Peter Oscar Person

Mr. and Mrs. P.O. Person Killed in Auto Accident

Mr. and Mrs. P.O. Person, ranchers 15 miles south of Lusk were killed instantly this Wednesday morning about 10 o'clock, when the car he was driving left the road 12 miles south of here on Highway 85. His age was about 71, hers 66.

The elderly couple were traveling north to Lusk. The car pulled off into the east barrow pit, seemed to gain speed, hit an approach and leaped 72 feet, landing on its nose.

It is believed Mr. Person may have had a heart attack, because the car traveled over 400 feet at high speed is the barrow pit before striking the approach.

No one saw the accident, but passerby reported it in Lusk shortly later and the Peet ambulance and Highway Patrolman M.S. Jordan went immediately to the scene.

Two daughters survive the couple, Miss Emma Person, who lives at home but who is now in the Black Hills and Mrs. Ernest Larson of Nebraska.

The Lusk Herald
July 28, 1949
Last Rites Held for Mr. and Mrs. Person Saturday

Last rites for Mr. and Mrs. P. O. Person were conducted from the Peet Chapel Saturday, July 23, at 2:30.

The couple was killed in a car accident on Wednesday July 20, as they were coming to Lusk from their ranch home 14 miles south of Lusk. Mr. Person had been suffering from fainting spells and the couple was on their way to town to see a doctor when the accident occurred.

State Highway Patrolman, M. S. Jordan says it appears that Mr. Person who was driving the car, suffered a heart attack or fainting spell, and the machine then plunged into the barrow pit and traveled a considerable distance at high speed before hitting an approach.

The accident happened somewhere around 10:00 a.m. and was discovered shortly afterwards by Floyd Simon, who has a ranch in that vicinity.

Mr. and Mrs. Person have been residents of this community for the past 35 years, where they were engaged in farming and ranching east of the Rawhide Buttes.

Peter Oscar Person was born in Sweden on June 28, 1877. At the age of 14 years he came with his parents to America and located near Vermillion, South Dakota where he lived until young manhood.

Ellen Catherine Madsen was born in Denmark on July 23, 1883 and also came to America when 14 years of age and located with her parents in southeastern South Dakota.

The couple was married at Yankton, South Dakota on November 1, 1905 and were the parents of two daughters, Mrs. Anna Larsen of Merriman, Nebr., and Miss Emma Person of the family home. In 1914 the family moved to Wyoming locating 14 miles south of Lusk in Goshen county. A sad coincidence was the fact that Mrs. Person was buried on her 66th birthday.

Rev. Lawrence P. Juell officiated at the double service and the songs, "Have Thine Own Way Lord" and "Sweet Peace, the Gift of God's Love" were sung as a duet by Mrs. A. F. DeCastro and Miss Minette Watson accompanied by Mrs. J. P. Watson.

Casket bearers for Mr. Person were Roy McLain, Floyd Simon, Andy Owens, C.E. Marvin, John Peterson and Roger Cowell. Those for Mrs. Person were Waldo Hoy, Stanley Hoy, Archie Sparks, W. S. Tyrrel, Nels Mariegard and Bunt Alter. Two hearses conveyed their remains to their final resting place in the Lusk Cemetery.

Survivors include the couple's two daughters, Mrs. Anna Larsen of Merriman, Nebr., and Miss Emma Person of the family home, two grandchildren and two sisters and two brothers of Mr. Person and three sisters and two brothers of Mrs. Person, also several nieces and nephews.

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