Sisters Killed At Nashville In Car-Train Accident Friday

Washington Country recorded its first highway fatalities of 1962 Friday morning about 8:45 in a car-train accident near Nashville.

Linda Powers, 13 years of age and her sister, Diane, nine, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Powers of Nashville, were killed in the accident.

The two sisters, together with their sisters, Connie, seven and Margie, 12, were enroute to school at Nashville in a station wagon driven by their father, when the accident occurred.

The Powers’ station wagon was hit broadside by a special freight train of 15 cars, reportedly traveling 25 miles an hour in a 35 mile an hour zone. The station wagon was knocked about 73 feet. Diane was the only one thrown from the station wagon.

The graveled road which leads to Highway 73, rises toward the tracks. Authorities who investigated the accident said the driver may have been blinded by the sun.

Joe Noah, Omaha, engineer on the train, told authorities he was sounding the diesel horn as the train approached the crossing. He did not see the station wagon until just before the impact. The highway was covered with snow at the approach to the railroad crossing.

Connie, Margie and Mr. Powers were taken to an Omaha Hospital for treatment of their injuries. Their condition is reported as satisfactory.

Mr. and Mrs. Powers have two other children, who were at home with their mother at the time of the accident. They are Jayne three and Michael four years of age.

Other survivors include maternal grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Henry Zieg of Scribner and paternal grandparent Jerry Powers, Sr. of North Bend.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday at 2 o’clock at Scribner, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church with burial at Scribner Cemetery.

Billie Thomas, 13, a pupil at Nashville, witnessed the accident as did Miss Ruby Masters, one of the teachers.

Miss Masters and Mrs. Bryneice Anderson, also an instructor at Nashville School, rushed to the scene, together with the pupils who were waiting for the start of the school day.

Note: Since the actual death date was not given, the news article date was used.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~