Edna Mary McCutcheon (1902-1961)

BUNN, FORBES, FREESE, HOYT, MAXHEIMER, MCCUTCHEON

Posted By: Eileen Reed (email)
Date: 2/10/2024 at 13:06:51

June 5, 1902 --- September 24, 1961

Teacher's Rites Set

Services for Edna McCutcheon, 59, a teacher at Washington Irving Junior High School here, who was killed in an auto accident Sunday night near Clarion, will be at 2 p. m. Tuesday at the United Presbyterian Church in Goldfield. Burial will be in Goldfield Cemetery.

Miss McCutcheon, who lived at 3820 E. Ninth st., was injured fatally when the car in which she was riding, driven by Verl D. Freese, 27, of 2001 E. Twenty-eighth st., collided with another car 9 miles east of Clarion.

Katherine [Kathryn] Freese, 4-month-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Freese, also was killed in the accident and the parents were seriously injured.

Miss McCutcheon, a social science and language arts teacher, had taught at Washington Irving 23 years and previously taught three years at Amos Hiatt Junior High School.

She is survived by two sisters, Mrs. Margaret Hoyt of Des Moines and Mrs. Grace Forbes of Clarion, and four brothers, John, Will and George McCutcheon of Goldfield and Arthur McCutcheon of Traer.

Freese, who was flown to Des Moines for surgery at Mercy Hospital, was reported in "fair" condition Monday. He is suffering from a skull fracture.

Mrs. Freese, who suffered fractures of a kneecap and an ankle, and leg lacerations, was reported in "fair" condition Monday at a Clarion hospital.

Des Moines Tribune --- Des Moines, Iowa
September 25, 1961

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Woman, Baby Are Victims Of Gravel Road Car Crash

The 1961 Wright county traffic death toll rose to nine last Sunday night when two persons perished in a head-on collision on a gravel road 11 miles straight east of Eagle Grove.

Killed were Miss Edna McCutcheon, 59, of Des Moines and Katharine [Kathryn] Ann Freese, four month old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Verle Freese of Des Moines.

Both victims were riding in the same car with the baby's parents, who were injured in the crash. The occupants of the other car, Lee Maxheimer, 32, and Betty Bunn, 22, both of Clarion were also injured.

The baby died about 8 p. m. in the Clarion hospital of a fractured skull. Miss McCutcheon died there about 9 p. m. of a fractured neck.

Injuries

Freese, 27, received a depressive skull fracture. He was taken to the Clarion hospital and flown to a Des Moines hospital later that night. His wife, Donna, 29, received a fractured right knee and left ankle and lacerations on her legs. She is reported in fair condition in the Clarion hospital.

Maxheimer had several broken ribs and other chest injuries. Miss Bunn sustained fractures of the knee, ankle and heel. Both are reported in fair condition in the Clarion hospital. The couple planned to be married next month.

The accident occurred about 7 p. m. near the crest of a hill on a gravel road a half mile west of Highway 69 in front of the Fred Rockow farm home.

The cause of the accident is still being investigated according to Robert Blecker, Wright county sheriff. He said investigating officers had not yet been able to talk to either of the drivers and no charges have yet been filed.

Two highway patrolmen, Bill James of Belmond and Dick Pederson of Swea City, were at the scene as were Blecker and Harold Bygness, deputy sheriff.

Tho auto fatalities for the year in Wright county now total nearly half of the tragic 1954 toll when 20 people died in auto accidents in the county.

Funeral Services

Funeral services for Miss McCutcheon were held in the United Presbyterian, church in Goldfield Tuesday afternoon with the Rev. Kay Mills officiating. Burial was in the Goldfield cemetery.

She was born in Goldfield and graduated from school there. She had taught school in Des Moines for the past 26 years.

Miss McCutcheon is survived by four brothers, William, John and George, all of Goldfield, Arthur of Traer and two sisters, Mrs. A. C. Forbes of Clarion and Mrs. Jean Hoyt of Des Moines.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
September 28, 1961

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Goldfield Chronicle

Edna McCutcheon In Fatal Car Accident Sunday

Miss Edna McCutcheon, 59, a former Goldfield resident, died in a two car crash on a country road 10 miles south of Clarion Sunday night.

Miss McCutcheon has been a teacher in Washington Irving school in Des Moines for the past several years. She had accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Dean Freese and daughter; Katherine [Kathryn] Ann to Clarion where they had attended the Lindsay-McGinnis wedding in the afternoon and were enroute to their homes when the accident occurred. The Freese’s four month baby was also killed.

Miss McCutcheon grew up in the Goldfield area and graduated from the Goldfield high school. She leaves two sisters, Mrs. A. C. Forbes of Clarion, four brothers, George, W. D. and John H. McCutcheon all of Goldfield, Art McCutcheon of Traer, and Mrs. Everett Hoyt of Des Moines.

Funeral services were held for Miss McCutcheon at the United Presbyterian church in Goldfield Tuesday with Rev. Kay Mills officiating. Burial was in the Glenwood cemetery here.

Eagle Grove Eagle --- Eagle Grove, Iowa
September 28, 1961

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Four Injured In 2 Car Crash On Rural Road

Two persons died Sunday evening following a two car accident on a gravel road about nine miles southeast of Clarion. The dead are a Des Moines school teacher, Miss Edna McCutcheon, 59, a former Goldfield resident and Katherine [Kathryn] Ann Freese, a 4 month old daughter of Mr and Mrs. Verl Dean Freese, also of Des Moines.

Injured in the accident were the baby’s parents, Verle Dean Freese, 27, who reportedly received a depressive skull fracture and Donna Freese, 29, who is in fair condition in the Clarion hospital with a fractured right knee cap and left ankle and lacerations of both legs. Lee Maxheimer, driver of the other car is listed in fair condition with several broken ribs and other chest injuries and his fiancée, Miss Betty Bunn, 22, is in fair condition with severe lacerations of the head, fractured ankle, heel and kneecap. Both are the Clarion Hospital.

Mr. Freese was flown to a hospital in Des Moines shortly after the accident.

Both Miss McCutcheon, a passenger in the Freese car and the Freese baby were taken to the Clarion hospital, where they died shortly after being admitted. The baby had received a fractured skull and Miss McCutcheon a broken neck. This accident pushes the number of auto fatalities in Wright this year to nine.

The accident occurred about 7 p. m. on a county gravel road about five miles south of the old grey hound corner and ½ mile west. According to investigating officers of the Wright sheriff’s office and the highway patrol, the two cars met at the crest of a hill in front of the Fred Rockow farm home. The family hearing the impact notified authorities of the accident and ambulances were rushed to the scene.

The two cars a 1961 Ford driven by Freese and a 1958 Ford driven by Maxheimer are both a total loss.

Funeral services for Miss McCutcheon were held Tuesday at 2 o'clock in Goldfield with Rev. Kay Mills, pastor, officiating. Burial was in Goldfield cemetery with the Eyler funeral home in charge of the arrangements.

Born at Goldfield Miss McCutcheon attended and graduated from school there. She had taught Des Moines schools many years and present was teaching in Washington Irving junior high school.

Surviving are four brothers. William, John and George McCutcheon, all of Goldfield, Arthur of Traer and two sisters, Mrs. A. C. Forbes of Clarion and Mrs. Jean Hoyt of Des Moines.

Services for Katherine [Kathryn] Ann Freese will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o’clock at the Eyler Funeral chapel. Burial will be in the Rowan cemetery.

She is survived by her parents and grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. James Keleher and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Freese of Rowan.

Wright County Monitor --- Clarion, Iowa
September 28, 1961

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[Transcriber’s Note: Obituaries transcribed as published. Deceased’s date of birth was taken from her August 28, 1942, Iowa, Delayed Birth Records for Edna Mary McCutcheon. First name of Kathryn Ann Freese was taken from her gravestone in Graceland Cemetery, Rowan, Wright County, Iowa, May 5, 1961 – September 24, 1961.]