Cooper, James R. (1923-1970)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1970 Dec 3 p. 8

Birth date: 1923

. . .

— Two traffic accidents near Goessel the past weekend resulted in one death and a number of injuries. James R. Cooper, 47, of Wichita died instantly about 7 :30 p.m. Saturday when struck by a car when he walked southward on K-15 a short distance south of the Goessel junction. Dewane H. Schmidt, 17, of Goessel, driver of the car, reported he was blinded by lights of an oncoming vehicle and failed to see Cooper, who had walked to a service station to get some oil for his car. On Sunday evening a “chain reaction” crash involving three cars took place at the Goessel junction on K-15. Mr. and Mrs. John D. Pankratz of Goessel were in the car which stopped to make a left turn. Their car was hit from the rear by one occupied by two Alton, Kan. men, which in turn was hit by the auto of Mr. and Mrs. Blaine Erickson of Olsburg, Kan. Mrs. Erickson was admitted to Bethel Hospital here, but the others escaped with minor injuries.