no witnesses to the accident. A farm woman who lives near the accident scene told officers she heard the crash, looked out the window and saw a cloud of dust at the point where the cars crashed. She was the first to reach the accident scene.

The accident took place at 6:45 p.m. Monday two and a half miles west of Mt. Ayr on highway No. 2. HARWOOD was traveling west and the Mills car was going east.

Triple funeral services for the three members of the HARWOOD family will be held at the Methodist church Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m. The bodies were brought to the Weston Behner funeral home yesterday.

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, May 5, 1952
Page 2, Column 6

CARD OF THANKS

To those who expressed their sympathy in so many beautiful and practical ways during our recent bereavement, we extend our heart-felt thanks.

Mr. and Mrs. Clay HARWOOD and family
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. FREE and family

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger"
Monday, May 12, 1952
Page 7, Column 6

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR

State Of Iowa,
Jefferson County, ss.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the undersigned has been duly appointed and qualified as Administrator of the estate of Marjorie Ann HARWOOD deceased, late of Jefferson County. All persons indebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment, and those having claims against the same will present them within legal time, duly authenticated, to the undersigned, for allowance and file in the office of the Clerk of the District Court.

Dated May 2, 1952.
C. C. FREE
BOOKER SMITH,
Attorney.
MAY 5--12.

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR

State Of Iowa,
Jefferson County, ss.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the undersigned has been duly appointed and qualified as Administrator of the estate of Karen Ann HARWOOD deceased, late of Jefferson County. All persons indebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment, and those having claims against the same will present them within legal time, duly authenticated, to the undersigned, for allowance and file in the office of the Clerk of the District Court.

Dated May 2, 1952.
DON E. EMANUEL,
BOOKER SMITH,
Attorney.
MAY 5--12.

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NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATOR

State Of Iowa,
Jefferson County, ss.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the undersigned has been duly appointed and qualified as Administrator of the estate of Robert Louis HARWOOD deceased, late of Jefferson County. All persons indebted to said estate are requested to make immediate payment, and those having claims against the same will present them within legal time, duly authenticated, to the undersigned, for allowance and file in the office of the Clerk of the District Court.

Dated May 2, 1952.
C. C. FREE
BOOKER SMITH,
Attorney.
MAY 5--12.

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*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.

Note: Robert, Marjorie, and Karen are all buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, in Lot 4th.051, and share a common monument.