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Fred Blanchard (1961)

BLANCHARD, BROWN, HENSLEY, PERKINS, WOODS

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 11/8/2023 at 18:02:51

The Osceola Sentinel
Osceola, Iowa
Thursday, January 19, 1961
Page 1, Column 8

FRED BLANCHARD KILLED, TWO INJURED IN 2-CAR COLLISION

WIDOW OF VICTIM IS ‘CRITICAL’

Former Clarke County People Victims of Tragic 2-Car Accident on Highway 34 at Butler Curve

Fred Blanchard, 76 year old former resident of Clarke county, died at the Clarke county hospital Wednesday evening of injuries received in a head-on collision near the Ward Center school four miles west of Osceola at about 3:55 Wednesday afternoon.

His wife, Lydia, 73, is reported in poor condition and the driver of the other car, Ben Zarco, 29, of Denver, Colo., is reported in fair condition this morning by their attending physician.

The attending physician for the accident victims, Dr. C. R. Harken, said this morning that Mr. Blanchard died from a fractured skull and other injuries. Mrs. Blanchard’s injuries are primarily to the head and neck, and according to the doctor, complicated by a diabetic condition. Zarco is conscious and is suffering severe head injuries and facial cuts and a fractured knee cap.

The accident is the first fatality on Clarke county roads in 1961, and the first fatal accident in the county since August 20 when Mrs. Fern Kuhr was killed in an accident north of Osceola on U.S. 69.

According to the Clarke county Sheriff’s office, which helped the Highway Patrol handle the accident, the 1953 Ford driven by Zarco was going west when it collided head-on with the Blanchard 1951 Chevrolet heading east, on the curve west of the school.

The Blanchard car stopped crosswise on the south lane of the highway while the Colorado car halted facing east on the north side of the highway.

Sheriff K. W. Likes said this morning that no charges have been filed, and that the cause of the accident is still not known. However, he added that apparently one of the cars must have gone out of control before the accident. It was not snowing at the time of the accident, but officers directing traffic on busy U.S. 34, were hampered by the snow which began to fall almost immediately after the collision.

It took officers more than an hour to clear traffic and completely open the road following the accident.

Funeral arrangements are not complete as of Thursday noon, but friends may call Crew and Varner funeral home in Diagonal for time and date of services.

The Blanchards were returning from a visit with their daughter, Mrs. Ray Perkins of Creston at the time of the accident.

Mr. Blanchard was born July 9, 1884 in Madison county, Iowa. He married Lydia Hensley April 12, 1906 in Winterset. During his adult life he engaged in farming in Clarke and surrounding counties, until his retirement in 1951. Since then he and Mrs. Blanchard have made their home in Chariton. He is survived by seven children, Anthony, Virgil and Pearl Woods of Osceola; Minerva Brown, Tucson, Ariz.; Fern Perkins, Creston; Lloyd of Des Moines and Emanuel of Chariton. Two brothers also survive, Herman of Murray and Ben of Winterset. Three sisters and two brothers preceded him in death.
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The Osceola Sentinel
Osceola, Iowa
Thursday, January 26, 1961
Page 2, Columns 5 & 6

Fred O. Blanchard, son of Orange and Elizabeth Ann Blanchard, was born July 9, 1884 near Winterset, Iowa, and died January 18, 1961 at Osceola, Iowa, at the age of 76 years, 5 months and 9 days.

He was married April 12, 1905 to Lydia Lilcock Hensley, daughter of William and Minerva Ann Hensley, with the wedding taking place at Winterset. The Blanchards observed their golden anniversary in 1955 surrounded by their children and grandchildren.

Seven children were born to the Blanchards, all of whom survive. They are Anthony William of Osceola, Minerva Ann Brown of Tucson, Arizona, Loyd Edgard of Des Moines, Fern Mae Perkins of Kent, Manuel Leroy of Chariton, Virgil Clarence of Osceola, and Pearl Lenatta Woods, also of Osceola.

Besides his wife and children he is survived by 21 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and by two brothers, Benjamin of Winterset, and Harmon of Murray. Sixteen nieces and nephews also survive.

He was preceded in death by his parents, three sisters, and two brothers.

He lived all of his life in Iowa excepting for a short time in Nebraska shortly after his marriage. He spent his life farming until retiring and moving to Chariton in 1951.

He was a member of the Christian church.

Funeral services were held Saturday, January 21, from the Christian church in Diagonal, with the Rev. O. I. Mendenhall of Clearfield in charge. Mrs. B. W. Brown was pianist, and accompanied the singers, Mrs. A. J. Kessler and Mrs. Freeman Rief. Casket bearers were Stanley Overholser, Jeroy Francis, Cyril Hubbard, Russell Holmes, Carl Brand, and Ivan Clark. Burial was in Harmony cemetery, north of Diagonal.

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