Harry Wessels 1932-1947

WESSELS, OSTERKAMP

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 6/30/2021 at 08:44:23

20 March 1947 - The Anamosa Journal

Tragedy spoiled what was to have been a gala trip to the state high school basketball tournament for the Anamosa high school squad. Harry Wessels, 14, regular guard, was killed in an automobile accident en route to Iowa City Wednesday at about 8:45 a.m.

George Beardsley, 15, received a fractured hip, John Wolfe, 16, had his left ankle fractured and broken right thigh, and Duane "Whitey" Calvert, 16, had a pelvic injury as a result of the crash. Injured youth were taken to St. Luke's hospital at Cedar Rapids. Beardsley was operated on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Funeral arrangements were not complete as The Journal went to press. Rev H. L. Buesing, pastor of St. Paul's American Lutheran church, will be in charge of the service and the body is at Smykil Home for Funerals.

Details waited the arrival on Thursday morning of the boy's father, Rinnie Wessels, from Topeka, Kan., where he has been visiting with his sister, Mrs. C. E. Yardley. Mr. Wessels left March 2 to visit at Albuquerque, N. M., with Mrs. Dick Gerbier, another sister, and at Topeka.

Family also is awaiting word whether a son in the Navy can come home for the funeral. Red Cross sent a telegram to William J. Wessels, 18, fireman first class, stationed on the U.S.S. Astoria out of San Francisco, requesting he be allowed to come home for the funeral.

William Wigger, 17, driver of the 1941 Lincoln car owned by his father, Rev. Walter D. Wigger, Baptist pastor at Anamosa, and Eugene "Porky" Haun, 15, escaped with bruises and minor cuts.

Wessels, son of Mr. and Mrs. Rinnie Wessels, was killed instantly. The car skidded on the gravel made icy by snow and fog early Wednesday morning and crashed into a concrete culvert about one-half mile north of Mount Vernon on highway 261.

Wigger reported to Highway Patrolman James Gilroy that he lost control of the car on the icy highway. Calvert stated that the right rear wheel seemed to hit a hole to start the skid.

Car skidded sideways into the concrete abutment which was about 30 inches high and had a wing about 10 feet long. Car hit the concrete wing broadside, opposite the two doors on the right side of the car, smashing the doors inward. Car was demolished. It was towed into the Ford garage at Mount Vernon.

Wessels was riding on the right side of the front seat, with Calvert in the middle between Wessels and Wigger. Wolf was riding on the right side of the back seat with Beardsley in the center and Haun on the left side of the back seat.

George is the son of Mrs. Howard Beardsley, John is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Pete Wolf, Duane is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Calvert, and Eugene is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tam Haun.

Wigger car was one of the four making the trip taking the squad of 22 men and two coaches to the state tournament as a reward for a successful cage season. School board paid half of the cost and balance was raised by the Lions club.

Other cars were driven by Coach Wayne Grady, Assistant Coach Charles Joss and Charles "Sonny" Dunlap, another regular on the team and the son of Mrs. Ilene Dunlap. Wigger car left the high school about 8:10 a.m.

Coach Grady took his carload by way of Cedar Rapids in order to pick up a pair of eye glasses which were being repaired there for him.

Wigger car was traveling ahead of the carload with Coach Joss when the accident happened. Superintendent from Earlville was reported to be the car traveling behind the Wigger machine and the first to reach the scene of the accident.

Coach Joss arrived before Wigger and Haun could get out of the machine. Injured men were rushed to a physician at Mount Vernon for emergency treatment. Ambulance was summoned from Cedar Rapids to take them to the hospital.

Wigger and Haun telephoned the highway patrol from a nearby farm home.

Donald W. Thompson, acting superintendent at Anamosa, was notified by telephone about 9 a.m. He telephoned Coach Grady at the fieldhouse at Iowa City and the other two carloads of players were notified as rapidly as they could be located in the tourney crowd.

It was impossible to make the trip by school bus, as the two buses were needed to return the rural pupils to their homes at 4 p.m. while the tournament was still in progress.

Wigger car carried full insurance.

Harry Wessels was born July 17, 1932, at Olin to Mr. and Mrs. Rinnie Wessels. When Harry was about a year old, family moved to a farm near Amber, where they lived nine years. They then lived nine years in Center Junction, returning to live in Amber for three years.

Family moved to Anamosa last June 1, living in the Charley Zimmer property on West Main St. across from Lloyd Gray's station. Mr. Wessels was employed on construction work at the Dubuque airport for the last three years. Mrs. Wessels has been employed at the Nook.

In addition to William J., in the Navy, other children are George R. Wessels, 24, Center Junction; Mrs. John Oskterkamp, 20, Cedar Rapids, and Clarice, 13, at home.

Harry entered Anamosa high school as a freshman in 1945 and was in his sophomore year. He saw considerable action as reserve tackle on the Blue Raider football team last fall.

He earned a regular guard berth on the winning Raider basketball squad as a sophomore. He compiled the best shooting percentage of any regular on the team last season, when he made 39.6 per cent of his shots, making 19 field goads for 48 attempts.

27 March 1947 - The Anamosa Journal

Funeral service for Harry Wessels, 15, Anamosa high school athlete, was held Tuesday afternoon at St. Paul's American Lutheran church. Rev. H. L. Buesing, pastor, officiated. The youth was victim of a car crash on Wednesday, March 19.

Three other companions, all high school youths, who were seriously injured in the same accident are recovering satisfactorily.

Rev. Frederick H. Kehren, pastor of Wayne Zion Evangelical church, who had confirmed Harry in the Lutheran faith, assisted at the service.

Quartet composed of Wilma Schrader, Irma Rickels, Bertha Arthur and Dorothy Buesing sang. Mrs. Buesing accompanied. Special reserved section in the church was occupied by teammates of Harry.

Burial was in Riverside cemetery. Smykil Home for Funerals was in charge.

His brother, William J., fireman first class, stationed on the cruiser Astoria, arrived Tuesday noon for the funeral. His ship docked at San Francisco early Monday and he was flown to Des Moines in order to arrive in time for the service.

Casket bearers were Jerry Swanson, Jack Leonard, Charles Dunlap, John Beardsley, Donald Hay and Dale Herren. Burial was in Riverside cemetery.