James, Mrs. Lucille (Died 1967)

JAMES, TULLIS

Posted By: Viv Reeves (email)
Date: 2/27/2006 at 10:54:59

From the LeMars Sentinel, Wednesday, September 27, 1967, Page 1, Columns 1-4:

Elk Point Woman Killed in Crash

Mrs. Clayton James, 51, Elk Point, the former Lucille Tullis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tullis, LeMars, was killed about 5 p.m. Tuesday when her westbound car slammed into a Great Northern railroad freight train 2 miles south and a mile west of LeMars.

The accident happened on county road A about a mile west of the NIPCO building.

Investigating officers were Highway Patrolman William Wruck and the sheriff's office. Also at the scene were Highway Patrolman Richard Helmers, LeMars Police Chief Joe Sutton and Sgt. Gene Sims of the highway patrol.

Patrolman Wruck said the crash was at a crossing on county road A, one and seven-tenths miles west of highway 75.

The 1966 Chrysler New Yorker left 175 feet of skid marks before striking the first engine of the train about 30 feet from the front. The car was struck behind the rear seat and landed in the south ditch on the east side of the trestle.

The engineer of the train was Carl E. Wenberg, 2923 Douglas St., Sioux City. The train was traveling south toward Sioux City, officers stated.

The car was headed into bright sunshine at the time of the accident, officers said.

County medical examiner Dr. Sherman Lindell, LeMars, was out of town. Dr. H. L. Vander Stoep stated the woman died almost instantly of a fractured neck. She was found lying on the ground toward the rear of the car, after being thrown through the right door.

She was taken in the Luken-Johnson ambulance to Floyd Valley hospital and later to the Anderson funeral home, Elk Point.

The car was equipped with seatbelts, but the driver probably was not wearing them, her sister, Mrs. Francis Keenan of LeMars said. Mrs. Keenan said Lucille James had left the Keenan home at Erdmann trailer court at 4:45 p.m. The women had taken their mother, Mrs. Frank Tullis to Floyd Valley hospital earlier in the day. Mrs. Tullis a medical patient there.

Clayton James operates the Load-King Trailer Co. in Elk Point and he was assisted in the business by his wife. The couple has two children, Richard of Omaha and Mrs. Kenneth (Betty Ann) Hansen of Elk Point. They have five grandchildren.

Funeral services were pending Wednesday morning. It is expected services will be conducted at the Lutheran church, Elk Point, and burial will be there.

John Tullis, a brother of Mrs. James, was accidentally killed two years ago next month in a farm accident near LeMars.

Other survivors are a brother, Willis of Merrill, a brother Loren (sic--Lauren) at home, and a sister-in-law, Mrs. John Tullis of Oyens.

(Note--The above article is accompanied by a photo taken by Jim Cook with this caption: Highway Patrolman Richard Helmers steps into high weeds around this car which was thrown from the road above after the vehicle collided with a Great Northern train engine late Tuesday afternoon. An Elk Point woman, Mrs. Clayton James, the daughter of a LeMars couple, lost her life in the crash.)