RAYMOND ROTH 1932 - 1948

ROTH, SCHWEITZER

Posted By: Ann Miller White (email)
Date: 4/23/2004 at 20:44:59

September 9, 1948

RAYMOND ROTH, SON OF BEN J. ROTH, VICTIM ACCIDENT
SUNDAY NIGHT EAST OF TOWN

He was Thrown into High Line and Electrocuted

Raymond Roth, 16 year old son of Mr. And Mrs. Ben J. Roth of near Olds was a victim of an auto accident which occurred three miles east of town on the black top road in front of the Ira Wenger farm home at 10:20 P.M. He was enroute home from attending the final meeting of the Lacour Evangelistic Crusade and was driving east. He evidently thought the car in the Wenger driveway was backing out (Aaron Wyse was in the car waiting for the oncoming cars from the west to pass before backing out onto the road). When the youth attempted to avoid what he probably thought would be an accident he applied the brakes and turned the car slightly to the center of the road. The car went into a skid and by the time it reached the north side of the road it was almost crossways. When the wheels of the car caught in the sodded back it set the car to rolling and landed upside down in the cornfield, wrecked beyond repair.

Raymond was thrown from the car and hit the electric line which carries 13,000 volts and was instantly electrocuted dropping in the first row of corn about 60 feet from where the car stopped. Mr. And Mrs. Wenger and Mr. Wyse saw the flash of light and ball of fire when the youth hit the power line. Others also saw the flash of light, some as far away as three miles.

It is not known how fast the car was going but one of the occupants of the car which was only a short distance behind said they were traveling about 60 mph.

Doctor Widmer and ambulance and the sheriff’s office were called by Mrs. Wenger. Doctor Widmer and the Deputy Coroner, Victor Stacy, both attributed death as a result of electrocution rather than injuries from the accident.

Raymond was a student of the Olds High School and a member of the senior class. Besides being a good student, he was popular with his classmates. He was editor of the school paper and was interested in other extracurricular activities. He will be greatly missed in the Olds High School not only for his ability as a student but because of his fine character as well.

The Olds High School was dismissed and the faculty and students attended the funeral.

Funeral services were held from the home at 1:15 and at the Sugar Creek Church at 2:00 PM Wednesday September 8, with Rev. Simon Gingerich and Willard Leichty in charge and interment was made in the Sugar Creek Cemetery. The Stacy Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Arnold Roth,. Willard Roth, Orrin Eichelberger, Lowell Leichty, Carl Reshley and Darwin Widmer, members of his Sunday School class served as pallbearers.

0BITUARY

Raymond Leslie Roth, son of Ben and Martha (Schweitzer) Roth was born near Beaver Crossing, Nebraska January 30, 1932. He came to Iowa with his parents in the fall of 1937, moving to a farm in the Olds Iowa community which has been their home since.

He attended the public school of Olds and was a member of the senior class. He appreciated his school privileges and was an apt student.

During the evangelistic meeting held at Sugar Creek Mennonite Church in 1944, he was converted and received into fellowship of that congregation by baptism December 3rd. He was a regular attendant at Sunday School and Church services. On Sunday evening of his tragic death, September 5, 1948, he with others attended the evangelistic meeting held in the auditorium of the Wayland High School. On his way home about 10:00 PM he lost control of the car, and was thrown onto a high voltage electric line, and electrocuted. His sudden death came as a shock to the entire community. His age was 16 years, 7 months, and 5 days.

He leaves to mourn his deeply bereaved parents, one brother, Merton of Wellman, Iowa, one sister, Elaine, at home, one grandfather, Daniel Schweitzer of Milford, Nebraska, and many other relatives and friends.