The Sterling Daily Gazette, Sterling, Illinois

October 10, 1935 - SThursday, pg 10 

WILLIAM  EDWARD  CHRIEST 

Tampico Youth Fatally Hurt In Crash of Trucks - Wm. Chriest, 19, Is Killed and Fred Kilroy Painfully Injured 

William Chriest, 19, of Tampico was fatally injured, and his uncle, Fred Kilroy, 28, also of Tampico, suffered painful cuts and bruises when the Chevrolet truck which the former was driving, and a Reo truck of Benton Harbor, Mich., piloted by Rolla Williams, relief driver, collided on a narrow bridge three-quarters of a mile east of Plano about 4:30 o'clock Thursday morning.  The regular driver of the Reo truck, Francis Anderson, was in the cab with Williams.  Chriest and Kilroy were driving west en route home from Chicago, where they had delivered a load of freight.  The Reo truck was traveling east on their way to Benton Harbor.  Anderson and Williams were placed under arrest following the accident, and were taken to Yorkville, where they are being held pending action of the coroner's jury, which has been empaneled for a hearing in Aurora this afternoon.

The left front ends of the two trucks met head-on on the narrow bridge.  Both were badly damaged.  The impact caused the cab of the Chevrolet truck to collapse.  Kilroy was able to work himself free of the wreckage, but it was necessary to tear part of the splintered cab away to release Chriest.  Neither of the occupants of the Reo truck were injured. 

Two Princeton men, Eugene Lamb and Art Hade, en route to their home, reached the scene of the accident soon after it occurred.  They placed Chriest and Kilroy in their automobile and took them to St. Joseph's Mercy Hospital in Aurora.  Examination by the hospital physician disclosed that Chriest was dead.  He suffered a basal skull fracture and other injuries.  It was not determined whether he had been killed instantly or had passed away en route to the hospital.  Kilroy suffered bad cuts above the right eye and on the left side of the face and also a badly bruised shoulder. 

The truck in which Chriest and Kilroy were riding was owned by Ivan Exner of Tampico.  Mr. Exner was notified of the accident about 6 o'clock Thursday morning, and left immediately for Aurora.  Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chriest, parents of the young man who was killed, went to Aurora later in the morning to get the body and bring it to Tampico. 

William Chriest was 19 years of age Wednesday.  Besides his parents he is survived by four sisters and two brothers.  They are Nellie, Darlene and Ida Mary, who are at home, Wilma of Fox River Grove, Charles, jr., and Lester, also at home.  No arrangements for the funeral had been made this afternoon. 

October 15th - Tuesday 

Funeral Rites of Wm Chriest Held Saturday - Methodist Church Filled With Relatives and Many Friends  

Funeral services for William Edward Chriest, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chriest of Tampico, who passed away Thursday morning from injuries sustained in a collision of two trucks near Aurora, were held at two o'clock Saturday afternoon in the Tampico Methodist Church, Rev. J. S. White, pastor, officiated and used for the text of his message of comfort, Job 7:6, "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle."  Two of William's favorite hymns, Let the Lower lights be Burning, and Abide With Me, were sung by Mrs. R. P. Loudenburg and Mrs. Cllaude Love accompanied at the piano by Mrs. N. E. Denison. 

There was a large attendance of relatives and friends present to pay respect to the grief stricken family.  Beautiful floral offerings were silent  messages of sympathy.  Friends attending the casket were Colen Hauck of Fox River Grove and Ivan Exner, Herbert Lee, James Holland, Arthur Davis and James Purett of Tampico.  Interment was in the Tampico Cemetery. 

William Edward Chriest, born Oct. 9, 1916 met his death on the morning after his nineteenth birthday.  Another sacrifice on the altar of the motor car and the high road.  He is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Chriest, four sisters, Mrs. Wilma Hauck of Fox River Grove, Darlene, Nellie and Ida Mary and two brothers, Charles, jr., and Lester. 

Among those from out-of-town attending the service were:  Mr. and Mrs. Earl Kilroy and family and Hervert Kilroy, Morrison;  Mr. and Mrs. John Kilroy and family, Sterling;   Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kilroy, Mr. and Mrs. Charles McCombs, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Olsson, Rock Falls;  Mr. and Mrs. John Brown, Prophetstown;  Mr. and Mrs. William Hauck, Colen Hauck and Miss Carolyn Hauck, Fox River Grove;  Miss Iva McGonigle, Walnut;  Miss Betty Jane Mayberry, Amboy; Leon Kilroy of Decatur and Shirley and Chalres Matthew of Deer Grove.