Held, Walter 1892-1972

HELD, ROYSE

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 2/1/2009 at 22:20:38

Walter Held Dies in Car Accident;
Wife Remains in Critical Condition

Walter W. Held, 80, Hinton was killed and his wife, Mary Held, 78, remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Sioux City after a Sunday two-car accident on highway 75, 4.6 miles north of Hinton.

Mrs. Held reportedly has multiple fractures of her legs and suffered a head injury.

Four member of the Roger D. Waddell family of Merrill were also hospitalized as a result of the same accident.

Roger D. Waddell, 34, driver of one of the cars involved in the accident is listed in good condition Monday morning at St. Joseph Mercy hospital.

His wife, Lillian, 30, is listed in good condition with his son, Gary 13, listed in fair condition and his Dennis, 12, listed in good condition.

The entire Waddell family are at St. Joseph Mercy hospital.

According to the accident report Mr. Held was driving a 1972 Dodge and was the third in a line of cars traveling north on highway 75.

The report continued that the first vehicle slowed down to make a left turn with the result that the second vehicle also slowed down.

The action of the first two vehicles apparently caused Mr. Held to hit his brakes causing his car to skid and travel into the southbound lane of higway 75.

The report continued that the Held vehicle struck the Waddell car, a 1968 Oldsmobile, almost head on, sending that vehicle into the west ditch while the Held vehicle remained on the roadway.

Mr. Held and his wife were taken to St. Luke’s Medical Center by Luken Johnson ambulance.

Mr. Held was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

The four members of the Waddell family were taken to St. Joseph Mercy hospital by the Merrill ambulance.

There was extensive damage to the front ends of both vehicles with Mayrose wrecker towing in the Held vehicle and Stoos wrecker towing in the Waddell car.

Accident was investigated by state troopers R.D. Helmers and Duane North with the assistance of the Plymouth County sheriff Ed Guntren and Merrill police chief, Herman Broderson.

Mr. Held, a lifelong resident of the Hinton area, was presently active in the breeding of feeder pigs and cattle.

He was also active in the Held Brothers Shorthorn Breeding Co., as were his six brothers and three sisters.

A past president of the Plymouth County Farm Bureau, he also was active in the Plymouth County Old Settlers committee.

Mr. Held also was active in county and state affairs of the Republican party.

He was an Army veteran of World War I and a member of the Methodist church of Hinton.

He attended Morningside college. Mr. Held married Mary Royse, Aug. 19, 1921, at Rockville, Ind.

Survivors include the widow; two sons, Charles of Omaha and Dr. Gordon of Yankton, S.D.; four daughters, Mrs. Bernard (Mary Lou) Feikema of Sioux City, Mrs. Joe (Esther) Legg of Anamosa, Iowa, Mrs. Tom (Carolyn) Davies of Princeton, Ore., and Miss Ruth Held of Yankton; two brothers, Ben and Albert, both of Hinton; 14 grandchildren and a great grandchild.

The body was taken to the Nelson Berger Northside funeral home in Sioux City. Funeral services are pending.

~Source: LeMars Sentinel, October 1972
~Note: Per SSDI online his date of birth is 15 Feb 1892 and date of death is listed as Oct. 1972.