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Established 1948  Denison
Herald March 5, 1979 Three people were killed and two others seriously injured in a grinding, two-car collision Saturday night north of Sherman onNorth Travis Street. It was the worst traffic accident of 1979 in Grayson County. Dead are Burdett E. Yelton, 70, of rural Denison; his 64-year-old wife, Cora Marie Yelton; and Steve Pat Reimer, 22, of 2200 Hickory St. Joe Allan Anderson, 19, of 420 W. Turner St., was in stable but serious condition Monday morning in the intensive care unit of Texoma Medical Center. Charles Carey Jr., 21, of 1700 W. Belden St., was in satisfactory condition at Wilson N. Jones Memorial Hospital. Carey is the son of Sgt. Charles Carey, commander of the Howe Dept. of Public Safety communications center. State Troopers, Sherman and Denison police and firefighters, and Grayson County sheriff personnel were visibly shocked by the extent of injuries and the amount of damage done to both vehicles. A witness who was southbound on North Travis Street in front of the Mustang said he saw the collision in his rear view mirror. He said the Mustang was "coming up behind me fast." Paddock said skid marks left on the roadway by the Mustang, and the wrecked condition of the two vehicles indicated the Mustang was moving at a high rate of speed when the collision occurred. The witness told Paddock that the Mustang, driven by Anderson, first swerved off the right side of the roadway and then skidded left into the path of the northbound station wagon. Reimer was in the Mustang's front right seat and Carey was in the back. Yelton drove the station wagon. Paddock said Anderson, Reimer and Carey were returning to Sherman from a friend's birthday party. Mr. and Mrs. Yelton were returning to their rural Denison residence after playing dominoes with friends south of Sherman.It occurred shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday on a dark, straight section of the narrow two lane road. A 1971 Ford Mustang, occupied by Anderson, Reimer and Carey, was split in half by the impact - its two separate parts coming to rest 200 feet apart. Its three occupants were thrown 100 feet, landing on the roadway at a point midway between the two halves of their car. "I’ve never seen a car torn up that bad," investigating DPS Trooper Gary Paddock said Sunday night. Paddock has been investigating Texas traffic fatalities for nearly a decade. Mr. and Mrs. Yelton were trapped in their 1972 Dodge station wagon nearly 30 minutes while Sherman firefighters, using power saws, cut through the wreckage. Justice of the Peace Robert Dean believed they died instantly. Although the Mustang was torn apart, its gasoline tank did not rupture. There was no fire. Reimer died Sunday morning while undergoing emergency treatment for a massive head injury at Medical Plaza Hospital. Relatives of Yelton have ordered an autopsy on the elderly man, according to a family member. The Sunday deaths inflate the 1979 Grayson County traffic fatality count to six. Services for Mr. and Mrs. Yelton will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Waldo Funeral Chapel. Services for Mr. Reimer will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the same chapel. The Yelton double services will be conducted by the Rev. Bob Stevens of the Denison Woodlawn Baptist Church. Burial will bein Cedarlawn Memorial Park. Mr. Yelton was born in Pryor, Okla. He was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Mark Yelton. He married Cora Marie Jordon Feb. 2, 1934 in Columbus, Kan. He retired from the Quaker Oats Co. after 36 years as an electrician and maintenance foreman. He and his wife were members of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Yelton was born in Chelsea, Okla. She was the daughter of Mrs. Florence Harrison Jordan and the late T.A. Jordan. Mr. and Mrs. Yelton are survived by a son, Donald Yelton of Garland; his sister, Mrs. Vianie Clinton of Argyle; her mother, Mrs. Florence Jordon of Oklahoma City; her sisters, Mrs. Rosa Kenslow of Tulsa, Okla., Mrs. Edith Edgin of Santa Cruz, California; and Mrs. Leona Anthony. They had three grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Walt Young, Bob Wilson, Edgar Peacock, Burton Crews, John McDonald, Earl Ballou, Tom Hulsey, Charlie Armstrong, Buddy Spencer, Leon Carter, Carl Keller and John Hull. The family will be at the funeral home from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday and other times at the family residence, Route 2, Denison. Services for Mr. Reimer will be conducted by the Rev. Ben Read of Bells First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Virginia Point Cemetery near Bells. Mr. Reimer was born in Casper, Wyo. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Reimer. A 1975 graduate of Sherman High School, he has been employed at Oscar Mayer the past year. He was a member of the Methodist church. Pallbearers will be Danny Eubank, Charles Halk, Paul Martin, Randy Hogan, Joe Gregory, and Jimmy Sanders. Survivors are the parents of Sherman; brothers, Phillip of Reimer of Sherman, Richard Reimer of Lubbock and Jerry Reimer of Houston. The family will be at the funeral home from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday and other times at the residence, 2200 N. Hickory. Denison Herald March 5, 1979 Page 2 SHERMAN - Double funeral for Burdett Edward and Cora Marie Yelton, who both died about 12:30 a.m. Sunday in a Sherman hospital of injuries received in an auto accident, will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Waldo Funeral Chapel. Interment will be in Cedarlawn Memorial Park. Yelton, 70, was born March 31, 1908 in Pryor, Okla. He and Cora Marie Jordan were married Feb. 2, 1934 in Columbus, Kan. He was a retired Quaker Oats Co. employee with 35 years service as an electrician and maintenance foreman. Mrs. Yelton, 64, was born March 16 1914, at Chelsea, Okla. Both were members of the Baptist Church. Yelton is survived by one son, Donald, Garland; one sister, Mrs. Vianie Clinton, Argyle; and three grandchildren. Mrs. Yelton's survivors are one son, Donald, Garland; her mother, Mrs. Florence Jorday, Oklahoma City; four sisters, Mrs. Rosa Delozier and Mrs. Leona Anthony, Oklahoma City; Mrs. Opal Kenslow, Tulsa and Mrs. Edith Edgin, Santa Cruse, Calif.; and three grandchildren.  Cedarlawn Cemetery Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |