Gibbons, Thomas, 1921-1940

GIBBONS, BURNIGHT

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/10/2022 at 13:29:33

From the Alton Democrat, August 16, 1940:

A collision at the intersection of the county roads two miles east and five miles south of Hawarden between the Akron bread truck driven by Bernard Marcus with Tommy Gibbons of Akron riding in the back, and a car in which three of the Muth boys were driving to early mass at Hawarden, resulted in terrible death for young Gibbons and very serious, if not fatal, burns to the bread truck driver, Bernard Marcus, at 6 a.m. Sunday.

From accounts given by the Muth boys they approached the intersection, slowed up without seeing anything approaching on the intersecting highway, and started across. As they were nearly across the bread truck struck the rear end of their car, throwing it into the ditch.

The Muth boys were going north and the bread truck was coming from the east. Impact of the collision caused the bread truck to roll over several times and it stopped upside down, meanwhile catching fire and burning fiercely. Marcus was pulled out of the driver’s compartment by the Muth brothers who then heard cries from the rear of the truck. They managed to open the back door and Gibbons fell out, his clothes in flames. He was already badly burned about the legs and hips and died Sunday night.

Although their car was practically hidden in the ditch after the accident, landing in a hole washed out by rains, the Muth boys escaped with minor cuts and bruises. The Hawarden fire department was called to put out the fire but the bread truck was completely destroyed as far as anything combustible remained in it before the firemen arrived.

There are no stop signs on the corner for either road and the intersection is regarded as a dangerous one as the visibility for cars from the east is very poor before they are suddenly at the corner and it appears some measure to make it less dangerous should be taken by the proper authorities.

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From the Hawarden Independent, August 15, 1940:

FATAL CRASH EARLY SUNDAY
Tommy Gibbons, 19, of Akron Dies as Result of Burns
Bernard Markus, Akron and Hawarden Bakery Operator, Still in Critical Condition at Hospital

Thomas Gibbons, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Gibbons of Akron, died late Sunday afternoon and Bernard Markus, 27, who operates bakeries at Akron and Hawarden, is still in a critical condition at the Hawarden hospital as the result of severe burns which they received when their bakery truck collided with a car occupied by three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Muth at a highway intersection a mile and a half east and five miles south of Hawarden about 6:30 Sunday morning.

The Muth boys, Robert, 22, Vincent, 20, and Walter Jr., 18, were on their way to Hawarden to attend early morning church services. They were driving north along the highway just as the bakery truck, occupied by Gibbons and Markus, approached from the east and apparently the bakery truck struck the rear part of the Muth car just before it cleared the intersection.

This intersection is a very dangerous one. The approach from the east is down a steep hill, while there is also a steep descent a short distance back from the south approach although the road from this direction levels off as the intersection is neared. At the southeast corner of the intersection a high bank and a corn field obscure the view and it is impossible for one approaching from the east to see an approaching vehicle from either the north or south and equally impossible for one approaching from the south to see the road to the east until right in the intersection. Consequently there was no time to avoid the collision after the drivers sighted each other.

The force of the collision caused the Muth car, a 1935 Chevrolet coach, to nose into a ditch six or eight feet deep at the northwest corner of the intersection but the car did not turn over. The bakery truck, a Dodge panel job, is said to have turned over once or twice and came to rest upside down in the road just west of the intersection. Almost immediately flames broke out in the truck, presumably caused by a broken gas line. Gibbons managed to break out a window in the truck cab and started to crawl through but his clothing caught fire and he was all ablaze by the time he managed to get out. Markus helped to push him out through the window. Gibbons rolled into the tall weeds in the ditch at the side of the road in an effort to extinguish the flames.

Markus found himself unable to either break the glass or open the cab door on his side of the car, so climbed into the rear compartment of the truck to escape the flames which had immediately enveloped the cab. Here he found that he was trapped with the rear door of the bakery truck fastened securely and no escape through the front. He yelled and pounded on the inside of the truck, attracting the attention of the Muth boys, who themselves had been severely shaken and stunned. After getting the truck cab door open and finding no one there, Walter Muth got the rear door opened and Mr. Markus rolled out onto the ground, badly burned and almost suffocated by the smoke and gas from the fire which by that time had become a raging inferno.

All of the clothing was burned from the lower part of Gibbons’ body before he succeeded in extinguishing the fire and he had rolled for a distance of about 40 feet from the truck. Both men were suffering terrible agony as a result of their burns and Robert Muth hurried to the O. N. Schuetz home, a couple of hundred yards east of the scene of the accident. [Schuetz called a doctor, another neighbor came up, and they got Gibbons and Markus into that neighbor’s car and took them to the Hawarden hospital, while the doctor got the Muth boys to the hospital. The Hawarden fire department extinguished the truck fire, and the badly wrecked Muth car was later hauled to town.]

Upon reaching to hospital Gibbons and Markus were still suffering intensely and treatment to relieve their pain was immediately administered. They were so severely burned that it was realized from the first that their condition was critical. The Gibbons lad suffered deep burns all over the lower part of his body and limbs and little hope was entertained for his recovery and death ended his suffering late in the afternoon.

The most serious bruns which Mr. Markus suffered were about his head, throat, face and arms, but it is feared that he may have inhaled gas fumes to such extent as to seriously affect his lungs…. All three of the Muth boys were cut and severely shaken up but their injuries are not regarded as of a serious character….

Mr. Markus is a baker by trade and is joint owner with Wm. Geary of Akron of the bakeries in Akron and Hawarden, having acquired the old Wilson bakery in Hawarden about two months ago…. [Gibbons] was employed by Mr. Markus in the bakery at Akron.

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From the Akron Register-Tribune, August 15, 1940:

SUNDAY MORNING AUTO CRASH FATAL TO AKRON YOUTH
Tom Gibbons Is Fatally Burned, Bernard Markus Seriously Injured

Fatal injuries to Thomas Gibbons, 19-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Gibbons, of this city, and serious injuries to Bernard Markus, 25, proprietor of the Akron-Hawarden Bakery, resulted at about 6:30 o’clock Sunday morning when their panel body delivery truck collided with a car at a county road intersection six miles southeast of Hawarden. The bakery truck is said to have left the road from the impact, rolled over three times and caught fire from a broken gasoline line, the tank being located under the seat.

Gibbons was driving the car and he was stunned and his clothing ablaze when Markus managed to push him out of the car. Markus was trapped in the rear part of the blazing truck and was pulled out of the wreckage by Robert, Vincent and Junior Muth, living east of Chatsworth, whose car was in the collision as they were driving to Hawarden to attend early morning church services. Robert was driving their car.

A nearby farmer conveyed Gibbons and Markus to the Hawarden hospital, where it was found that the former had sustained second degree burns. He was terribly burned from the hips down, and the burns and shock caused his death shortly before 6 o’clock Sunday evening, after he had undergone intense suffering. Markus suffered third degree burns on his head, face and arms and was in a critical condition for a time. The three Muth brothers were bruised and cut in the collision, but neither of them was seriously hurt.

Messrs. Markus and Gibbons, the latter being employed in the local bakery, had left here in the truck after the night’s baking had been done, to deliver the product at Hawarden, and also made a delivery at the little town of McNally, southeast of Hawarden, from where they were returning when the accident happened. The scene of the accident was at an intersection where the adjacent cornfields obscured visibility in each direction.

The badly wrecked bakery truck was brought here to the Shoulberg & Gassman parking lot, where it has been viewed by scores of people. It was scorched all over and the interior of the vehicle gutted by the flames from the gasoline. Both rear tires were burned off, but the front ones were intact. The truck was reduced to very little value.

It will be good news to the many friends of Mr. Markus that he is recovering rapidly from his injuries and will be able to resume charge of his business within a few weeks.

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Also from the Akron Register-Tribune, August 15, 1940:

LAST RITES FOR THOMAS GIBBONS HELD TUESDAY
Death Of Popular Young Man Comes As Shock To This Community

Thomas Gibbons was born in Akron, Iowa, February 6, 1940[sic], and passed away in the hospital at Hawarden, Iowa, late Sunday afternoon, August 11, 1940, as the result of burns received in an auto accident the same morning. He attained the age of 19 years, 6 months and 5 days.

The young man, the youngest son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Gibbons, had been a resident of Akron all his life. He attended the schools here and graduated from the Akron High school last May with the Class of 1940. Tommy, as he was familiarly called, was an outstanding athlete while in high school, excelling in football and basketball. He was a young man of excellent character and industrious habits. He had worked in the Arkin Store for some time, but entered the employ of the Akron-Hawarden Bakery a few weeks ago. He was in company with his employer when the tragic and fatal accident happened. His untimely death came as a great shock to those near and dear to him.

Surviving are his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Gibbons, of this city; a brother and sister, Raymond and Lucille, at home; and a sister, Mrs. Al. Hawks, of Westfield, Iowa. The community tenders its most sincere sympathy to the sorrowing relatives.

Funeral services were held Tuesday morning at 9 o’clock in St. Patrick’s Catholic church. There was a very large attendance, indicating the popularity of the deceased, as well as the sympathy felt for those so sadly bereaved. Rev. Father Chas. Ernst officiated at requiem high mass. The pallbearers were Lynn Arkin, Donald Boden, Wayne Burris, Jack Gale, Henry Koch and Leo Trautt. Interment was in the Catholic cemetery. A number of relatives and friends from Sioux City and other nearby towns came to attend the services.

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His death certificate (informant L. Gibbons) has Thomas Lawerence Gibbons, usual residence Hawarden; born 6 February 1921 in Akron, Iowa; parents Lawrence Gibbons, born in Alcester, S.D., and Lizzie Burnight, born in Akron; occupation, baker; died at the Hawarden hospital at 5:40 p.m. August 11, 1940; cause, shock, due to 2nd degree burns of half of body; accidental, car overturned.