Ralph Edward Brooks

Ralph Brooks, 15, Dies in Auto Crash

Ralph Brooks, 15, son of Mrs. Adelyn Brooks of Manville, was killed about 6:30 p.m. last Thursday night two miles west of Manville when his car overturned pinning him underneath.

No one witnessed the accident. Dick Lee and James Patten first came upon the wreck and were soon joined by Ted Chambers and Ed Martin who lifted the car free and sent a truck driver on into Lusk to notify authorities of the accident.

The boy was found to be dead when Sheriff Ben Brown and the Peet Ambulance arrived.

Ralph had been to the farm of his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Mike Tschacher, about four miles west of Manville to get milk. He was returning home when the accident occured. Just what caused the accident is not known. Ralph was known as a steady boy who never drove recklessly. The old 1937 Ford had lights which occassionally went out and it is thought this may have happened.

It was determined that as the car began to leave the road the brakes on one side grabbed. The car traveled over 100 feet in the borrow pit before going headlong into the bank and bouncing back on the side. It was then that the youth was caught between the car door and the body and crushed. It was believed he died almost instantly.

MANY ATTEND SERVICES
One of the largest crowds to attend a funeral service in Lusk was present at the Requiem Mass at St. Leo's Catholic Church Monday morning at 10:00 at which the Rev. Father McGovern officiated. Rosary services were conducted the previous evening at 7:30.

The Manville student body attended in a group. Burial was in the Lusk Cemetery. Casket bearers were Ivan Glandt, Merlin Murphy, Ted Pennington, Charles Moss, Dannie Alexander and John Rodgers.

Ralph was born in Manville, November 24, 1934 and had attended schools there being a sophomore in high school at the time of his death. As a freshman last year he was active in athletics, playing in football, basketball and softball. He had worked hard the past summer saving his money frugally.

Surviving besides his mother are two brothers and a sister, Donald, 14, Garry, 12, and Sharon, 10; his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank E. Brooks and Mr. and Mrs. M.H. Tschacher and seven aunts and uncles: Mrs. Chester Burke, Lewis, Lloyd and Erwin Tschacher, Mrs. William O'Neill, F. Everette Brooks and Mrs. Warren J. Kelley.

Relatives from Hemingford, Neb., who attended the services were Mrs. Frank Gasseling, Mrs. Darlene Homringhauser, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Roland, Mr. and Mrs. Anton Annen, Mr. and Mrs. John Annen, Mr. and Mrs. Will Annen, Harry Delsong, Leonard Wood, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Zeler and family, Joe Caha, Will Keister, Mrs. Minnie Rose and Mrs. Leonard Tschacher and sons, Mrs. William O'Neill was here from Boulder, Colo., and Mrs. Warren Kelley from Norfolk, Va.

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