Harold William KEPLER, Jr.

KEPLER, POWELL, KRIEGER, HANUS, FRYE, ROTHROCK

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/14/2008 at 10:11:55

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa
August 3, 1953

Harold Kepler Loses Life in Sunday Mishap

Webster City had its second traffic fatality of 1953 on record today (and Hamilton county its sixth motor vehicle death) following the crash which took the life of Harold Kepler, Jr., 26, of Webster City. Kepler was crushed to death early Sunday morning [August 2, 1953] when the 1941 Ford he was driving smashed sideways into a concrete bridge abutment over Lyon creek on Highway 20 near the east city limits. The accident occurred at 3:08 a.m. Sunday, police said, when Kepler's car hit a drainage flume near the bridge, spun sideways and smashed into the concrete bridge. He was driving east at the time. The left side of the car was sheared by the impact and the driver pinned between the car and the bridge. The car had to be pulled free of the bridge before Kepler could be freed. He apparently died instantly.

Mrs. Kepler, an expectant mother, was found badly injured in the rear seat of the car where she had been thrown by the impact. She was taken to Hamilton county hospital where she was reported in critical condition yesterday. She was reported slightly improved today.

Funeral services for Harold W. Kepler will be a 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Foster Funeral home with the Rev. Marion V. Chastain officiating and with burial in Cass Cemetery.

Harold William Kepler, son of Harold R. and Vera Kepler, was born Feb. 26, 1927 at Webster City. He was educated in the Webster City schools, and for the past several years had been employed at the Beam Mfg. Co. He was united in marriage to Miss Beulah Powell June 16, 1951 and the couple had since lived in this community. He is survived by his wife, one son and one daughter; Danny, 2, and Diana, 1. Also surviving are his parents, one brother and four sisters: Roger, Mrs. Weldon (Phyllis) Krieger, Mrs. Donald (Marie) Hanus, Mrs. Emil (Lorraine) Hanus, Mrs. Gerald (Charlotte) Frye, all of Webster City; the grandmothers, Mrs. James Kepler of Webster City and Mrs. Jane Rothrock of Webster City.