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Blair Man Killed In U.S. 73 Crash Monday

Wm. McKenzie and Family Involved In Car-Truck Crash

William McKenzie, well known Blair man was killed and his wife and daughter were seriously injured early Monday evening when their car collided with a pickup truck on Highway 73 in Douglas County. Mr. McKenzie was killed outright in the crash.

Investigation revealed that Mr. and Mrs. McKenzie and their daughter, Rae Jeanine, were enroute to Omaha in their small foreign car. They had made the turn on U.S. 73 just east of the Forgot Store in Douglas County and had started up the hill when their car crashed head on into a pickup truck. The truck, reportedly, had passed a motorcycle and in getting back into its proper land, one wheel of the truck ran off the pavement. The driver, according to available information, lost control of his vehicle and crashed head on into the McKenzie car.

Mr. McKenzie was killed outright in the crash. Mrs. McKenzie suffered severe cuts about the head and face. The daughter sustained a back injury and leg injuries plus cuts and bruises.

The driver of the truck was Keith Foll, 22 of rural Omaha.

The injured were rushed to an Omaha hospital for treatment. Foll was treated and released. Mrs. McKenzie and her daughter were hospitalized overnight and then transferred to Memorial Community Hospital in Blair on Tuesday. Both are in serious condition.

Mr. McKenzie was born October 22, 1914 at Lyons, Nebraska and was, therefore, 49 years of age at the time of his death. The family moved to Blair a number of years ago and had resided on west Nebraska street. Recently they had purchased a home at 1641 Grand street and had moved here a few months ago.

Mr. McKenzie was employed in Omaha by the Omaha Steel Co. Mrs. McKenzie is a clerk in the J. M. McDonald Store in Blair. Their daughter, Rae Jeanine, is a cheer leader at Blair High School.

Survivors of Mr. McKenzie are his wife, Laverne, a son, Dennis and a daughter Rae Jeanine, of Blair and a son Ronald who resides in Florida. A sister, Fern Gallup, lives at Lyons, Nebraska.

Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at the First Methodist Church with the Rev. Dale Westadt conducting the service. Burial, under the direction of the Campbell Mortuary, will be made in the Blair cemetery.

Note: Per Blair Cemetery records: died 28 Sept 1964; buried Blk 43 Lot 8 Grave 12.

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