Souder, Ella K. Ruth (1886-1945)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1945 Aug 23 p. 1

Birth date: 1886

text of obituary:

Five Lives Lost in Single Tragedy

AUTOMOBILE STRUCK BY TROLLEY AT LANSDALE, PA., COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED

One of the most tragic accidents in years happened at Lansdale, Pa., Friday, Aug. 3, when five members of the Mrs. Ella K. Sauder [sic Souder] family were fatally injured when their car was struck by a trolley at a railroad crossing there.

The following account of the tragedy, submitted by a Review reader, is from the Lansdale paper:

Five members of three generations of a family were killed, or died later, when the auto in which they were riding was struck and completely demolished by a northbound Lehigh Valley Transit Co. trolley at the northern borough limits of Lansdale last Friday night at 8:40 o'clock. The dead are:

Mrs. Ella K. (Ruth) Souder, 58 years, 9 months and 6 days, widow of Wallace A. Souder, Bethlehem pike, Telford R. D. 1.

Mrs. Esther Hedrick, 28, wife of Ralph B. Hedrick, Lansdale grocer, and daughter of Mrs. Souder.

Harold Hedrick, 5-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick.

Ella Mae Hedrick, 5 week old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick.

Dale Rush, 2 years, 7 months and 12 days, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester D. Rush, of Telford R. D. 1, and grandson of Mrs. Souder.

Injured was Donald Hedrick, 4-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Hedrick. He suffered a compound fracture of the skull.

The victims were taken to Elm Terrace Hospital by the hospital ambulance and the Fairmount Fire Co. ambulance of Lansdale. Mrs. Souder, Mrs. Hedrick and Harold Hedrick were dead on arrival. Ella Mae died a few minutes after being admitted.

The Rush child, suffering from a depressed skull fracture, underwent an emergency operation at the hospital during the night. He died Saturday afternoon.

After the car was struck it was dragged between 50 and 75 feet before it dropped into a field alongside the Lehigh Valley Transit Co.'s tracks. The side of the automobile was smashed into the vehicle, trapping all six family members inside. The automobile was virtually demolished and the front of the trolley was damaged.

Trolley passengers and neighbors attracted by the noise of the impact aided in removing the six trapped in the automobile.

The motorman, Lewis Clymer, 49, of 310 Chapel Ave., Allentown, took the trolley to the next switch and there reported the crash. Another motorman was sent to replace him and he was taken into custody by Lansdale police pending the arrival of the coroner and state police. later he was released under $5,000 cash bail by Magistrate Howard Boorse after a hearing on an involuntary manslaughter charge.

Mrs. Souder was a native of Colmar and was a daughter of the late Mennonite Bishop Joseph and Mary (Kratz) Ruth.

She is survived by a daughter, Margaret, wife of Lester Rush, mother of Dale Rush, residing at the Souder home; three sisters, Mrs. Preston A. Souder, her twin, of Telford R. D. 2; Mrs. Henry Delp, Line Lexington, and Alma Ruth, Philadelphia; a brother, Horace Ruth, Line Lexington, and four grandchildren. Mr. Souder died in December, 1937.

Surviving Dale Rush, besides the parents, are three brothers, Glenn, Gerald and Dennis. Also the paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Rush, Plumsteadville.

Mr. Hedrick and his injured son, Donald, are the sole survivors in his family. The paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Charles T. Hedrick, of Lansdale.

Viewing of Mrs. Souder and the Rush boy took place at the Hunsicker Funeral Home, 130 E. Broad St., Souderton, Monday evening.

The viewing of Mrs. Hedrick and her two children was held at the Huff Funeral Home, Lansdale, Monday evening.

About 1,400 persons attended the viewings Monday evening and at least 1,200 passed the row of caskets at the service held Tuesday afternoon.

Joint funeral services were held at Rockhill Mennonite church, near Telford, Tuesday afternoon. The sermons were delivered by Rev. Clinton Landis, pastor of the Rockhill church and Rev. Jacob Z. Rittenhouse, pastor of the Lansdale Mennonite Mission. those assisting in the service were Bishop John Lapp, who had the devotions; Rev. Wilson R. Moyer, who red a hymn, and Rev. Wilson Overholt, who gave the closing prayer. Interment was made in the adjoining cemetery.

The funeral service was attended by probably 2,000 persons with the main auditorium, the basement and the porch filled to capacity. In addition hundreds of persons remained in their cars parked on the church grounds. The service was amplified by C. Proctor, of Telford, which enabled everybody inside and outside the building to hear the service.

A late report on the condition of Donald Hedrick shows a continued slow improvement, although he is by no means out of danger.