Helen (Drybread) Peterson (1898-1953)

DRYBREAD, PETERSON, RAPSON, MCLAUGHLIN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:13

From Nevada Evening Journal January 20, 1953 (page 1)

Mrs. Helen Peterson Second To Die In Florida Accident

Mrs. Helen Peterson, 335 I avenue, who had been injured Sunday in the automobile accident near Pensacola, Florida, which claimed the life of her brother, William L. Drybread, died in the Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola, about midnight last night without regaining consciousness.

Word had been received about 5:30 yesterday afternoon, that after x-rays had been taken, disclosing several fractured ribs and a punctured lung, in addition to other injuries that no hope was had for her recovery.

Mr. and Mrs. George Rapson of Cherokee, sister and brother-in-aw of the Mrs. Peterson and Mr. Drybread, have been in Pensacola since yesterday and have been looking after all details. At noon today the definite arrival here of the bodies, and of Mr. and Mrs. Rapson, was not certain.

The tragedy which struck a very severe blow to relatives and friends was the result of a head-on collision between the Drybread Dodge and a car driven by A. L. Melott of Ottumwa.

Mrs. Peterson and her brother were enroute to Fort Myer, Florida to spend the remainder of the winter when the accident happened as they turned to drive into an eating place. Mr. Drybread was killed outright and Mrs. Peterson badly injured was taken to the Sacred Heart hospital in Pensacola.

Helen Drybread Peterson, a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Drybread, was born in Maxwell, and on March 2 of this year would have been 55 years of age. She was older than her brother, Wm. Drybread, who would have been 54 years of age next June.

Mrs. Peterson is survived by her daughter Lydia Ann, Mrs. Jim McLaughlin and her son John K. Peterson both of Nevada, and by her son William Peterson of Long Beach, Calif. She also leaves seven grandchildren, one, Robert Bryan Peterson, born Nov. 4, to Mr. and Mrs. William "Bill" Peterson whom she had never seen. The other grandchildren are Jim, Mary Helen and Diane McLaughlin, and Bonnie, Johnnie and Paul Peterson. She also leaves her sister, Mary, Mrs. George Rapson of Cherokee.

Mrs. Peterson was a member of Central Presbyterian church, of Chapter AM P.E.O., the Mothers club and Thimble club and a former member of Solomon Dean chapter of the D.A.R.

The death of Mrs. Peterson recalls the tragic death of her husband, John K. Peterson who was killed by a train when the family lived in Sandpoint, Idaho, 20 years ago.

Carl Irish, who had telephoned Mr. Rapson in Florida last night learned that the wife of Mr. Melott, driver of the other car in the accident, was seriously injured.

The George Dixon Funeral Home will be in charge of the funeral arrangements which are now pending.