Harold Lawrence Durbin (1916-1936)

DURBIN

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 3/21/2009 at 21:16:10

AMES DAILY TRIBUNE AND TIMES, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Saturday, May 2, 1936.

AMES YOUTH IS KILLED IN CRASH HERE

HAROLD DURBIN'S MOTORCYCLE HITS REAR END OF CAR

Des Moines Boy, Also On Cycle, Is Injured

Harold Lawrence Durbin, 20, son of Mr. and Mrs. C. H. Durbin, 14? Howard avenue, died at 8:20 a. m. Saturday of injuries sustained about 9 p. m., Friday when the motorcycle he as driving crashed into the rear end of a car driven by Leslie Smith, 213 Lincoln way, near the corner of Franklin avenue and Lincoln way.

Max Light of Des Moines, who was riding with Durbin, sustained numerous scratches and bruises in the accident. Durbin was a sophomore in electrical engineering at Iowa State college and Light a freshman in mechanical engineering.

Stops for Sign

In making his report at the police department, Smith stated that he had been going south on Franklin avenue, had stopped at the stop sign on Lincoln way, and had just pulled onto the Lincoln highway when the motorcycle struck the rear end of his car.

An ambluance was called immediately and the two young men were rushed to the hospital. They were first taken to the Mary Greeley hospital downtown, but when it was learned that they were students they were taken to the college hospital.

Skull Fractures

Durbin's injuries consisted of a fractured skull and other ??? injuries sustained when his ??? struck the rear of the Smith car. Riding with Smith at the time were his wife and his father-in-law, Chauncey Perkins of Ames.

The county coroner, Guy W. Mills of McCallsburg, was notified of the accident Saturday morning by the police. He reported that there would be no inquest. Smith reported to the police that there were no light on the front of the motorcycle and that he did not see it when he entered the highway.

Here From Boone

Durbin was born Jan. 2, 1916 in Sioux City and was graduated from Boone high school in 1933. The family moved to Ames from Boone about two years ago. The father, who is employed by the Chicago and North Western railroad, was out of the city Saturday morning and had not learned of the death of his son by noon.

Surviving Durbin are his parents and one sister, Kathleen, 14, a student in the ninth grade at Welch school. No arrangements for funeral services had been completed late Saturday morning, but it was believed that the body would be taken to Boone.

This is the second fatal accident in which Iowa State students have been involved this year. On March 29 Gordon Funck, 19, of Osceola, was killed as he was pushing his motorcycle along the highway one-half mile south of Huxley.

AMES DAILY TRIBUNE AND TIMES, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Monday, May 4, 1936.

THREE PEOPLE KILLED HERE SUNDAY

BOY HITCHHIKER IS STRUCK DOWN ON LINCOLN WAY

Train Hits A. Walatka; Des Moines Man Dies In Crash

Death stalked the highways in and near Ames Sunday with a viciousness and thoroness never before equaled in the history of the city, leaving three dead and one critically injured within a period of 16 hours, and bringing the total weekend fatalities to four dead and two injured.

Four separate accidents in and near the city resulted in in four deaths, two being pedestrians, one in a car and the other on a motorcycle.

Those who died Sunday are:

Eurban Krantz, 19, of Harlan, died 5 a. m.

August Walatka, 56, of Ames, died about noon.

Roger Hansen, 24, of Des Moines, died at 9 p. m.

Miss Elinor Wakefield of Sioux City was critically injured in the accident in which Hansen was killed.

[This portion of article is about the individual victims on Sunday. See related obituaries.]

Funeral services for Harold Durbin, 20, of Ames, who died Saturday morning of a skull fracture sustained Friday evening when his motorcycle crashed into a car here, were held Monday afternoon at Boone, with the Rev. Walter Barlow of the Collegiate Presbyterian church here in charge. Burial was in the Boone cemetery.

Max light of Des Moines, who sustained numerous bruises when he was thrown from the motorcycle, on which he was riding with Durbin, was reported as recovering satisfactorily at the Iowa State college hospital.