Eilers, Karherine (Mrs. Ernest) 1909-1940

EILERS, RONSIEK

Posted By: Paul Van Dyke--Volunteer
Date: 9/25/2016 at 21:39:11

Source: Minnesota Death Index

Birth: May 21, 1909
Death: August 21, 1940

Hawarden Independent, Hawarden, Sioux, Iowa, USA Thursday, August 22, 1940

CRASH FATAL TO 4 PEOPLE

MR. AND MRS. ERNEST EILERS MET DEATH IN ACCIDENT

Former Hawarden Residents Victims of Accident Near Albert Lea, Minnesota, early Wednesday.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Eilers of Bricelyn, Minnesota, former well known residents of this city and community, were two of the victims of an automobile and truck collision which claimed the lives of four people near Albert Lea, Minnesota, about 1 o'clock Wednesday morning. The other two victims were Mr. and Mrs. Frank Goette, also of Bricelyn, and close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Eilers.

The accident occurred about a half mile from Albert Lea. The four people were riding in the Goette car with Mr. Goette at the wheel. They were attempting to pass a caravan of three large transport trucks on the highway. They had gotten past two of them and were passing the third one on a wide curve when a large fruit truck loomed just ahead of them and their car was caught between two trucks and almost completely crushed.

Mrs. Eilers and Mr. and Mrs. Goette were killed instantly while Mr. Eilers died about an hour after being removed to a hospital in Albert Lea. He never regained consciousness, however. First news of the tragedy came in a telephone message about 4 o'clock Wednesday morning from an undertaker in Albert Lea to Deputy Marshal Stanley, Lawton, who was on night duty. Only very meager information was transmitted in this message. Mr. Lawton promptly called Reverend C. A. Burkhart, pastor of the Lutheran Church, and asked him to accompany him to the homes of the victims' parents to apprise them of the tragedy. Bearing the sad tidings, they stopped first at the home of Mrs. Eilers' parents, Mr. and Mrs. August Ronsiek, at the southeast edge of the city, and then went on to the home of Mr. Eilers' parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. J. Eilers, three miles southeast of town.

An hour or two later Reverend Burkhart, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Eilers and Mr. Ronsiek, departed for Albert Lea to investigate the tragedy and to make such arrangements there as were necessary. Bricelyn, the home of the accident victims, is but a short distance from Albert Lea. Reverend Burkhart and Mr. Ronsiek and Mrs. Eilers returned to Hawarden late Wednesday night, bringing the youngest of the two sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Eilers with them. Mr. Eilers, remained there and will bring the older son and the daughter here with him tonight.

Brief funeral services for Mr. and Mrs. Eilers are being held at Bricelyn at 4 o'clock this afternoon. The Ross funeral car departed for Bricelyn this forenoon and following the services there the bodies will be brought to Hawarden tonight. Funeral services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church here at 2 o'clock Friday afternoon with Reverend Burkhart in charge and interment will be made in Grace Hill Cemetery.

Ernest Edward Eilers had just passed his 35th birthday. He was born in Plymouth County August 14, 1905, but came with his parents to Washington township, three miles southeast of Hawarden, when a small boy. Mrs. Eilers, who before her marriage was Katherine Barbara Emma Ronsiek, was born on the farm of her parents in Washington Township May 21, 1909, so was just past 31 years of age. Thus both had been almost lifelong residents of this community. Mrs. Eilers accompanied her parents when they left the farm and moved to Hawarden some twelve or fifteen years ago and attended the Hawarden High School, while Mr. Eilers was graduated from the Hawarden High School about fifteen years ago. Following their marriage they continued to make their home in this community. Mr. Eilers was employed for a time as a life insurance salesman and later for a few years as an automobile salesman. Two or three years ago they moved to Minnesota where Mr. Eilers has been employed as a lineman and service man for a rural electric cooperative. The death of Mr. and Mrs. Eilers comes as an especially tragic blow to their three children, Duane, 12; Keith, 10, and Betty Lou, 6. Besides his parents, Mr. Eilers is survived by two brothers, Earl, at home, and Clarence,who resides south of Hawarden, and one sister, Mrs. John Wilkison of Hawarden.

In addition to her parents, Mrs. Eilers leaves two brothers, Henry Ronsiek of Hawarden and Fred Ronsiek of Struble, and two sisters, Mrs. N. P. Westergard Jr. and Mrs. Erick FaIk, both of the Hawarden community. Mr. and Mrs. Goette, the other two victims of the tragedy, leaves two small children, aged 4 and 2, years,