Rathbun, Harold E. (Mrs.) (d. 1947)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1947 Sep 4 p. 2

Birth date:

text of obituary:

WHOLE FAMILY WIPED OUT IN SINGLE ACCIDENT

A MOST tragic automobile accident, which doubtless was one of the worst in the nation’s history, took place at Denver, Colo., when a whole family, both parents and their seven children were killed by a fast train on the night of Aug. 24. Also in the death-car was a relative, who likewise was killed.

The unfortunate family were Mr. and Mrs. Harold E. Rathbun and children of Vesper, Kans. Neither the train engineer nor the auto driver had seen each other before it was too late to stop. The children ranged in age from four to 16.

Both the engineer and the fireman were blowing the whistle for the grade crossing, just south of suburban Englewood at Denver, immediately preceding the impact. Colorado highway patrolmen found deeply-burned skid marks, which indicated the driver slammed on his brakes in a futile effort to avoid the crash.

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