Rutschman, Orrin (1907-1937)

Revision as of 14:06, 6 May 2013

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Jun 2 p. 1

Birth date: 1907

text of obituary:

The numerous highway tragedies on Decoration day, May 31, reached also into the Mennonite community at Whitewater, Kansas, when Pete and Orrin Rutschman, sons of Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Rutschman, died in an highway accident near Murfreesboro, Tenn., according to word received here Tuesday morning. With the two young men in the wrecked automobile were also Norman Dirks, son of Rev. and Mrs. Jake Dirks of Halstead, and Wm. Eitzen of Minnesota. The accident occurred in a head-on collision with an approaching car.

Since only a tentative, incomplete report of the tragic incident has been received here, details of the cause and full extent of the injuries of the other occupants are still lacking. Mr. Dirks seems to have escaped without injury, while Mr. Eitzen was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The four young men were driving in a comparatively new Buick car when the accident occurred. All were employed by the Le Tourneau Metal Works Co. at Peoria, Ill., and as an evagelistic [sic] quartet were on a tour of several southern states over the weekend and Decoration Day. They had apparently intended to be back at work in Peoria on Tuesday.

According to one report, Mr. Le Tourneau had accompanied the young men and suffered the fracture of both hips. This report, however, could not be verified.

Orrin Rutschman was only recently married, while his brother had contemplated marriage in the near future.

The bodies of both young men are being shipped to the home of their parents at Whitewater, where the funeral will be held next Friday afternoon at the Emmaus Mennonite church.

The brothers had been well known in this community as well as at Whitewater, where they had many friends, who deeply sympathize and grieve with the parents in this experience of great sorrow.

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Jun 9 p. 1

text of obituary:

One of the largest funerals ever held in the Whitewater community took place last Friday afternoon at the Emmaus church for Orrin and Pete Rutschman, both of whom were killed in an automobile accident on Monday, May 31. The bodies of both young men were brought to the church at the same time and joint services conducted by Rev. Theo. Roth of the Swiss church, of which both were members, and by Rev. Henrickson, Whitewater. A short address was also given by Wm. Eitzen, the only member of the group involved in the accident who escaped without injury.

The June 3 issue of the Whitewater Independent gives the following report of the details of the tragedy in which the two young men lost their lives:

A wire was received Monday afternoon by Dave H. Rutschman advising him of the death of two of his sons, Orin [sic Orrin] and Pete, in a traffic crash near Murfreesboro, Tennessee at 12:30 that day.

The boys were employed at a

The Mennonite obituary: 1937 Jul 27 p. 13