ALLENDER, Thomas Benjamin 1866 - 1922

ALLENDER, MATTHEWS, WALKER, POWELL, DANIELS

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 5/25/2021 at 20:23:27

"The Daily Ledger-Journal"
Fairfield, Iowa
Tuesday, February 14, 1922
Front Page, Column 1

LIKE ACCIDENT TWO WEEKS AGO
T. B. ALLENDER's Car Veered Into Bank Suddenly, Broke Wheel

T. B. ALLENDER, who was killed Sunday w hen (sic) his car ran off the side of the road, climbed an embankment and turned turtle over him, had a similar accident just two weeks ago Sunday with the same car, it has been learned.

At that time he was going to his farm and while out near the waterworks, his steering gear suddenly went wrong and ran into the bank. Then, however, no harm was done, although one wheel was broken and he had to get a new wheel.

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, February 16, 1922
Front Page, Column 2

T. B. ALLENDER KILLED WHEN CAR OVERTURNS ON ROAD NEAR HERE
Well Known Auctioneer Instantly Killed When Wrecked Auto Pins Him Beneath It.

T. B. ALLENDER, probably one of the most widely known men in the county, met instant death last Sunday morning when the care he was driving left the road, ran up a small bank and overturned on him, about nine miles northeast of Fairfield. Mr. ALLENDER was pinned beneath the car and the body lay there for upwards of two hours before it was discovered.

Just exactly how the accident occurred will never be known. Mr. ALLENDER was alone and was driving to the farm of his son, Merwyn ALLENDER. He had stopped for a few moments chat at the home of Henry Berg, then had proceeded on his way for a distance of about a quarter of a mile. As the road at this point is in average good shape, and there are no embankments or deep ditches, there was reason to believe that Mr. ALLENDER had either been looking back or had become absorbed in some action temporarily which caused him to neglect the proper steering of his car. When the car was found it was turned completely upside down, the wheels in the air, the gasoline shut off and the emergency brake on. These facts led to the conclusion at the coroner's inquest that the cause of death was not a sudden heart attack as some thought for a time. The left side wheels of the car had been stripped of their tires. The entire circumstances seemed to indicate that, for some reason, Mr. ALLENDER had permitted the car to stray to the side of the road and when about to strike the embankment had sought to stop it by emergency brake and by shutting off the gasoline.

When found Mr. ALLENDER was lying with the back of the car seat resting on the back of his head. There was no abrasion of the skin and no broken bones, but there was a large bruise on the top of his head. It is believed death was due to the concussion of striking his head as he fell, although the fall of the car seat on the back of the head might in itself have proved fatal.

Mr. ALLENDER was born near Salina in 1866 and was the son of pioneer residents of this county. He was married to Miss Annette MATTHEWS in 1887. Following her death in 1911 he was married to Mrs. Laura WALKER in 1913. He is survived by his widow and three children by his first marriage, who are: Merwyn, who lives on a farm near Fairfield; Wilma and Irma, both of whom are making their home in Omaha with Mr. ALLENDER's sister, Miss Uloa ALLENDER. Four other sisters, Mrs. POWELL and Miss June ALLENDER, of Salina, Misses Gertrude and Willamette ALLENDER of California, survive.

As an auctioneer for more than twenty-five years in this county Mr. ALLENDER had opportunity to form a large acquaintance, which also constituted a large friendship. Mr. ALLENDER was very popular and there is much sorrow expressed at his unfortunate death.

Funeral services were held Tuesday afternoon at the home, conducted by Rev. Tennant of the Methodist church.

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"The Weekly Ledger-Journal"
Fairfield, Iowa
Thursday, February 16, 1922
Front Page, Columns 1 and 2

T. B. ALLENDER KILLED UNDER CAR SUNDAY
Auto Evidently Had Skidded While Going Fast and Killed Him In An Instant

Lying entirely hidden under his overturned car, T. B. ALLENDER, an auctioneer known all over this territory, was not discovered until an hour after the automobile had skidded, run up on a bank and turned with wheels in air, Sunday morning about 10:30 o'clock, nine miles northeast of Fairfield.

The overturned car was first reported by Dallas Bates who passed the scene about 11:45 o'clock, going to the home of E. A. Hollander where he and Mrs. Bates were to be guests at a Sunday dinner. There was nothing to indicate that anyone was beneath however, and it was not until they were far past the wreck that they decided that they ought to have investigated.

By that time they had reached the Hollander home, a mile east, where they telephoned back to the Henry Berg farm, within a quarter mile of the accident, and Harold and Charles Berg, stepping out on their front porch were able to see the car. They at once ran to the scene and by that time Harlan and Forest Johnson and their mother, also bound for the Hollander home, had come along and stopped.

The men investigated and found the body, lifting the car off the lifeless form. One of them went back to the Berg house to phone county officials.

Sheriff Happened Along

In the meantime the word had gone out along the rural line and J. B. Kellar, living north and west had overheard it. He ran out to the road with the intention of stopping the first car that came along and going to the scene. The first car happened to be driven by Sheriff Walter Harris, who was coming alone from Pleasant Plain.

The two drove at once to the wreck and at Harris' suggestion the body was placed in his car and brought to the Kerrick undertaking rooms.

Mystery in Accident

Just how the accident happened probably never will be solved. There was no ditch at the place and no Obvious reason for turning out. The car had no top, no curtains and no windshield, being an old Ford that ALLENDER used in his rough driving, so that flapping curtains or obstructed view cannot account for the wreck.

Tracks at the side of the road indicate that perhaps twenty feet away the car had turned to the left and run up a three or four foot bank, with skid marks showing that it had traveled sideways for several feet before being overturned.

It was lying almost at right angles with the road with its wheels in the air, and the tires stripped from the left wheels. One rear wheel was slightly cracked and the cap was broken off the raditor (sic). Otherwise the car seemingly suffered no damage.

The only plausible explanation is that he might have turned to look back, and diverting his attention from the road, allowed the car to run to the side. There was nothing in the way of a ditch or obstruction there, and it is thought that it all happened so quickly that he never knew of it at all.

His head lay between a slight knoll and the back of the front seat and there was nothing to indicate any struggle or effort to get free.

Left Home at 9 O'clock

Mr. ALLENDER left his home in Fairfield at 9:30 o'clock to go to the farm of his son Merwyn, 9 miles northeast of the city. He stopped at the home of Charles Heston, a short distance east of the Berg farm and talked a bit with Mr. Heston. Then he made another stop at the Berg farm, leaving there about 10:30. If the Bergs had stood on their front porch and watched him on his way, they would have been in full sight of the accident. But they went immediately into the house and were cut off from view by some brush. Whether anyone else passed the wreck without investigating, is not know (sic), but it was fully an hour before the Bates car came along.

At the Berg home Mr. ALLENDER had trouble starting his car and he and the Bergs worked at it for some time before it would go. He was in the best of spirits, however, and even the balky Ford did not disturb him.

Born in 1866

Thomas B. ALLENDER was born November 5, 1866 on the old ALLENDER homestead at Salina, being the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob H. ALLENDER, pioneer citizens of the county. He was educated in the local school, and on Feb. 24, 1887 married Miss Annette MATTHEWS, an adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Asa Chilcott. She died April 4, 1911 and June 12, 1913, Mr. ALLENDER married Mrs. Laura WALKER.

Mr. ALLENDER is survived by the widow and three children of his first wife--M. Merwyn ALLENDER, who lives at Denison and is the county agent of Crawford county; Wilma Marie and Irma ALLENDER of Omaha and by five sisters--Mrs. Odessa POWELL and Miss June ALLENDER of Salina, Miss Uloa ALLENDER of Omaha and Misses Gertrude and Wilamette ALLENDER of Palo Alto, Calif. A brother, Rupert T. ALLENDER, died August 9, 1911 and a sister, Myrtle, who died in August 1909.

For 25 Years An Auctioneer

Mr. ALLENDER had been an auctioneer for more than a quarter of a century, having been unusually successful in that work. He was known and employed not only in Jefferson county but in all those adjoining. His last sale was cried February 10 at the home of his son, Merwyn. He had sale dates for a half dozen more yet this month.

He is said to have had as large an acquaintanceship in the county as any other man in it, and his friends not only liked him, but admired him for his forcefulness and his ability(.)

A Parallel Death

The death of Mr. ALLENDER is almost a parallel to that of a friend, George P. Bellows, the noted livestock auctioneed (sic), who died under his car alone near Maryville, Mo., in 1913. Mr. Bellows was found within a quarter mile of a house where he had just stopped, his car had deviated from the road in similar fashion and he lay dead under the automobile when found.

Funeral Tuesday

Funeral services were held at the late home, 403 West Broadway street, Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock and were conducted by Dr. C. L. Tennant, pasctor (sic) of the Methodist church of which Mr. ALLENDER was a member. Interment was at Evergreen cemetery.

Misses Wilma and Irma ALLENDER, daughters of the decedent, and Miss Uloa ALLENDER, a sister, arrived here Sunday night from Omaha, and Mrs. Merwyn ALLENDER came Monday from Dennison. Mrs. J. E. DANIELS, sister of Mrs. ALLENDER, reached here from Des Moines Monday and her husband came Monday night.

Merwyn ALLENDER received a telegram of condolence Monday from eighteen of his friends in Denison.

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"The Weekly Ledger-Journal"
Thursday, February 16, 1922
Page 2, Column 3

COUNTY CORRESPONDENCE

… LIBERTYVILLE
MRS. G. F. SWANSON Correspondent

… Friends here were shocked Monday when they heard of the accidental death of T. B. ALLENDER of Fairfield which occurred Sunday near Salina in an automobile accident. Mr. ALLENDER was well known in the vicinity as he was an auctioneer and had cried many sales in this part of the country. …

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"The Fairfield Daily Ledger-Journal"
Saturday, February 18, 1922
Page 6, Column 1

CARD OF THANKS

We, the ALLENDER family, wish to extend our sincere thanks for the expression of sympathy shown at the time of our bereavement.

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

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery on Lot 2nd.230 with first wife Annette; second wife Laura is also in Evergreen, in Lot SDiv.1-017.