BUTTON, Richard Lee 1924-1936

BUTTON, TODD

Posted By: Diane Scott (email)
Date: 10/6/2010 at 13:40:21

Richard Lee Button 1924-1936

#1:

DRIVER OF TRUCK WHICH KILLED
OSAGE BOY IS SOUGHT
VICTIM PLAYING IN LEAVES HIT

Osage, Iowa – Authorities Friday sought the driver of a truck which struck two boys at 8 o’clock Thursday night, fatally injuring one and bruising the other. The truck failed to stop.

Richard Button, 12, oldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Button, was the boy who was killed.

Stuart Laughlin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Laughlin, was playing with him at the time. The boys were playing in piles of leaves on the street near the curb not far from the Lee McGrane residence, in the southeast part of town. Since this street is not close to a main highway, authorities believed the driver of the truck was probably an Osage man. Although the boys were probably partly buried in leaves, they were near the curb and it was believed the truck was not being driven in the center of the road.

Inquest Not Likely.

The Laughlin boy said he knew the driver of the truck, but authorities were unable to trace out the driver on the help he could give. Sheriff Charles Kathan was called soon after the accident and investigated. Coroner John Eiel said he thought an inquest will probably not be held.

Surviving the accident of the victim are his parents and a younger brother.

[ Mason City Globe Gazette, Friday, October 23, 1936 ](dms)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#2:
MISHAP VICTIM’S FUNERAL SUNDAY
No Clues Found to Driver of Truck Which Killed Boy at Osage

Osage – Funeral services will be held here Sunday afternoon at the Congregational church at 2:30 in charge of the Rev. Stiles Lessly for Richard Lee Button 12, who was struck and killed by a truck here Thursday evening.

Born here February 13, 1924, Richard had spent his entire life in Osage.

Surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lee Button and a younger brother, Merrill Button. No inquest was held. There have been no clues as to the truck which struck him according to Sheriff Charles Kathan.

[ Mason City Globe Gazette, Saturday, October 24, 1936 ] (dms)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

#3:

Richard Lee Button was the son of Lee W. Button and Jessie Button

Osage Cemetery Listing:
Button Richard Lee, October 25, 1936
Button, Lee, October 16, 1977
Button, Jessie, June 9, 1977
(dms)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#4:

RICHARD BUTTON
KILLED WHEN HIT
BY PASSING TRUCK

Boy with Two Companions
Playing In Pile of Leaves
As Truck Passed By

Richard, 12-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Button, was instantly killed Thursday evening at about 7:30 o'clock when a truck coming from the east, swearved over to the curb near the Lee McGrane home on east Pleasant street and passed directly over the victim, who was nearly hidden in the leaves in which he was playing.

Richard, with Stewart Laughlin and the former's smaller brother, Merrill were playing along the street, and at the corner of Eighth and Pleasant had lingered. Merrill had gone into the McGrane home and the older boys scuffed the leaves about them, and had finally lain down and covered themselves almost completely.

Stewart says that neither boy heard the truck approach; and that Richard had been killed and the truck was out of sight before he realized what had happened. How the lad was struck can only be guessed. His head was badly crushed with the top nearly torn off and some are of the opinion that he must have been between the wheels so that an axle, or some protruding part, struck him.

DRIVER DIDN'T STOP,
PROBABLY UNAWARE OF ACCIDENT.

Despite the wave of illness that struck him at the sign of the crushed, bleeding head of his friend, Stewart managed to drag Richard to the curb; then ran into the McGrane home and told Merrill, "Your brother has been hurt."

A doctor and the sheriff where immediately summoned, but the lad was beyond help. Stewart couldn't tell a very coherent story, He hadn't noticed much, as he was playing. It is assumed, however, that the truck came from the east (instead of from around the corner as first surmised) and swerved close to the curb to let another car pass, which would account for the presence so far to the north side of the street. The truck, Stewart thinks, was a flat-bottomed one.

In fairness to the non-stopping driver, it is assumed that he was not aware that there had been an accident. The "bump" would be felt but slightly in so large a machine. However, even though he didn't know at the time, he surely must have guessed his part in the tragedy by now. A straight-forward admission now will surely be better received than any kind of explanation coming after his identity is learned from other sources.

There is a possibility, of course, that the driver was from out-of-town and may thus never know that he contributed to a fatal accident.

OBITUARY

Richard Lee Button was born in Osage, Iowa, February 13, 1924, the son of Lee and Jessie Todd Button. He died on October 22, 1936.

He was baptized in the Congregational church by the Rev. A. E. Fish on October 9, 1927, when he was three years old. He attended the Congregational Sunday School, and for several years was a member of the class taught by Helen Stearns. At the time of his death he was a member of the seventh grade in the Washington school. Richard was a promising lad. He was ambitious, resourceful, possessed of a happy disposition and a general favorite among all who knew him. He was co-operative, and one of the most eagerly alert boys in his group. He was an obedient child and was ordinarily at home after dark, but on Thursday happened to play out a little later than ususal. He will be greatly missed by all his acquaintances.

He is survived by his parents, an older half-sister, Harriet, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, and by his little brother, Merrill, aged ten.

[ MITCHELL COUNTY PRESS, 29 OCT 1936 ]
(kk)