McNurlen, James 1915-1960

MCNURLEN, CARTER, BOND, KELLY, FRAZIER, EMRY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 8/12/2010 at 23:36:21

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register; Nov. 14, 1960

OCT. 23RD CRASH CLAIMS VICTIM

Jim McNurlen County's 9th Victim of '60

Dies Thursday of Complications; Rites Conducted Saturday

James McNurlen, 45, Grinnell, Thursday became Poweshiek county's ninth traffic fatality of 1960. He died at a local hospital that morning from complications arising from an auto accident south of Grinnell on Oct. 23rd.

His death boosted the county's traffic death toll to a new all-time high for a single year.

McNurlen was a passenger in a car driven by Hazel Carter of Grinnell when it went out of control on highway 146 about 2 1/2 miles south of here on the night of Oct. 23rd. Mrs. Carter had just passed another vehicle and was attempting to turn back into her lane of traffic when one the wheels apparently slipped off the edge of the roadway.

The car then flipped over, rolled at least four times down a steep embankment, and thru a fence on the Robert Morrison property, and finally came to rest on its wheels in the field.

Also in the car besides McNurlen and Mrs. Carter were McNurlen's wife, Lois, and Mrs. Carter's husband, Howard. All four were taken to a local hospital for treatment, although none of the others was as seriously injured as McNurlen.

The auto was completely demolished.

Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon at the Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Laverne Streich, pastor of St. John's Lutheran church, officating. Organ music was by Mrs. Rhee Auman.

Serving as pallbearers were Gerald Arment, Dave Barnes, Bill Burk, Elmer Ryals, Kenneth Smith and Gerald Youngbeck. Interment was in Hazelwood cemetery.

McNurlen was associated with the Model Lunch, a restaurant in downtown Grinnell, for the past 15 years.

He was the son of Walter E. and Nora Bond McNurlen and was born in Rouleau, Saskatchewan, Canada, on June 24th, 1915. The family moved to the United States when he was a small child and settled in Richland, Ia. He attended the public schools in Richland and graduated from Richland high school.

On Nov. 7th, 1942, he was united in marriage with Lois M. Kelly in Princeton, Mo. To this union two children were born: Sandra June, 15, and Dennis Ray, 14, both at the family home.

Soon after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. McNurlen moved to Grinnell to operate the Model Lunch and have been residents of the city since then.

Survivors include his wife, Lois; his two children; and a sister, Mrs. Raymond (Hazel) Frazier of Grinnell.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Lloyd McNurlen; and a sister, Mrs. Otto (Belva) Emry.