Rutschman, Peter (1911-1937)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Jun 2 p. 1

Birth date: 1911

text of obituary:

TWO YOUNG MEN MEET DEATH IN FATAL ACCIDENT

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.

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Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1937 Jun 9 p. 1

text of obituary:

Double Funeral Held for Accident Victims at The Emmaus Church

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 machine manufacturing company at Peoria, Ill., Orrin as bookkeeper and Pete as an inspector. The two boys with a cousin, Norman Dirks, son of H. J. Dirks of Halstead, and Bill Eitzen, also employed there, formed a quartet usually known as "The King's Messengers" at the Los Angeles Bible Institute. They were the favorite hobby of their employer, Mr. R. G. LeTourneau, who frequently took them on trips with him.

They had gone to Nashville to sing at a commencement program, where Mr. Le Tourneau delivered the address Sunday night and were making a short tour of the state on the return trip. In the party were the four boys and Mr. and Mrs. Le Tourneau. It is said that Pete was driving and at a point about twelve miles south of Nashville another car, containing three negroes crossed the middle of the pavement in front of them, and caused a head on crash. Eye witnesses and others assisted them to the hospital where Pete died at 1:30 and Orin [sic Orrin] at 2:30.

Mr. Le Tourneau suffered a fracture of both hips. Mrs. Le Tourneau's injuries were not described, but both were injured internally and to the extent that they may not recover. Norman received a fractured collar bone and slight injuries, and Bill only slight bruises.

The occupants of the other car were all three killed and both cars demolished. Bill Eitzen is a cousin to Mrs. W. W. Zuercher and came originally from Hillsboro. The other three are nephews of Mr. Zuercher.

Rev. Theo. Roth, who was with the Senior-Faculty trip and at Washington, D. C., at that time was called home to take charge of the services and arrived that night.

Mrs. Orin [sic Orrin] Rutschman had bid goodby to her husband Saturday and came here with mr. and Mrs. Vic Zuercher for a week's visit, and was at the D. H. Rutschman home when the news came. They had been married here only last June. With her was Miss Grace Reed, fiancee of Pete Rutschman, who had just announced this Saturday as their wedding date. She had started back with Mr. and Mrs. Zuercher about three hours before and did not learn of the accident until arriving at Peoria.

Surviving the two boys besides their parents and Mrs. Rutschman, are a brother Waldo of Peoria, Henry of near Burns, Laverne at home, and two sisters, Mrs. Fred Langenegger of Whitewater and Jeanette, at home.

The Mennonite obituary: 1937 Jul 27 p. 13