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Three High School Students Killed
Three Others Injured When Car Hits Cement Wall
Joint Afternoon Services Announced For Thursday Afternoon,Dec. 23, at 2 o'clock, at High School Auditorium
-- Burial Highland Cemetery
High School in this city was dismissed Wednesday morning and townspeople and country folk discussed in awed and hushed tones the stark grim tragedy that took the lives of three high school students Tuesday night while three others lie in the local hospital with serious injuries.The dead, result of an automobile crash into a cement banister at the side of a small bridge, two miles northeast of town, are Wanda Lee Wilson, 13, a Freshman, Glenna Lee Howard, 15, a Sophomore, and Wayne Strickland, 16, a Junior.
The three injured are Betty Jane Nurse, 16, a Junior, Franklin Fishburn, 15, a Junior and Lee Taylor, 18, a Senior.
The crash occurred Tuesday night about two o'clock as the group of young people were on their way to Isabel after Mr. Glenn Fishburn, father of Franklin. It is understood that Wayne Strickland was driving the Fishburn V-8 car, when it hit the cement wall, mashing the engine back into the front of the car, instantly killing young Strickland, throwing others out of the car, and injuring two others so badly that they died shortly afterwards. Glenna Lee Howard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry K. Howard, died on the way to the hospital, and Wanda Lee Wlson died about fifteen minutes after reaching the hospital, only a few minutes after her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Hollis Wilson, reached her side.
Betty Jane Nurse, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Nurse, has a broken arm, a broken hip, and other serious injuries.
Franklin Fishburn, son of Mr. and Mrs., Glenn Fishburn, has a bad scalp wound, and other head injuries. He was expected to be able to leave the hospital Wednesday evening.
Lee Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Taylor, who live south of Gerlane, has bad head and body bruises.
The three injured students are expected to recover, provided no complications set in.
Clarence Freiden, Barber county sheriff, after investigating the wrecked car, expressed a belief that the car must have been traveling at a rate of 40 to 50 miles, a speed that is not considered excessive.
The first person to arrive at the scene was Wick Reed, in charge of the Lario oil wells two miles northeast of town. He loaded three of them into his car and sped to town.
A joint funeral service is planned for the three young people, Glenna Lee Howard, Wanda Lee Wilson and Wayne Strickland at the high school auditorium in Medicine Lodge this Thursday afternoon, December 23rd, at two o'clock, with the several ministers of the town in charge of the service. Raymond McAllister, instructor in music at the high school will have charge of the music.
Also see:
H. S. Auditorium Is Packed For Funeral Services:
Community Pays Tribute and Respect To High School Students Who Lost Lives in Auto Crash
Barber County Index, December 30, 1937.
Thanks to Shirley Brier for finding, transcribing and contributing the above news article to this web site!
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